SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, December 5 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The average temperature in the Canary Islands has been 20.0 ºC during the month of November, which implies a positive anomaly of +2.2 ºC, and which corresponds to an extremely warm character, being the warmest since 1961.
The average value of the accumulated rainfall was 27.2 mm, 67% of the expected value, making it a pluviometrically dry month, according to the 1991-2020 reference series, being the twenty-sixth driest since 1961.
The temperature has remained above the average reference value for practically the entire month, with the exception of days 6 and 7 when it took values slightly below, due to the approach of a trough to the archipelago.
The marked rise that occurred from day 8 stands out, due to the situation of the Atlantic anticyclone, which was centered over Madeira, the low baric gradient that occurred on the surface, as well as the fact that, at altitude, the African ridge was positioned over the Canary Islands, all of which generated an easterly flow with warm advection.
The situation described continued, with few changes, until the 21st, when the movement of the Atlantic anticyclone to the southwest of Ireland allowed a flow with a greater northern component that lowered the temperature to the mean reference value, remaining at that level until the end of the month. The formation of a DANA in the area close to the Canary Islands also contributed to this effect.
The small rise in the average temperature that was observed during days 29 and 30 was due to the establishment of a southwesterly flow over the islands, caused by the approach of an Atlantic storm with an associated front.
For another month, we must highlight the behavior of minimum temperatures, remaining at relatively high values for much of it.
PRECIPITATION
Regarding rainfall, in November there was a marked difference in the behavior of rainfall between the eastern and western provinces, with lower volumes remaining in the eastern province, both absolutely and relatively.
Between days 3 and 7, due to the approach to the Canary Islands of a trough with an associated front, the highest volumes of precipitation accumulated in 24 hours of the month were recorded, affecting all the islands, although with lower records in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and with the largest quantities in the north and east of La Palma, in El Hierro, as well as in the midlands of the northern slopes of Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
On the 21st there was weak rainfall, concentrated only in some areas of the north of Tenerife, due to the arrival of an air mass with greater thickness of humidity from the trade wind.
On days 24 to 26, due to the presence of a DANA in the area close to the Canary Islands, there was also weak rainfall in some areas of La Palma, northern Tenerife and western and southern areas of Gran Canaria.
On the 30th, the passage of a front associated with an Atlantic storm, which swept the entire archipelago, caused rainfall on all the islands. In Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, no significant accumulations were recorded, although intense showers did occasionally occur. As for the rest of the islands, rainfall was moderate to heavy, with higher volumes recorded in La Palma, in the municipalities of the northwest of Tenerife, as well as in Granadilla de Abona, Vilaflor and Arico.
In Gran Canaria, the highest rainfall was recorded on the southern and western slopes, with smaller amounts collected on the northern slope. In El Hierro and La Gomera they were generally moderate, with some areas in which they became strong (northwest of El Hierro and upper midlands of the western slope of La Gomera).
In general, these precipitations left accumulations similar to those of the first episode of the month (days 3 to 7), although they affected a greater number of stations and, above all, were characterized by greater intensity.