Moving to Spain Part 3 : The weather

Before I came to Spain I clearly knew that it was going to be hot. After all, that’s why most people come to live here, right? We all love the idea of waking up to bright sunshine everyday, walking the dog with the sun on your back and making love under the stars. And, of course, all of these things are pretty much guaranteed on the Costas for much of the year but, in July and August things change dramatically.

Nothing can prepare you for the height of the Spanish summer. The heat is simply relentless and with temperatures regularly exceeding the 30-degree mark even the smallest chores become a nightmare. For example, my missus would clean the house in just her pants (which has its advantages) and would regularly run off to the swimming pool in between polishes. And I have no doubt that as she made her way across the terrace the animals would have raised their heads briefly from their slumber to see exactly what-on-earth dared to move during the daytime hours.

But its not the daytime that is the problem, it’s the night. For weeks on end the thermometer never dropped below 25 which, lets not forget, is regarded as Tropical in most of Scotland. It was almost impossible to sleep before the earliest hours of the morning so you simply don’t bother. In August its so hot that even the Spaniards can’t take it and they bugger off to the North en-masse in search of cool Atlantic winds.

In the same way that the British look forward to the onset of Easter and the start of the milder weather in the UK, so the Spanish covet the 1st of September. As soon as the clock struck midnight on the 31st of August it was as if someone had flicked a switch. The following day the there was a 2 at the start of the temperature, the animals were venturing out during the day and Sarah was wearing shorts throughout the ironing (without pool breaks!!!). The weather in Spain had seemingly changed overnight.

My advice to you? If you’re going to live in Spain try and have a month back in the UK in August and if her in doors doesn’t look so great in her pants; get air-conditioning!!

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