Gran Canaria received this Wednesday the first christmas rainsmore of 20 liters per square meter in Cruz de Tejeda and lower quantities in the rest of the island, the day in which it was also known that this autumn that is ending has been the hottest of the last 62 years in the Canary Archipelago. This “extremely warm” season will be followed by a winter with temperatures also higher than usual, according to predictions from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
The days before Christmas Eve, However, they will be wet and cold, although with rain of varying intensity, due to the presence of a cold drop and a storm over the islands, which will weaken and move away at the beginning of next week.
The summit of Gran Canaria is the first beneficiary of this weekend’s rains
These rainfalls have already irrigated some areas of the summit and midlands of the north of Gran Canaria and it is expected that this Thursday, in the afternoon and evening, they will intensify throughout almost the entire Archipelago. The Aemet prediction for Friday is for cloudy intervals in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and the north and east of Gran Canaria, with probable occasional showers with a low chance of thunderstorms which can be accompanied by hail.
On the northern and western slopes of Tenerife, occasional showers accompanied by storms are not ruled out, with a low probability of scattered and occasional precipitation in the form of granulated snow on high peaks. On the rest of the islands, cloudy intervals will predominate, which will be more compact on the northern slopes, with possible scattered precipitation in the form of a shower during the second half of the day. On Saturday it is not ruled out that occasional showers will be accompanied by storms and in the form of snow on the peaks of Tenerife and La Palma.
High temperatures
After the passage of this storm on the eve of Christmas, at the beginning of this autumn season, officially this Friday, December 22, temperatures are expected to be between one and three degrees higher than usual for this time of year. This weekend the haze is also expected to intensify.
The Canary Islands have recorded the warmest and driest year since 1961 and the highest sea temperature for 83 yearsas reported by the director of the Aemet Meteorological Center in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Victor Quinteroin the presentation of the autumn climate balance in the Canary Islands and the prediction for next winter.
The average temperature this year 2023 is 20.1 degrees, with precipitation 25% below normal values, while the average sea surface temperature has been the highest since 1940, Quintero explained.
Sea surface temperature has been the highest since 1940
Until last November, he noted, 2023 has been the warmest year in the last 62 years, with an average temperature that has been 1.5 degrees Celsius above normal values, exceeding even the highest average temperatures of the historical series, in 2017 and 2020, with 19.6 degrees
Throughout the year, the province of Las Palmas has recorded an average temperature of 21.3 degrees, which represents a thermal anomaly of 1.4 degrees, while the average temperature in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has been 18.5 degrees, that is, 1.3 degrees above normal values.
Except for the month of February, which was cold, and September, which was normal, the rest of the months of the year have been warm, very warm or extremely warm. In fact, it stands out that four months, including October and November, have had this extremely warm behavior.
In terms of precipitation, 2023 has been a dry year. The average rainfall has been 160.1 liters per square meter, which represents 76% of normal precipitation, and the water deficit from the first months of the year has been increasing.
The State Meteorological Agency predicts that next winter will be warmer than usual
The province of Las Palmas has had a very dry behavior, with an average precipitation of 85.4 liters, 64% of the normal value, while in Santa Cruz de Tenerife the average precipitation has been 249.7 liters. During the hydrological year, which runs from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023, there has been an average accumulated precipitation of 180.7 liters, 68% compared to the normal value, hence its dry nature, more dry in the province of Las Palmas than in Santa Cruz. So far this hydrological year, which began last October, the average accumulated precipitation has been 46.1 liters, 63% compared to the normal value, so, for the moment, it is being a dry hydrological year, new, drier in the eastern province.
Looking ahead to winter, temperatures in the Archipelago will be above average values, with an anomaly between one and three degrees above normal values. In fact, there is a 60% chance that the Canary Islands will experience a much warmer winter than usual. Regarding precipitation, a water deficit is expected at the beginning of winter.
