Over the last twenty years the Mediterranean has become the main destination for Europeans, especially the British, seeking sunny summer holidays. Looking at the climate of the coastal fringes of the sea it is not hard to see why – long hot summers, with more or less guaranteed sunshine, and mild, wetter winters. In fact this mildness has encourage not just tourists but people retiring there permanently, away from the cool and occasionally cold winters of Britain.
The Mediterranean climate is a form of temperate climate and is used to refer not just to the area around the Mediterranean Sea (including North Africa) but to similar climates around the world such as those in California, parts of Chile, south-west Australia and South Africa. All are characterised by hot summers and an abundance of sunshine all year. In winter, temperatures rarely drop below 5°C (41°F) and are more likely to be in the region of 12° to 13°C (53° to 55°F) while in summer averages can be up to 27°C (80°F).
Frosts are very rare in a Mediterranean climate although when they do occur they can cause great damage to crops. For this reason, vulnerable crops such as citrus fruits are usually planted on sloping terrain rather than in valley floors, where in a cold spell frosts are likely to occur as cold air collects in the valley bottom.
Mediterranean regions are widely settled and well cultivated but unpleasant winds can sometimes cause great damage to man and crops alike. In California the Santa Ana wind, a hot and arid wind from inland desert regions, causes disagreeably dry living conditions, as well as damaging plants and increasing the risk of fires in tinder-dry vegetation.
The Mediterranean itself suffers from the famous, or infamous, mistral, a cold and dry wind that blows up the Rhône valley in France causing widespread crop damage. Farmers have planted cypress-tree hedges to protect crops from its worst effects. Another dry Mediterranean wind, this time a hot one, is the scirocco from North Africa which frequently carries large amounts of dust from the desert.
Many plants have adapted themselves to the demands of a Mediterranean climate, none more so than the olive tree which is a distinctive feature of the landscape. Its tough leaves and thick bark help it cope with the excessive heat and dryness of the summer months. It is also in Mediterranean climates that much of the world's Citrus is grown.
Other features in the Climate Zones series:
- Temperate Zone
- Desert Zone
- Tropical Zone
- Polar Zone
- Continental Zone
- Monsoon Zone
