For many years the winter sunshine has attracted tourists to the Costa Del Sol, but the sun doesn't always shine. The weather on an average winter day in Malaga would consist of a rather cool start, but with warm sunshine taking the chill out of the air by late morning. The afternoon would be mostly sunny but with a few patches of cloud, these most likely over the sea in December, but often in a line a few kilometres inland during February. Winds would be mostly light, generally from the northwest during the morning, but often turning southeasterly during the afternoon. Temperatures would typically rise to the mid or high teens Celsius, the low sixties Fahrenheit. The evening would be fine, but as the wind falls calm temperatures would fall steadily, probably to the high single figures Celsius, the high forties Fahrenheit. The centre of Malaga, along with the more built up parts of the Costa, for example Torremolinos, would retain the daytime warmth well into the evening, allowing a late stroll to be taken with no more than a light jacket for added comfort.
Of course, the average weather disguises the many extremes that make up the Climate of the region, although compared with northern Europe in winter, these extremes are trivial. The winter months generally account for the largest proportion of the annual rainfall. The rain is frequently heavy, accompanied by thunder, but of short duration. In December, thunderstorms tend to be concentrated over the still relatively warm, sea and often occur at night, but by late February, enough heat is developing over the land for afternoon thundery showers to develop away from the coasts , given the right broad-scale weather conditions, of course. It is rare for the storms to last all day, but sometimes fifty millimteres, or more, of rain, over two inches, can fall and lead to extensive local flooding. The excess water usually disappears quickly, a combination of the free-draining silt of the flood plains, and the onset of low humidity air that often follows the rain. This is generally accompanied by a fresh or strong northwest wind
