Wild Weather In Gran Canaria
Know The Best Time To Travel

The weather in Gran Canaria is warm and pleasant throughout the year since it's located in the subtropics relatively close to the African continent. For this reason you should be able to travel here at nearly any time of year, although there's a couple of weather related matters that you should know about first.

Weather in Gran Canaria during the winter

The weather in Gran Canaria in the winter time is generally quite warm and sunny over the coastal areas whereas the mountainous regions tend to be cool to cold, cloudy and has more frequent periods of rain. If you're coming to Gran Canaria to escape the long cold and dull days of winter of your home country, you won't be disappointed. While it won't necessarily be sunny all day every day you can be assured that you'll see plenty of opportunities to soak up the sun's rays at the beach.

For most of the time, the warmest and sunniest weather in Gran Canaria occurs on the southern parts of the island since the prevailing wind blows in from the north west to north east direction. Over most coastal areas, the overnight temperature should not drop below 9°C at anytime during the winter.

During the day, maximum temperatures normally hover around 20-23°C. There will be the occasional day either in early December or late February when the maximum temperature rises to 25-28°C.

Even though Gran Canaria records just over 50% of total rainfall during the winter months, it's highly unlikely that you'll have stay indoors for more than a day or two. Most of the weather systems responsible for the wet weather tend move out of the region quite quickly. If you're worried by the possibility of wet weather in Gran Canaria on the coast... don't be!

If you're planning to stay in the touristy locations on the coast, then the weather here is always much nicer than what it's like in the mountains.



Tips on predicting the weather in Gran Canaria based upon the wind direction

1. If the winds are gusty north-westerly or northerly (i.e. winds from the north-west or north), then the warmest location would be on the southeastern and southern coastlines and adjacent inland regions. The north westerly winds indicate that a cool air has arrived and so expect showery weather on the windward side of Gran Canaria. Day and night-time temperatures may be 2-3°C cooler that what it's normally like for that time of year.



2. If there's moderately gusty winds blowing in from the south west, this means the weather in Gran Canaria is warmer than usual and that cooler air is on the way. During this time, the eastern and north-eastern parts of Gran canaria will record the highest temperatures. Generally, the south-westerly winds indicate that there is an anticyclone over North Africa.



3. If there is quite gusty south-easterly winds (i.e. winds from the south-east) then expect daytime temperatures to rise at least 3-6°C above the average day and night-time temperature for that time of the year. The south-eastern coastline generally records the highest daytime temperatures during this time. You may notice some dust in the air and this typically occurs in February and March. The locals call this dusty dry and warm wind the calima.

While there's no location on Gran Canaria that will have absolutely perfect weather conditions in December, you can be assured of one thing. It will not rain too much if you plan to stay on the coastal southern side of the island.

December is usually the wettest month of the year on Gran Canaria but there is much year-to-year variability in the rainfall totals. For example, on the 17th December 2002, Gran Canaria International Airport, which is located on the eastern side of Gran Canaria, recorded 74mm of rain over a period of 24 hours. In comparison, no rain was recorded back in December of 1994.

The amount of rain that occurs in December depends upon the strength and proximity of the Atlantic low pressure systems as well as other atmospheric disturbances. When there's a rain-bearing weather system passing over Gran Canaria, most of the heavier rain occurs in the central mountainous regions.

If you're planning a hire a car, then stick to the main coastal roads if it's been raining since the narrow inland roads are often either washed away or blocked by flood waters. The rain on the coast is generally much lighter and doesn't last as long (especially over the southern coastal areas of Gran Canaria.

The coldest ever recorded overnight temperature at Gran Canaria International Airport during December is 9.7°C way back in 1957. Most areas along the coast do not record temperatures at night that drop below 12°C anytime during December. So this 9.7°C extreme value is quite unusual. It's far more common to see warmer night-time temperatures of around 17°C occur near the beginning of December. By the end of the month, overnight temperatures will hover between 14-16°C.

During the daytime, you should see maximum temperatures in December fluctuating between 23-24°C near the start of the month but by the end of December maximum temperatures will be at a comfortable 21-22°C. However, this is not always true since Gran Canaria is situated fairly close to the Sahara desert of northern Africa. All you need is for the wind to change direction from the north east to the south east and then you'll see daytime temperatures rising to between 26-27°C for a couple of days.

Conversely, you may even experience unusually cold weather in Gran Canaria (maximum temperatures of 16-18°C) if a particular cold mass of air moved in from the North Atlantic Ocean. You see, the wind direction is certainly the best indicator of what the daytime temperatures will be like in Gran Canaria not only for December, but also for every month of the year.

The only time you'll experience some terrible weather in Gran Canaria is if you deliberately travelled into the mountains above 1000 metres above sea-level. This location is quite cold, windy and cloudy with persistent drizzle. In fact, it has many striking similarities to UK's weather!

