Canary Islands weather: month by month and island by island

In short: On the coasts of the Canary Islands, daytime highs are around 21 °C in winter and 27 to 29 °C in summer. More important than the month is the location: southern coasts are sunny and dry, northern coasts greener and more often cloudy. In the mountains it is considerably colder all year round.

Why is it sunnier in the south than in the north?

The trade wind blows from the northeast for most of the year. It pushes moist air against the northern slopes of the high islands, where a cloud layer forms that locals call Panza de burra (donkey’s belly). The southern sides lie in the wind shadow of the mountains and stay dry.

On the high islands it can therefore be overcast in the north while the sun shines in the south. Above the clouds, for example on Teide, the sky is often clear. But it is considerably colder up there, and in winter there can be snow. How this affects your choice of accommodation is explained in the comparison Tenerife north or south.

Climate table: temperatures month by month

The figures come from the Spanish weather service AEMET and are averages for the normal period 1981 to 2010. They were measured at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife station and at Gran Canaria Airport on the east coast. Shown are the average daily maximum and daily minimum.

Month	Santa Cruz de Tenerife (day / night in °C)	Gran Canaria Airport (day / night in °C)	Rainy days Santa Cruz
January	21.0 / 15.4	20.8 / 15.0	4.2
February	21.2 / 15.3	21.2 / 15.0	3.8
March	22.1 / 15.9	22.3 / 15.7	3.8
April	22.7 / 16.5	22.6 / 16.2	2.4
May	24.1 / 17.8	23.6 / 17.3	0.9
June	26.2 / 19.5	25.3 / 19.2	0.2
July	28.7 / 21.2	26.9 / 20.8	0.0
August	29.0 / 21.9	27.5 / 21.6	0.3
September	28.1 / 21.7	27.2 / 21.4	0.9
October	26.3 / 20.3	26.2 / 20.1	3.1
November	24.1 / 18.4	24.2 / 18.1	4.7
December	22.1 / 16.6	22.2 / 16.2	5.4

Rainy days are days with at least 1 mm of precipitation. Santa Cruz gets 226 mm a year, Gran Canaria Airport 151 mm. Santa Cruz has 2,913 hours of sunshine a year, 337 in July and 168 in December.

The four seasons on the coast

On the coast, there are only around 8 degrees between the coldest and the warmest month.

• December to February: around 21 to 22 °C by day, about 15 °C at night. This is the rainy season, with four to five rainy days a month. You’ll need a jacket in the evening.
• March to May: 22 to 24 °C, the rain eases off and the islands are at their greenest.
• June to August: 25 to 29 °C, practically no rain. The trade wind blows strongly, which makes the heat bearable and draws surfers to Fuerteventura.
• September to November: still 26 to 28 °C into October. From October, the first rain returns.

The Atlantic is cooler than the Mediterranean in high summer and at its warmest in late summer and autumn.

Differences from island to island

The higher the mountains, the more moisture an island draws from the trade wind.

• Lanzarote and Fuerteventura: flat, dry, windy. Hardly any difference between north and south.
• Tenerife and Gran Canaria: a strong contrast between the green north and the dry south, plus high mountains.
• La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro: the greenest, often with clouds and cloud forest in the north and at mid altitudes.

Which island suits which holiday is shown in the comparison Which Canary Island is right for me?

Calima: when the wind comes from the Sahara

When the wind turns to the east, it brings dry, warm air and fine dust from the Sahara. The air becomes hazy, visibility poor and temperatures rise. It is usually over after a few days. If you have respiratory problems, it’s best to postpone hikes.

Frequently asked questions

As of October 2026. Opening hours, prices and entry rules change. Check them on the official websites before your visit.

Cover image: H. Zell · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0