Rubén del Campo, spokesperson for the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), noted on Wednesday that the trade winds in the Canary Islands will weaken over the weekend and shift eastward. This will result in cloudy intervals in the northern parts of the islands, with the possibility of light drizzle, while clearer skies are expected in other regions.
Stable temperatures are anticipated, with early morning lows ranging between 15ºC and 17ºC and daytime highs between 20ºC and 22ºC in coastal zones.
This Wednesday, strong gusts of trade winds are forecasted for the Canary Islands, bringing clouds and rain particularly to Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and the northern regions of the more mountainous islands. By Friday, rainfall is expected to be confined mostly to the north of the mountainous islands, with cloudy intervals elsewhere.
Nationally, a weather front moving across the Peninsula on Wednesday will disrupt the recent spell of anticyclonic conditions, leading to rain in the north and more isolated showers in other parts of the Peninsula.
However, the arrival of another anticyclone on Thursday is set to stabilize the weather for the entire weekend and Christmas Day, with maximum temperatures potentially reaching 20ºC.
The Christmas period is forecasted to be characterized by mostly cloudy or clear skies, with very little precipitation expected on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The spokesperson also mentioned the potential for fog banks and nighttime frost in the interior of the peninsula.
Delving into specifics, Wednesday began with low temperatures in the eastern interior of the peninsula, with Mira (Cuenca) recording -6ºC and Granada Airport registering -5ºC, making it the coldest provincial capital of the day.
The frontal passage over the Peninsula is predicted to bring significant rainfall to Galicia, the Cantabrian communities, and the Pyrenees, where snowfall could occur at elevations between 1,000 and 1,200 meters.
Thursday’s rainfall is expected to be limited to the extreme north of the peninsula, with persistent precipitation in the eastern Cantabrian region, northern Navarre, and the Aragonese Pyrenees, and the snow level rising to 1,600 meters.
Elsewhere in Spain, cloudy and clear skies will dominate, accompanied by a rise in temperatures up to 20ºC along the Mediterranean coasts. However, night frosts will persist in the northern plateau and the eastern interior of the peninsula, particularly in the inland southeast. Intense wind gusts are also forecasted for coastal areas, the northeast of the peninsula, and the Balearic Islands.
As for the weekend, the approach of a new Atlantic anticyclone to Spain will ensure stable weather, with Friday seeing rainfall only in parts of the Cantabrian region and the Pyrenees. The most substantial and persistent rains are expected in Guipúzcoa and North Navarre, with the snow level above 1,500 meters.
In the rest of the Peninsula, clear skies are anticipated, along with abundant morning fog in large areas of the interior, especially in the valleys of the major rivers and the northern plateau.
Specifically, this fog could be denser and more persistent on the northern plateau, likely lingering throughout Friday. Nighttime temperatures will drop slightly, with frosts in the interior of the northern half of the peninsula and the central area.
Daytime temperatures will increase, surpassing 20ºC near the Mediterranean coast, contrasting with the persistent fog areas where daytime cold will be significant, with maximum temperatures of only 6ºC or 7ºC.
According to the spokesperson, the weekend of the 23rd and 24th will proceed “without major meteorological surprises,” with stable weather and an absence of rain, except for some isolated precipitation in the Eastern Cantabrian region on Saturday.
While there’s a chance of a weather front bringing rain to the far north on Christmas Eve, the likelihood is low and any precipitation would be inconsequential.
In the rest of Spain, skies will be clear with abundant fog banks once again forming in the interior of the peninsula, denser and more persistent in the northern plateau.
Temperatures will remain stable, with frost recurring in the north, center, and eastern interior of the peninsula, and a “very cold” atmosphere throughout Sunday in areas where fog persists. In the Mediterranean, maximum temperatures will range between 18ºC and 20ºC.
Christmas Day will be fully influenced by high pressure over Spain, resulting in dry conditions, fog banks in the interior of the peninsula, and stable temperatures.
Night frosts will continue, remaining as mild as in the previous days, with fluctuations between 3ºC and 4ºC below zero in the capitals of the northern plateau like Valladolid and Palencia.
CANARY ISLANDS: STABILITY CONTINUES INTO NEXT WEEK
The week of December 26 to December 31 will maintain the anticyclonic situation and generally stable weather across Spain, although the forecast for this period is not yet precise.
Should this trend continue, rainfall will be scarce and confined to the second half of the week in Galicia and other northern parts, while temperatures will be typical for the season across most of the country. Cooler than usual conditions may persist in parts of the southwest, with slightly higher temperatures in the north and east of the peninsula and the archipelagos.
With greater uncertainty, del Campo has suggested that the first week of 2024, from New Year’s Day to Epiphany, may also see above-average temperatures throughout Spain, with potential rainfall in Galicia and the Cantabrian communities. These could spread in a weaker and more isolated manner to other areas, though they’re unlikely to reach the Mediterranean or the archipelagos.