Since the weather in Gran Canaria in December is much cooler than the summer months, you won't see a large land/sea temperature contrast and so the sea-breezes will be quite weak on the coast. The only time you'll encounter gusty winds is either during a calima (i.e. dry gusty winds that accompany dust storms) or when there's rain and cooler air approaching. During such times it will get quite windy at times on the exposed coastal areas but these strong winds will not normally last more than 4-5 days.



Weather in Gran Canaria in January

January is generally considered the coldest month of the year in Gran Canaria. Even so, if you're coming here from the United Kingdom or other northern latitude countries, you probably find it quite warm.

During the night, minimum temperatures drop down to between 12-15°C. You will never see temperatures dropping below 9°C at any time during January. The colder night temperatures are associated with the arrival of winds coming from the north and north west and these winds can occur at anytime during January.

During the day, you should see maximum daytime temperatures peaking at 23-25°C on at least 3-4 days during January. However, on days when it's overcast and rainy, you'll be lucky to see maximum temperatures rising above 17°C. For most of the time, the maximum temperatures tend to range between 20-21°C over most coastal areas.

The rainfall over the coastal areas of Gran Canaria during January is generally quite light and sparse. The north-western part of Gran Canaria receives more frequent short-lived moderate intensity rain (showery weather) and may record rainfall totals of between 5-10mm on some days. During the same time period, the eastern and southern parts of Gran Canaria may miss out on the rain altogether due to the rain shadow effect.

It's quite uncommon to see heavy rain falling over the coastal regions during January. However, back on the 24th January 2006, many parts of Gran Canaria recorded their highest ever 24-hour rainfall total for January when 75mm (3 inches) of rain soaked the region causing significant flooding. This rain was widespread and affected Tenerife and the other mountainous Canary Islands as well.

Of course you don't mind the lack of rain since that means there'll be plenty of nice weather with sunshine.

If you've chosen to arrive in Gran Canaria during January to soak up the sun's rays and unwind then ensure you stay in the tourist locations, which are located near the coast in the far southern areas. The southern part of Gran Canaria does get more sunshine and less wind at this time of the year since it's located on the leeward side of the mountains. Of course, if you don't mind some cloud then you'll still have warm temperatures in other parts of the island as well.



Weather in Gran Canaria in February

If you want a rain-free holiday during your trip to Gran Canaria in February, then there's no guarantee that you won't see any wet weather. Generally, the wet weather in Gran Canaria during February arrives following the passage of a strong dust storm. If a weak dust storm arrives, then it's likely you'll see little if any rain. However, when there's low pressure system moving southward towards the Canary Islands from the northern latitudes, then this will be enough to trigger moderate intensity rain that lasts a couple of days over most regions on Gran Canaria.

The highest ever 24-hour February rainfall total for the capital (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), is only 6mm but in comparison, the Gran Canaria International Airport, which is located only 20km (12 miles) south has recorded 84mm over the same time period. These large fluctuation in rainfall amounts are quite common at this time of the year. In fact, the southern parts of Gran Canaria may never see a drop of rain while you're holidaying but the north parts may have overcast showery weather.

It's quite common during the first couple of weeks of February to get bursts of colder air associated with the arrival of cold fronts. You can expect to see overnight temperatures near the beginning of February to range between 12-15°C and by the end of the month, 13-16°C. Occasionally, the minimum temperature can plummet towards 9-10°C but this is quite rare.

During the day, maximum temperatures during February hover around 20-22°C. There maybe 4-5 days during February when the maximum temperature doesn't rise above 19°C. Conversely, there will be at least 5-6 days when the maximum temperature rises to 24-26°C range.

If there's a south-easterly wind (wind blowing in from the south-east), then maximum temperatures may rise to 28°C over the south-eastern side of Gran Canaria. The highest ever recorded maximum temperature at the Gran Canaria International Airport during February is 30.5°C but this has only been recorded once so it's highly likely you won't see such high weather in Gran Canaria during this month.

You will certainly see sunshine in February but don't be disappointed if you see cloudy conditions at times as well. Probably the best location for warm sunny weather is located in the extreme south between the towns of Puerto de Mogan and Maspalomas.

Dust storm weather in Gran Canaria

February is the beginning of the so-called calima (dust storm) weather in Gran Canaria. If you happen to see a thick dust cloud approaching while you're staying in Gran Canaria then move inside since the dust is likely to irritate your eyes and upper respiratory tract. You should take extra precautions if you suffer from respiratory illnesses since clinical research has shown that the North African dust is known to worsen the symptoms of asthma.

