Throughout the winter the
coast retains temperatures between 15° and 18º C and frost is absent; in summer
the temperature can exceed 35° C, reaching up to 40º C. In the transitional
seasons there are usually summer-type days in autumn (sometimes more than 30° C)
and cooler days (around 20° to 25° C) in the spring, but there are very little
days with temperatures below 20°.
Regarding rainfall,
the winter rains are very irregular due to weak storms that cross the entire
Iberian Peninsula from the Atlantic, while the
summers are very dry and anticyclonic, with common sub-Saharan heat waves. It
is during spring and autumn when the largest amount of precipitation falls, but
it is still not enough to end the severe drought (only 291 mm falling per
year). September and October experience the phenomenon known as the “cold drop.”
The climate is Mediterranean—dry subtropical, with several dry areas.
The average annual temperature is 18.5° C; temperatures are mild, with about
14° to 17° C in winter and a maximum of 3° to 8 º C. Minimal frosts may occur
but are usually very weak; there is no month of the year in the city that does
not reach or exceed 20° C at least one day of the month.
The vegetation is 90% Mediterranean, with the pine tree being the most famous;
the rest is made up of native plants such as palm desert (Palm Orihuela) or
exotic species of cacti that have become a serious pest and particularly grows
in the mountains of Orihuela. This cactus is from arid landscapes in the United States
and can be found in areas with dry, semi-sandy soil and very few bushes.
Orihuela Coast
Due to the increasing population of the beaches of
Orihuela, there has been an emergence of new development. Currently, there are
57 urbanizations, which are divided by areas, the most important being the
Dehesa de Campoamor, Cabo Roig, Playa Famenca, La Zenia, La Regia, Las Mimosas,
Los Dols, Villamartin, and Mil Palmeras
