The Canary Islands have registered the sixth autumn with the least rainfall since 1961, as indicated this Friday in a press conference organized by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) in the archipelago, in which the data from that station were exposed. The director of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Meteorological Center, Víctor Quintero, explained that it is “an average” and that the presence of a very dry autumn does not mean that areas with intense episodes of rainfall have not been detected.
September and October were very dry months compared to normal values, while in November there was a small rebound, a trend that affects all the islands together.
“It has rained less than it usually rains at this time of year, the problem is that we have been following the same behavior for several years,” said Quintero.
Regarding temperatures, the archipelago has registered a slightly warm autumn with an average temperature of 20 degrees, with September and October being warmer than usual months and November a colder month.
In fact, in November an average of 16.9 degrees was recorded, which was considered “very cold”, thus balancing the warm character of the previous months, causing the entire quarter to have a normal average temperature.
For Quintero, it is not remarkable that this year has been slightly warmer, what is remarkable is that the trend of recent years indicates a slight, but constant, generalized rise in temperatures.
On this, the director of the center added that “rainfall decreases its frequency but increases its intensity, they are more abundant and torrential.”
Quintero has insisted that the presence of torrential rains or phenomena such as heat waves are not evidence of climate change but its repetition is, something that will vary depending on the measures taken in this regard.
In this season some data has been exceeded, such as in October, when Tenerife North exceeded the maximum temperature recorded this month when it reached 35 degrees, or in November, when the Lanzarote Airport registered the lowest maximum temperature in its history.
The predictions for winter, taken with the data from this beginning of December, indicate a cold and dry month, which for now has remained at an average temperature of 16 degrees.
Quintero has made reference to the participation of the AEMET in the La Palma volcano research work, highlighting the agency’s presence as a member of Pevolca, as well as the deployment at the operational level on the island that has consisted of the transfer of personnel and of appliances.
Among the material that the organization has transferred to the island, Quintero has highlighted a ceilometer located at La Palma Airport, which has continuously measured the volcanic ash cloud and whose maintenance is carried out manually.
Likewise, he has pointed to the installation of a radiosonde station in the El Paso area, which has served to provide more information on the behavior of the volcanic cloud in person and immediately, with which decisions such as the confinements of the population.
