The Canary Islands are bracing for an unusually hot summer, with forecasts predicting temperature anomalies above the seasonal average. Last year, the archipelago recorded 200 record temperatures during its hottest summer on record.
Forecast of Hot Summer Months
According to Eltiempo.es, June, July, and August will bring temperatures higher than the typical summer averages. Specifically, June is expected to have slightly above-normal temperatures and the summer will also see above-average rainfall, despite June usually being a stormy month. In contrast, most of Spain, except for the Cantabrian Sea and Galicia, will experience less rainfall than usual.
Previous Summer’s Record Heat
In 2023, the Canary Islands endured the hottest summer since records began in 1961, with temperatures soaring up to 46.2 degrees Celsius. This extreme heat was linked to the deaths of 81 people. The islands saw 200 temperature records across various weather stations, including 71 records for the highest monthly average temperature, 63 for the highest average maximum temperatures, 76 for the highest average minimum temperatures, and 28 for the highest absolute maximum temperatures.
The average temperature last summer was 24.5 degrees, which is 1.8 degrees higher than usual. There were two hot spells in June and July, followed by two heat waves in August, marking August as the hottest on record for the Canary Islands.
Geographic Variation in Heat
The heat was most intense in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura, with anomalies of +1.8 degrees, while Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma experienced a slightly lower anomaly of +1.4 degrees. Both provinces did not set new record highs.
Tropical and “Hellish” Nights
Throughout the summer, the islands experienced tropical nights where temperatures did not fall below 20 degrees Celsius. Additionally, 10% of weather stations recorded “hellish” nights with temperatures not dropping below 30 degrees Celsius, and every island had at least one day with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. A notable record was set in Guía de Isora (Tenerife) during the first heat wave in August, with a minimum daily temperature of 37.5 degrees.
Increased Rainfall
Rainfall was significantly above average, making it the second wettest summer on record for the Canary Islands. Storm Oscar in June contributed nearly 17 litres per square metre, five times the expected amount for the month. July saw normal rainfall levels, while August was 24% wetter than usual, leading to an average of 20.3 litres per square metre over the entire summer, nearly four times the typical amount (+276%).
Typical Summer Values in Spain
Eltiempo.es notes that the average maximum summer temperature in Spain is around 28 degrees Celsius, with minimum temperatures around 16 degrees Celsius, varying by region. Tropical nights with temperatures above 20 degrees are common in the south and along the Mediterranean coast. Summer rainfall averages around 73 litres per square metre, with afternoon thundershowers frequent in mountainous areas.