Gran Canaria as well as the other Canary Islands has the highest prevalence of childhood asthma, much higher than what is found in any other region of Spain. Of course, the dust is not the only factor that contributes the outbreak of asthma on the Canary Islands. Two additional risk factors are house dust mites and mold. These two allergens tend to multiply quite rapidly in the coastal parts of the Canary Islands due to the year-round favourable weather conditions.

Yes, dust storms can be problematic during the months of February and March each year on the island of Gran Canaria. These dust storms can significantly reduce the visibility to less than 1000 metres. Consequently this will make life quite uncomfortable for you if you're going to spend most of your time outdoors.

However, even though dust storms are common throughout these months, not every part of Gran Canaria will be affected by the dust. If you're staying on the western side of Gran Canaria you may be fortunate enough to avoid the dust altogether since the inland mountains generally prevent the dust from reaching this area.

However, since you're more likely visiting the tourist resorts like Maspalomas, and Playa del Inglés then you may not be able to avoid the dust.

Be aware that some flights to the Canary Islands may have to be cancelled during February and March due to the low visibility during dust storms.

Hot weather in Gran Canaria

Very hot weather in Gran Canaria can occur any time from June through to early September, especially over the southern coastal parts of the island.

The most frequent occurrence of hot weather is in August. During this time, hot plumes of dusty air from the African continent pass over Gran Canaria causing both the night time and day time temperature to spike. Daytime temperatures as high as 38°C are recorded during these times.

If you're planning of spending a couple of weeks in Gran Canaria during the summer months, you should make sure that your accommodation has some form of air conditioning. You certainly don't want to be stuck in a tent during a heat wave.

These very hot conditions don't normally hang around too long in Gran Canaria. As soon as the wind switches direction back to a north easterly (wind coming from the north east), then cooler conditions will return to Gran Canaria.

Air pollution weather in Gran Canaria

Yes, even Gran Canaria has air pollution problems. This occurs during periods when there's hardly any wind (normally during the winter). On most days during summer, north-easterly trade winds are buffeting the northern and eastline coastline of Gran Canaria and consequently air pollution during this time is quickly blown out of the region.

The most common locations in Gran Canaria for air pollution are within the cities of Las Palmas and Telde.

There are two main areas within Las Palmas where air pollutants are high:

1. The central district of Las Palmas, since there's a high volume of traffic. Around 80,000 vehicles travel down Bravo Murillo (a major road near the central district of Las Palmas) each day. Most of these vehicles are run on diesel and for that reason tend to produce higher levels of air pollutants.



2. The southern parts of Las Palmas, since this is the location of a small industrial area. The main air pollution sources in this area are from the desalination plant and a thermal power generator.

The city of Telde is also subject to moderate levels of air pollutants due to thick traffic congestion on days with little wind to disperse the air pollutants.

Also, significant respiratory problems occur in people living within the Jinámar Valley. This valley is located halfway between Las Palmas and Telde and is home to approximately 25,000 residents. The valley is separated from the coast by a small hill which helps prevent the removal of air pollutants from passing out to sea. In fact, the Jinámar Valley has the highest rate of hospital admissions in Gran Canaria due to the persistent smog.

This area is particularly hazardous to human health during periods of calm weather since all the air pollutants from both Las Palmas and Telde become trapped in the Jinámar Valley with no means of escape.

In the southern parts of Gran Canaria, air pollution is minimal.

Should You Worry About The Wet weather in Gran Canaria?

If you're only going to be staying along the coastline, then you won't see much rain during any time of the year. Normally the wet weather in Gran Canaria occurs from December to February, with the majority of the heavier rain falling in the mountains. During these months, occasional storms move in from the west and south west in association with an Atlantic low pressure system. Most coastal regions on Gran Canaria receive less than 150mm (5.9 inches) of rain annually.

You can be assured that flooding in Gran Canaria is quite rare although it does occur once every 15-20 years. When it does rain heavily many roads are blocked and you may stranded until the water recedes. Just beware that it is highly dangerous to drive around in the mountainous areas after heavy rain since many roads can be washed away.

If you're planning to travel up into the mountains on Gran Canaria then you should expect much higher rainfall. In fact, some of these mountainous areas (above 1200 m above sea-level) receive between 800-1000 mm (31.5-39.4 inches) of rain annually. It does snow in the winter on the higher parts of the mountains.

Since the weather in Gran Canaria varies considerably you may find that the highland regions of Gran Canaria will be overcast and rainy whilst at the same time, the coastal regions will be bathed in sunshine. The northern side of Gran Canaria is wetter and cooler than the southern side of Gran Canaria. If you want to avoid the rain (if it rains) then staying at the many resorts on the southern side of Gran Canaria is a must.

There should be practically no rain during the months of June through to mid-September in the coastal areas of Gran Canaria. This is a great time to visit, but just beware that your trip may coincide with heat wave conditions.

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