The influence of weather types on the monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula

The climate of the Iberian Peninsula is highly variable due to geographic and atmospheric factors. To better understand and characterize this variability in this work a stepwise regression procedure is used to model the relationship between the atmospheric circulation patterns (expressed by weather types) and the monthly mean value of maximum and minimum temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula (1950–2010). The study uses a temperature database with high spatial resolution that allows the estimation of the type and strength of the relationship between weather types and temperatures, and also the definition of spatial areas with specific behaviors for each month. The results show that estimations are better for Tmin than Tmax, during winter months than summer ones, and in coastal areas than inland. The analyses of directional weather types and temperature show a generalized adiabatic processes across Iberian Peninsula affecting Tmax, not detected in Tmin. •The relationship between weather types (based on Lamb's classification -1972- and proposed by Trigo and Da Camara -2000-) and average monthly maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) temperatures (1950-2010).•The study shows different behaviours for Tmax and Tmin for each month, weather type and especially in the spatial domain (thanks to the high spatial density of the information used).•Each weather type implies a positive or negative influence (°C) on the average temperatures, depending on its nature, which is affected by other factors such as the relief.•The final goal of the study is to generate a multivariate stepwise regression model that selects, for each pixel and month, the weather types that best explain temperatures.•The results show that estimations are better for Tmin than Tmax, during winter months than summer ones, and in coastal areas than inland.