A temperate climate generally characterizes Europe. Most Western Europe has an Oceanic climate, featuring cool to warm summers and cool winters with regular cloudy skies. Southern Europe has a Mediterranean climate that features warm to hot, dry summers and cool to mild winters and sunny skies. Central and Eastern Europe have a Continental climate, which features warm to hot summers and cold winters. The climate of western Europe is greatly modified by the Gulf Stream, which keeps mild air over Northwestern Europe in the winter months, particularly in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and coastal Norway.
Four seasons happen in most of Europe, away from the Mediterranean. The coastal valleys of the Mediterranean Basin have more of a wet and dry season pattern. The rainy season continues from October to February, while the dry season is mainly noticeable in the summer months, where precipitation can, in some years, become highly limited.
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