Bilbao Spain Weather: Month-by-Month Guide for UK Travellers

The Bilbao weather is Atlantic in character. Winters are cool rather than cold: January averages a high of 12°C and a low of 6°C, and the nights stay at 6°C into February. Summer is warm without being fierce, with highs of 25°C in July and 26°C in August and nights around 17°C. Rain is the constant. Even the driest months see about 10 wet days, and from November to March it is closer to 15 to 17.

For the warmest, driest conditions, aim for July and August, with June and September close behind at 23°C and 24°C. Spring and autumn are milder and wetter but perfectly workable for a city break built around museums, the Casco Viejo and the riverside bridges. When your dates come into view, the live Bilbao weather forecast at the top of this page is the place to check the coming days.

Getting there is easy. Bilbao airport (BIO) has direct flights from the United Kingdom and is about 4 minutes from the city, 8 minutes from Portugalete and 9 from Santurtzi. Santander (SDR) is the alternative, roughly 66 minutes by road. You can compare package holidays, hotel prices, tours and car hire on this page.

January to March is the cool, wet season. Highs run from 12°C to 16°C, with 141mm of rain in January and 129mm in February. The Bilbao weather in March brings the most wet days of the year, 17, although the rain itself is lighter at 106mm. April and May soften things: the Bilbao weather in April averages 17°C by day and 9°C at night, with 83mm over 14 days, and the Bilbao weather in May reaches 20°C with 78mm.

Summer is the most settled period. The Bilbao weather in June gives highs of 23°C and 13 wet days, July drops to 44mm across 10 days at 25°C, and August is the warmest month at 26°C with 54mm. The Bilbao weather in September still averages 24°C by day and 15°C at night, with rain rising to 79mm over 12 days, which makes it an excellent month for a city break.

Autumn turns wetter quickly. The Bilbao weather in October is still mild at 21°C, but rainfall climbs to 102mm on 13 days. November is the wettest month of all at 159mm over 16 days, with highs of 16°C, and December follows at 14°C and 120mm.

A compact umbrella and a waterproof jacket are worth bringing in any month, as the city rarely goes a week without rain. In winter, from December to February, pack a warm coat, a jumper and shoes that cope with wet pavements, because the Bilbao temperature drops to around 6°C at night.

Spring and autumn call for layers: a light jumper for evenings around 9°C to 13°C, something cooler for afternoons between 16°C and 21°C, and a rain jacket throughout. In summer, light clothes, sunglasses and sun cream suit days of 23°C to 26°C, but keep a light layer for evenings near 15°C to 17°C and a shower-proof top in your day bag.

The climate figures on this page come from the Bilbao station, so treat them as a guide for the whole area rather than a precise reading for each town. Bilbao itself sits inland on the river, while Portugalete, about 6 miles away, and Santurtzi, about 7 miles away, lie on the coast.

For a beach day, the warm months from June to September are the ones to target. Las Arenas beach, near Portugalete, is the closest named beach to the city, and Portugalete also has the Basilica of Santa María, which gives you somewhere to head if a shower rolls in.