September in the Canary Islands was generally mild, with temperatures ranging from normal to slightly cooler than average, according to meteorological portal ElTiempo.es. While the Canary Islands remained relatively stable, much of mainland Spain experienced a notably colder September, with maximum temperatures falling up to 2.5 degrees below the seasonal norm in some regions. Throughout the month, over 150 new temperature records were set, most of which reflected unusually low temperatures.
Cooler Temperatures Across Spain
ElTiempo.es highlighted the second half of September as particularly noteworthy, with numerous stations across Spain recording new minimum temperature records. In northern Spain, areas like Huesca and Burgos saw substantial negative temperature anomalies, with averages 1.5 ºC and 1.4 ºC below normal, respectively. These areas, along with much of the west, centre, and northeast, experienced a cold month. In contrast, the southern and eastern parts of the country, especially Malaga, saw slight positive temperature anomalies, with an average temperature 1.6 ºC above the 1991-2020 average.
Maximum Temperature Anomalies
The most significant deviations were found in maximum temperatures. For example, Burgos Airport registered an anomaly of -2.7 ºC for maximum temperatures, and Pamplona recorded the most substantial negative deviation of -3 ºC. Nationally, the average temperature fell below the 1991-2020 average, with cold records outpacing warm ones for the first time in recent years.
One of the most remarkable records was at Salamanca Airport, which saw a new September low of 0.3 ºC, surpassing the previous record of 0.4 ºC set in September 1974. This shows the exceptional nature of the month, especially given that many of these records were set at long-standing weather stations.
A Very Uneven Month for Rainfall
September’s rainfall patterns were highly irregular, with no clear nationwide trend. Although Spain recorded a slight positive anomaly in overall rainfall, this was due to isolated thunderstorms and showers that led to significant local variations. While much of Spain saw below-average rainfall, some areas experienced particularly wet conditions. For instance, Logroño recorded 90.7 mm of rain, substantially exceeding the average of 30.6 mm.
The Canary Islands saw a mix of typical rainfall patterns with some fluctuations. Overall, September was marked by cool and stable conditions in the Canary Islands, contrasting with the colder-than-usual and unevenly wet conditions observed across much of mainland Spain.