Christmas Day in Alicante was not just wet, it was record breaking. The city recorded 37.4 litres of rain per square metre, making it the wettest Christmas Day since records began in 1859.
It was also unusually cold. The maximum temperature reached just 10 degrees. According to AEMET, this was the coldest Christmas Day in Alicante since 1962. Not quite beach weather, even by optimistic standards.
The rain was not limited to the city. Large parts of the province saw heavy totals, especially inland areas and the north. Data from AVAMET shows that Vall de Ebo recorded 57.9 litres per square metre. Pego and Vall de Gallinera were close behind, with 52.9 and 52.6 litres.
Alicante’s wettest Christmas
The unsettled weather also caused some festive plans to be cancelled. In Elche, the opening of the traditional Belén Viviente at l’Hort del Xocolater had to be called off. It was meant to be one of the highlights of the day, but even the Three Kings would have struggled in that rain.
All in all, it was a Christmas Day better suited to umbrellas, warm jumpers, and staying indoors. Alicante does sunshine very well, but this year, Christmas came with a very British twist.
