Weather and climate in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Index

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• Introduction
• The coasts - Puerto de la Cruz, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, South coast
• Sea temperature
• Inland areas - La Laguna, Teide
• Best Time
• What to pack

Introduction

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In Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, the climate is subtropical oceanic on the coast, that is, very mild and sunny most of the year, with little rainfall concentrated in the period from October to March. In inland areas, the climate varies with altitude and slope exposure: the slopes exposed to the northeast receive a moderate amount of rain and are green, while in the rest of the island the rainfall is scarce, usually below 250 millimeters (10 inches) per year on the coasts, and often even below 150 mm (6 in), which explains the aridity of the landscape on coasts and southern slopes.
In fact, the prevailing winds, the northeast trade winds, make the northern side more humid, while tempering the heat along the coast during the summer; the trade winds blow with greater intensity in the middle of the day and in the afternoon, and are often moderate or even quite strong.
At sea level, the area most exposed to the wind is the coast facing south-east (see Punta de Abona, El Médano). In theory, the north coast (see Garachico, Puerto de la Cruz) is also exposed, as it receives the wind directly from the ocean, however, the barrier represented by the mountains behind slows it down a bit.
The least windy area is the coast facing south-west (see Playa San Juan, Costa Adeje, Playa de Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas), thanks to the mountains that protect it from the north-east winds. In the following image, we can see the areas of Tenerife most exposed to the wind.



The temperature generally tends to stay around the average, however, from December to March, there can be some cool days, with highs below 20 °C (68 °F). On the coldest days of the year, which typically occur in February, the temperature typically drops to 10/11 °C (50/52 °F) at night, while the maximum remains around 17/18 °C (63/64 °F).
On the other hand, the days of Calima, characterized by abnormal heat and light wind, caused by hot air masses from Africa, are relatively rare (although in recent years they have become more frequent), and are most common in spring and summer. In practice, these are the only days when the temperature exceeds 30 °C (86 °F) and the heat is unpleasant. The stifling heat is also felt on the hills, and often even more so than in the plains, because warm air is lighter and tends to rise, while the coasts may remain tempered by the cool breeze coming from the sea. The highest records on the coasts are 34/35 °C (93/95 °F) in March, April and November, around 36/37 °C (97/99 °F) in May, June and October, and 42/44 °C (108/111 °F) in July, August and September.

The coasts

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Puerto de la Cruz

On the north coast (see Garachico, Puerto de la Cruz), temperatures are slightly lower than on the other coasts, especially in summer, when the sky is often cloudy. In addition, it rains more often, the landscape is quite green even on the coast, and the sea is often rough.
Even during heat waves from Africa, on the north coast the temperature does not rise much, in fact, the highest temperatures, recorded on the days of the most intense Calima, are about 30/32 °C (86/90 °F).
Here are the average temperatures.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Although in theory it is located in the north, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the main city and capital of the western Canary Islands, is protected to the north by the Anaga massif, so it is a little warmer and sunnier than the northern coast (and on the days of Calima it gets very hot).
Daytime temperatures are very mild in winter, with highs around 21 °C (70 °F) in January and February, and warm in summer, with highs around 28/29 °C (82/84 °F) from July to September. Here are the average temperatures.

The rain pattern is Mediterranean, which means that the bulk of the rain falls from October to March, because it is the period in which the Canaries can be reached by some Atlantic depressions, while in summer, it practically never rains. However, the total quantity of the rain that falls in Santa Cruz is low, just 220 mm (8.5 in) per year, therefore at semi-desert levels. Here is the average precipitation.

Southern coast

On the south coast, the other airport of the island is found, called Tenerife Sur, which serves the resorts of the southwest coast. Here, the temperatures are similar to those of Santa Cruz and the rest of the coasts of the Canary Islands, although the temperature reaches very high values during heat waves.
Here are the average temperatures.

The rains are very scarce, at desert levels, in fact they amount to less than 150 mm (6 in) per year; however, they are concentrated, as usual, in the cold half of the year. Here is the average precipitation.

The amount of sunshine in Tenerife is very good throughout the year, however, in addition to the low pressure systems that can pass through the island from October to March, cloud banks can form in summer on the Atlantic Ocean and reach the island. On the northern coast, and especially on the mountain slopes exposed to the north, local clouds and fogs can form. The south coast is therefore the sunniest.
Here are the average daily sunshine hours in Tenerife Sur.

