The AEMET is part of the Secretariat of State for Environment of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and is headquartered in the University City, Madrid.

It was founded in 1887 as the "Instituto Central Meteorológico" by Royal Decree of August 12[5] and it was part of the Directorate-General for Public Instruction of the Ministry of Development.

As stated in the founding Decree, the Institute had to "especially calculate and announce the probable weather to the ports and capitals of the province, without prejudice to the other scientific and practical work entrusted to it.

[6] In the democratic period, a new restructuring took place in 1978, when it was renamed the National Institute of Meteorology (INM) and became dependent on the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

[4] AEMET's main task is "to develop, implement and provide meteorological services falling within the competences of the State, as well as to give support to other public and private activities which improve the safety and quality of life of the Spanish society".