The Canary Islands will experience another hot day this Thursday, 9 July, although with a clear change compared with the most intense phase of the recent heatwave. According to the State Meteorological Agency, Aemet, temperatures will begin to fall, with a “significant drop” expected in inland areas and a more moderate decrease along the coasts.
However, the improvement will not mean an immediate return to cool conditions. Thermometers will still reach around 30 ºC in many parts of the archipelago, especially away from the northern coastlines. The highest temperatures are expected once again in Gran Canaria, particularly in mid-altitude areas of the south-east, south and west of the island.
Aemet forecasts maximum temperatures of up to 34 ºC in these areas, including the Tirajana basin. Gran Canaria therefore remains the island most affected by the heat and continues under a yellow warning for high temperatures.
Gran Canaria remains under heat warning
The main weather phenomenon highlighted by Aemet for this Thursday is the persistence of high temperatures in Gran Canaria. The yellow warning will affect mid-altitude areas facing south-east, south and west, where maximum temperatures may reach 34 ºC.
The Tirajana basin will also be among the areas most exposed to the heat. Although the values are expected to be lower than in previous days, they will still remain high enough to keep the warning active.
In the rest of the Canary Islands, temperatures will be more moderate than during the peak of the heatwave, although it will remain warm in inland and mid-altitude areas. Aemet expects temperatures to reach around 30 ºC across the board, except on the northern coastlines, where conditions will be cooler.
In Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, as well as in the mid-altitude areas of the southern parts of the other islands, temperatures may still range between 32 ºC and 34 ºC.
Clear skies, low cloud and light haze
The forecast points to generally clear skies across the Canary Islands throughout the day. However, intervals of low cloud are expected during the early and late hours in the north of the more mountainous islands.
Low cloud may also appear along the western coasts of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, particularly at the beginning and end of the day. In the rest of the archipelago, skies will remain mostly clear.
Aemet also forecasts light haze at higher altitudes, although this is expected to gradually clear as the day progresses. The presence of haze may still reduce visibility slightly in some elevated areas during the first part of the day.
Warm nights will continue in some areas
Although maximum temperatures are beginning to fall, the heat will still be noticeable at night in the areas most affected by the episode. Aemet indicates that minimum temperatures above 25 ºC may still occur in south-facing inland areas of Gran Canaria.
These warm nights will keep the sensation of heat high, especially in areas where night-time cooling remains limited. The situation will be less severe than in previous days, but the atmosphere will continue to feel uncomfortable in some inland locations.
Overall, Thursday marks the beginning of a clear change in the weather pattern in the Canary Islands. Temperatures will drop significantly in inland areas and slightly along the coasts, while Gran Canaria will remain the main focus of the heat, with a yellow warning still active and maximum temperatures of up to 34 ºC in the most exposed mid-altitude zones.
