Basilicata enjoys a very varied climate depending on latitude and altitude. The same region can offer seaside activities from spring to autumn and, at the same time, skiing on snow for the four months of autumn-winter. This unique possibility puts the region in a league of its own and this is an important factor in the continuous flow of tourism to the area. Basilicata is one of the very few reference points for skiers from Rome and the South of Italy. The mountains provide a typical continental climate while the Jonian and Tyrrhenian coasts enjoy a Mediterranean one. These two opposite climates meet up in the Matera district and in the Vulture, especially. The pattern of reliefs influences rainfall: to the southwest an annual rainfall rate of 1,400 mm is recorded, while between the basins of the Bradano and Basento rivers minimum levels of 600 mm per year are found. However, the main feature of the rainfall is its irregularity which causes the rivers to fill and flow very quickly and then to drain equally as quickly.