The Algarve gets 503 mm of rain per year — almost entirely October to March. July and August average fewer than 3 rainy days. Bergen gets 2,250 mm across 239 rainy days. Sunshine hours tell half the story; rainfall pattern tells the other half.
What to measure
Total annual rainfall in millimetres. Low totals (under 600 mm) indicate a dry climate, but distribution matters as much as volume.
Days with ≥1 mm precipitation. Reveals whether rain is frequent and light (oceanic) or rare but heavy (Mediterranean / tropical). Fewer is more liveable.
Annual average relative humidity at 2 m. Above 75% feels persistently damp; below 60% is dry and comfortable. Mediterranean climates typically run 57–70%.
Climate patterns
Dry, hot summers (June–September nearly rain-free). Mild, wet winters. Total rainfall low to moderate (350–800 mm). Rainy days concentrated Oct–Mar. High sunshine, low humidity in summer. Examples: Algarve, Seville, Paphos, Athens.
Rain spread year-round with no true dry season. Mild temperatures year-round. Total rainfall moderate to high (600–2,500 mm+). 100–240 rainy days. Consistently overcast and humid. Examples: London, Porto, Bergen, Dublin.
Intense wet season (3–5 months) followed by a completely dry season. Annual totals can be very high (1,500–2,500 mm) but concentrated. Hot and humid year-round. Examples: Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Bali. Annual averages mislead — season matters.
Precipitation
Lower precipitation = longer bar. Source: NASA POWER ERA5-corrected data.
Rainy days
Rainy days = days with ≥1 mm precipitation. Lower = longer bar.
Full comparison
| # | City | Sun hr/yr | Precip mm/yr | Rainy days | Humidity |
|---|
Composite ranking
Composite score: sunshine hrs normalised + (365 − rainy days) normalised + (100 − humidity) normalised. Higher = more liveable dry-and-sunny climate.
Important caveat
Annual average: 1,190 mm over 143 days. Looks moderate. Reality: May–October is heavy monsoon (200–250 mm/month). November–February is essentially bone dry. Plus March–April burn season adds severe air quality problems on top.
Annual: 2,200 mm over 160 days. May–October is relentless — averaging 20+ rainy days per month. November–April is genuinely excellent. Visitors who only come in winter see a completely different destination than year-round residents experience.
Annual: 1,700 mm over 128 days, humidity 80%. December–March is full wet season. April–October (dry season) is the reason Bali is globally popular. Humidity year-round is the biggest comfort detractor — rarely drops below 75%.
Use the GeoRank compare tool to evaluate precipitation, sunshine, cost, and safety across any two destinations simultaneously.
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The Canary Islands (Spain) are the driest part of Europe, averaging just 130 mm of annual precipitation and around 30 rainy days per year. On mainland Europe, southern Spain leads: Almería averages 220 mm/yr and Seville 534 mm across only 53 rainy days. The Algarve in Portugal (Faro/Portimão) averages 503 mm but concentrates almost all rain in October–March, leaving summer essentially dry.
Spain has the driest overall climate of the major European expat destinations, particularly in the south and the Canary Islands. Cyprus is the driest country by precipitation per capita of land area — Paphos averages 357 mm/yr. Malta (530 mm) and Greece (Athens 415 mm) are similarly dry. Portugal's Algarve (503 mm, 61 rainy days) is competitive with the best Mediterranean destinations despite being further north.
SE Asia is significantly more humid year-round. Bali averages 80% humidity annually; Bangkok 73%; Phuket 79%. Southern European Mediterranean destinations typically run 57–70%: Seville 57%, Madrid 57%, Paphos 66%, Athens 62%. Above 75%, humidity becomes physically uncomfortable for most people. At 57–65%, it is barely noticeable. If heat-humidity comfort is a priority, Mediterranean Europe is markedly superior to SE Asia.
A rainy day is defined as any day with ≥1 mm of precipitation. Total millimetres can be misleading: London's 600 mm spread over 133 days feels persistently wet; the Algarve's 503 mm crammed into 61 days (mostly October–March) leaves summers completely dry. For liveability, rainy days per year is a better comfort metric than total precipitation volume. A destination with 800 mm but only 55 rainy days (heavy winter storms followed by long dry season) often feels drier day-to-day than a 500 mm oceanic city with 120 rainy days of light drizzle.
By the composite of high sunshine, low rainy days, and moderate humidity: the Canary Islands (Las Palmas, Tenerife South) rank first — 2,800–3,200 hr/yr sunshine, ~30 rainy days, 63% humidity, mild temperatures year-round (20–28°C). On the European mainland, the Algarve and Paphos (Cyprus) are the strongest: both exceed 3,000 sunshine hours, stay under 65 rainy days, and avoid the extreme summer heat of inland Spain. Seville has more sunshine than the Algarve but reaches 40°C+ in July–August which many find uncomfortable.