ClimavisoMálaga vs Alicante: which has less bad weather?
Averages over the last 7 complete years, from official warnings. Updated 26 October 2026.
Two sunny coasts, two favourite destinations for people moving south. Both get few warnings; the difference is in which ones and how serious they get.
The verdict
Less bad weather: Málaga
Málaga has 35 warning days a year; Alicante, 41. In other words, Alicante gets a warning on about 5.9 more days a year. And over the last 7 years, Málaga has had more red days: 15 against 11. Málaga is mostly rain and heat; Alicante, rain and heat.
Head to head
| Málaga | Alicante | |
|---|---|---|
| Warning days a year | 35 | 41 |
| Orange or red days a year | 10 | 7.1 |
| Red days (last 7 years) | 15 | 11 |
| Heat (days a year) | 13 | 15 |
| Rain (days a year) | 17 | 15 |
| Storms (days a year) | 9.1 | 12 |
| Wind (days a year) | 5.9 | 9.4 |
| Quietest month | April | February |
| Busiest month | August | August |
| Heat warning starts at | 36 °C | 36 °C |
In bold, the city with fewer warnings in each row. A day with several warning types counts in each.
Month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Málaga | 1.9 | 2.0 | 4.6 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 3.7 |
| Alicante | 2.9 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
Warning days in each month, average over the last 7 years.
By season
- Winter: Alicante (6.3 warning days) against Málaga (7.6).
- Spring: Málaga (6.9 warning days) against Alicante (8.9).
- Summer: Málaga (13 warning days) against Alicante (17).
- Autumn: Málaga (7.4 warning days) against Alicante (8.9).
If you're going to live in one of them
- If you'd rather avoid storms: Málaga is better, with 9.1 warning days a year against 12 in Alicante.
- If you'd rather avoid wind: Málaga is better, with 5.9 warning days a year against 9.4 in Alicante.
Warnings are only one part: choosing where to live depends on far more than the weather.
Frequently asked questions
Which has better weather, Málaga or Alicante?
Going by official warnings, Málaga: 35 warning days a year against 41 in Alicante.
Where does it rain more, Málaga or Alicante?
By rain warnings, Málaga: 17 days a year against 15 in Alicante. Warnings only count heavy rain, not every rainy day.
Which is hotter, Málaga or Alicante?
By heat warnings, Alicante: 15 days a year against 13 in Málaga. The yellow heat warning starts at 36 °C in both.
When is the best time to visit Málaga and Alicante?
If you want to dodge warnings, April in Málaga and February in Alicante: their quietest months.
Each zone has its own thresholds: the same heat or rain can trigger a warning in one city and not in the other. A warning is a forecast that the zone's threshold will be crossed, not damage or a measurement. Here we compare how often each city was warned.