Sea temperature

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The sea in Tenerife is quite cold in winter, even though not prohibitively for swimming, and remains quite cool in summer. In fact, the island is located at a low latitude, almost to the Tropic, but in an area of the Atlantic Ocean where a cold current flows. Those who live on the island get accustomed to swimming in winter as well, which also Nordic tourists do, or those who do not suffer from the cold. However, the sea temperature ranges from 19 °C (66 °F) in February and March to 23/24 °C (73/75 °F) between August and October, when it can be considered warm enough for swimming. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Inland areas

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Santa Cruz overlooks the sea, but there are neighbourhoods that climb the inland slopes, and along the road to San Cristobal de La Laguna, you will find progressively cooler and humid weather.

La Laguna

When looking for meteorological data of Tenerife, you often find those of the airport of La Laguna, which is the airport of the northern part of the island (called Tenerife Norte, formerly Los Rodeos) and is sometimes presented generically as "Tenerife", but being located at 600 meters (2,000 feet), it has significantly cooler temperatures. In fact, highs are on average around 16/17 °C (61/63 °F) in winter and 25/26 °C (77/79 °F) in summer.
Despite the cool climate, when the wind blows from Africa, the temperature can reach or exceed 37 °C (98.5 °F) from May to September.
Here are the average temperatures.

Lying on the northern slope, La Laguna is also more humid and rainy: rainfall amounts to 515 mm (20.3 in) per year, with a maximum from November to January of around 80 mm (3.1 in) per month, distributed in 8/9 days per month, but in March and October it also rains about 6/7 days per month. It is a cool and moist microclimate, typical of the northern slopes of the Canaries. In summer, however, it rarely rains here as well, although fog often forms. Here is the average precipitation.



To the south of La Laguna, the northern slopes of the island of Tenerife above 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) are even wetter and are covered by forests. In the wettest areas, rainfall reaches 1,000 mm (40 in) per year. Green areas are also found in the municipality of La Orotava, on the north side of Mount Teide, between 1,000 and 1,800 meters (3,300 and 5,900 ft), where the trade winds are felt most. Above this altitude, however, the rainfall becomes scarcer and the vegetation becomes sparser.

Teide

The Teide observatory of Izaña is located at 2,400 meters (7,900 ft) above sea level. At this altitude, the winter, from December to February, is quite cold, with average temperatures about 4/5 °C (39/41 °F); already at this altitude, sometimes it can snow. The summer is mild, with temperatures usually not too high, but the (almost) tropical sun at these altitudes is very strong. Unlike on the coasts, in September the temperature already begins to decrease.
Here are the average temperatures.

At the observatory, 310 mm (12 in) of rain or snow fall, concentrated from November to March, while in summer the rains are sporadic. Here is the average precipitation.

At higher altitudes it is even colder, and there is a montane dry vegetation, in addition to lunar landscapes and rocky deserts. Mount Teide is a volcano, 3,718 meters (12,198 feet) high (it is the highest mountain in all of Spain). There is a cable car, which leads up to 3,550 meters (11,600 ft) of height. Advance booking is required.

Best Time

The best period for a beach holiday in Tenerife is from May to mid-October. In the first period (May-June), the air temperature is a bit lower and the sea is a bit colder, but the days are slightly longer.
As mentioned, on the north coast, the sun doesn't shine often in summer, especially in July and August.
In the Canaries, the summer days are shorter than in Europe (while they are longer in winter), but the sun sets late enough anyway because of the time zone adopted.
If you want to visit cities or to go on excursions to the interior, you can choose April, May and the first half of October.
In winter, you will appreciate the mild temperatures and you can often sunbathe, although we can not exclude a few days of bad weather. If you want, you can combine a morning excursion on Mount Teide, maybe looking for of snow, with an afternoon on the beach.

What to pack

In winter: bring light clothes for the day, a sweater and a jacket for the evening, and possibly a raincoat or umbrella. To climb Mount Teide, a down jacket, a hat, gloves, hiking boots.
In summer: bring summer clothes, but also a scarf for the wind, a light sweatshirt, a light jacket for the evening and windy afternoons; comfortable shoes for hiking. To climb Mount Teide, hiking shoes, a sweatshirt and a jacket for the highest altitudes.

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See also the temperatures by month.