Albania falls under the humid subtropical belt of the Northern Hemisphere and is in the Mediterranean climactic zone with a relatively short, soft and very humid winter in the coastal lowlands and a long, hot and very dry summer. Most of the air streams running over Albania are average sea, western streams created over the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas (warm and humid), continental air streams coming from Eastern Europe (cold and dry) and tropical air streams coming from North Africa and Asia Minor (warm and dry, hot humid when arriving in Albania because they are saturated with humidity over the Mediterranean). Determining factors in Albanian weather are the powerful baric centers of the Iceland Cyclone with its branch the Bay of Geneva Cyclone (during the cold half of the year )and the Azore Anti-cyclone (during the warm half of the year).
The mountainous relief of the country also has a great effect on the climate. Because of the mountains, especially in the direction of the main ranges, the influence of the seas is strongly felt in the narrow strip of the coastal lowlands, whereas the influence of the sea in the east is lessened. As a rule, the rainfall on the western slopes of the mountains is greater than on the eastern slopes. Climate in Albania changes considerably from one region to another with pronounced contrasts especially in temperature, rainfall and air humidity. The annual average rainfall in Albania is 1430 mm. Rainfall in the cold half of the year accounts for 70 % of the annual amount. As a rule, rainfall decreases from the west to the east
Sunlight ranges from 2750 hours (Tirana) to 2046 (Kukes) a year. Other cities enjoy 2722 hours (Vlore), 2520 hours (Shkoder), 2423 hours (Korce), 2246 hours (Pershkopi), 2731 hours a year (Xare - Saranda) a year.