What's the Weather Like in Tenerife?
Where Is Tenerife?
Tenerife is one of Spain's Canary Islands that sits far south of the mainland, close to the west coast of Northern Africa. The islands are known as The Islands of Eternal Spring for their famously pleasant weather all year round.
What's The Climate Like In Tenerife?
Tenerife is mountainous, and sits in the cooling Canary Current of the North Atlantic Ocean, in the path of the northeast trade winds.
It's close to the west coast of Africa, which gives the island its exceptional regional climatic variation. It's hot in the south of the island and cooler in the North. It's possible to visit Tenerife in winter, hike up to the snow-line on Mount Teide, then spend the next day sunbathing on the south coast at Playa de las Americas.
This guide has split Tenerife into three areas; the South coast, the North Coast and the Central Mountains.
South Coast Weather in Tenerife
The south of Tenerife is where the majority of the tourist resorts are. It's warm year-round with pleasantly hot summers. This includes resorts such as Los Cristianos, Playa de Las Americas and Playa Paraiso. This side of the island faces south and east and is affected by hot, dry weather systems coming over from Western Sahara in Africa.
South Coast Tenerife - Summer Weather
Temperature
June until September, sees average high temperatures rising through the mid-twenties to a peak of 28°C in July, August and September. Nighttime temperatures are cooler but stay in the high teens to early twenties.
Rain In The South Coast Of Tenerife
Rainfall is minimal. Prolonged periods of drought have been known to result in forest fires that spread rapidly through the dry vegetation.
Sea Temperature and Sunshine Hours
As Tenerife is in the North Atlantic, the water temperature does not reach the highs seen around Mediterranean holiday resorts. But it is still warm enough for swimming, sitting in the low twenties the entire season.
Sunshine levels are good throughout the summer, with nine hours per day for the first three months of the season and eight hours in September.
How Windy Is The South Coast Of Tenerife?
On the odd occasion, Tenerife is visited by the sirocco: a wind that originates in the Sahara and can cause clouds of sand and dust. If the sirocco blows, south Tenerife can see temperatures in the mid-thirties.
South Coast Tenerife - Autumn Weather
How Hot Is The South Coast Of Tenerife?
October and November are still hot but there's an increase in rainfall. The average high temperature decreases to 27°C in October and to 25°C in November.
How Warm Is the Sea In the South Coast Of Tenerife?
The sea temperature stays the same and sunshine levels remain good at around six or seven hours per day. While rainfall does increase, showers are usually short-lived.
South Coast Tenerife - Winter Weather
How Warm Is The South Coast Of Tenerife In Winter?
December until February is very warm but sometimes quite wet. January is the coolest month in the year but still sees an average high temperature of 20°C. Some days see mid-twenties but not regularly. Night times are cooler, getting down to an average low of 14°C.
How Wet Is The South Coast of Tenerife In Winter?
Rainfall is higher in this season. Light showers and the odd stormy day occur but are infrequent, and poor weather conditions rarely last for long.
Sunshine Hours
Sunshine levels remain good between six and seven hours per day for the season, and the sea is still warm enough for swimming.
South Coast Tenerife - Spring Weather
Temperature
From March till May the temperature creeps up to 22°C with some sunny days reaching into the high twenties. However, cool winds can force the temperature back down into the teens. Night times remain mild, at around 16°C.
Rain and Sunshine
Rainfall rapidly decreases and sunshine levels creep up, reaching an average of eight hours per day in May.
The North Coast weather in Tenerife
Tenerife North is much quieter largely because of its cooler, wetter weather, especially in the winter months. Summers on the north coast are still hot but are a little more overcast with slightly higher rainfall levels.
Tourism is still a high earner for the north but thinner crowds mean that many areas remain unspoiled. Resorts on the north coast include Puerto de la Cruz, El Sauzal, and Garachico.
The wetter weather has resulted in a more verdant landscape where palm trees and banana plantations thrive. The beaches on this side of the island are mostly black, volcanic sand.
North Coast Tenerife - Summer Weather
Temperature and Sunshine Hours
June until September are similar to that in the south but a few degrees cooler. It sees average highs in August at 29°C. Sunshine levels are also at their highest in July with 13 hours per day.
Rain and Wind
As in the south, rainfall is almost non-existent as it tends to fall in the higher, central mountains of Tenerife. The region can be quite windy so conditions can be changeable. This keeps temperatures in check and also gives rise to great watersport conditions.
North Coast Tenerife - Autumn weather
Temperature
October and November are pleasantly warm, much like winter in the south. 21-23°C can be expected in the day but night times are cooler around 18-20°C.
Sunshine Hours and Rain
The sea remains warm enough for swimming and sunshine levels are very reasonable at eight hours per day. A few storms may blow in but infrequently. October sees around five days of rain and showers are usually heavy but short and followed by clear weather.
North Coast Tenerife - Winter Weather
Temperature
December until February are slightly cooler and a wetter than on the south coast. The average high in January is 20°C with an average low down to 15°C.
Sea Temperature and Rain
The sea generally does not fall below 15°C. Sunshine levels remain good at around seven to eight hours per day throughout the season. Rain is not frequentbut when it falls it can be heavy.
North Coast Tenerife - Spring Weather
Temperature
From March till May, is very mild and gets warm by the end of the season. The average high rises slightly to a pleasant 22°C in March and April and up to 23°C in May. Night times remain cooler.
Sea Temperature
The sea heats up a little to 18°C in May.
The Central Mountains
Higher Altitudes
Higher altitudes always mean cooler temperatures. The mountains of Tenerife provide cool respite from the summer heat and Mount Teide is snow-capped during winter months.
Rainfall is higher in this region, especially on the northeast faces due to the northeast direction of the trade winds. Mist and fog can also develop in any season.
Mountain Weather influences in Tenerife
Tenerife's mountains are responsible for the island's varied weather conditions. They act as a barrier from the prevailing winds and force the majority of the rain to fall in the northeast, but mostly on the mountains themselves.
Rain In The Central Mountains
Even in the wettest part of the year, coastal locations receive an average of five or six days days of rain a month. The cooling effect of the trade winds is also kept on the northeast side which is why it is always a few degrees cooler there.
Canary Current
The Canary Current is a stream of cool water in the Atlantic that keeps the temperature of the Canaries lower than might be expected at this latitude.
Dramatic Weather in Tenerife
Dust storms In Tenerife
Strong winds blowing across the Sahara create 'siroccos' or 'calima' at different times of the year and vary in severity. The most severe dust storms occur inFebruary and March when visibility can be severely reduced and temperatures can rise by as much as 10ºC.
2020 Canary Islands Calima
In February 2020 the Canary Islands were engulfed in a sandstorm so vast it obscured them from satellite view, as a seasonal blast of hot, sandy winds known as Calima swept across from the the Sahara. Winds rose to 100mph and carried clouds of red sand that buffeted the islands, creating a thick orange haze.
Thunderstorms
Low-pressure systems can cause anything from severe thunderstorms to torrential rain that can result in flooding and landslides.
Bush Fires In Tenerife
The summer can also see bush fires in Tenerife. However, while these can be common, they're usually not severe.
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