Weather In Gran Canaria
Is Nearly Always Sunny

Gran Canaria weather facts:

The weather in Gran Canaria at sea-level is warm and pleasant throughout the year since it's located in the sub-tropics relatively close to the African continent.

The southern coastal parts of Gran Canaria are generally sheltered to some extent by the north-easterly trade winds and for this reason, this part of Gran Canaria usually has the warmest and sunniest weather on the island.

In contrast, Gran Canaria's highest mountain known as Pico del las Nieves, which rises to 1949m above sea-level frequently has the same weather conditions that occur in northern Scotland and so is snow covered near the summit on and off during January and February.

The northern side of Gran Canaria is usually wetter and has cloudier since most of the so-called rain-bearing weather systems move in from the North Atlantic Ocean and impact this side of Gran Canaria before being trapped by the mountainous terrain. That's why the weather in Gran Canaria is better on the southern side of Gran Canaria, since both clouds and rain have dispersed due to the rain shadow effect.

You should be able to travel here at nearly anytime of the year, although if you suffer from allergies relating to dust, asthma or other types of respiratory illnesses, then you should travel here between April and October so as to avoid the dusty weather.

Additional Topics covered on this page

• Dust storms in Gran Canaria
• When does the hot weather occur in Gran Canaria occur?
• Air pollution does occur in Gran Canaria
• Worried about the wet weather?
• Try and predict the weather while you're in Gran Canaria

Weather in Gran Canaria in winter

The weather in Gran Canaria in the winter time is generally quite warm and sunny over the coastal areas. In comparison, the mountainous regions tend to be cool to cold, cloudy and has more frequent periods of rain.

If you're coming to Gran Canaria to escape the long cold and dull days of winter of your home country, you won't be disappointed. While it won't necessarily be sunny all day every day, you can be assured that you'll see plenty of opportunities to soak up the sun's rays at the beach.

For most of the time, the warmest and sunniest weather in Gran Canaria occurs on the southern parts of the island since the prevailing wind blows in from the north-west to north-east direction. Over most coastal areas, the overnight temperature should not drop below 9°C at any time during the winter.

During the day, maximum temperatures normally hover around 20-23°C. There will be the occasional day either in early December or late February when the maximum temperature rises to 25-28°C.

Even though Gran Canaria records just over 50% of total rainfall during the winter months, it's highly unlikely that you'll have stay indoors for more than a day or two. Most of the weather systems responsible for the wet weather tend move out of the region quite quickly. If you're worried by the possibility of wet weather in Gran Canaria on the coast... don't be!

If you're planning to stay in the tourist locations on the coast, then the weather here is always much nicer than what it's like in the mountains.

Weather in Gran Canaria in December

While there's no location on Gran Canaria that will have absolutely perfect weather conditions in December, you can be assured of one thing. It will not rain too much if you plan to stay on the coastal southern side of the island.

December is usually the wettest month of the year on Gran Canaria but there is much year-to-year variability in the rainfall totals. For example, on the 17th December 2002, Gran Canaria International Airport, which is located on the eastern side of Gran Canaria, recorded 74mm of rain over a period of 24 hours. In comparison, no rain was recorded back in December of 1994.

The amount of rain that occurs in December depends upon the strength and proximity of the Atlantic low pressure systems as well as other atmospheric disturbances. When there's a rain-bearing weather system passing over Gran Canaria, most of the heavier rain occurs in the central mountainous regions.

If you're planning a hire a car, then stick to the main coastal roads if it's been raining since the narrow inland roads are often either washed away or blocked by flood waters. The rain on the coast is generally much lighter and doesn't last as long (especially over the southern coastal areas of Gran Canaria.)

The coldest ever recorded overnight temperature at Gran Canaria International Airport during December is 9.7°C way back in 1957. Most areas along the coast do not record temperatures at night that drop below 12°C anytime during December. So this 9.7°C extreme value is quite unusual.

It's far more common to see warmer night-time temperatures of around 17°C occur near the beginning of December. By the end of the month, overnight temperatures will hover between 14-16°C.

During the daytime, you should see maximum temperatures in December fluctuating between 23-24°C near the start of the month but by the end of December, maximum temperatures will be at a comfortable 21-22°C. However, this is not always true since Gran Canaria is situated fairly close to the Sahara desert of northern Africa.

What this means is this; the weather in Gran Canaria can abruptly become warmer when the wind changes direction from the north east to the south east and so the region becomes dominated by air usually residing over the Sahara desert. On such days in December, you're likely to see much higher daytime temperatures, maybe reaching 26-27°C for a couple of days.

Conversely, you may even experience unusually cold weather in Gran Canaria (maximum temperatures of 16-18°C) if a particular cold mass has moved in from the North Atlantic Ocean. You see, the wind direction is certainly the best indicator of what the daytime temperatures in Gran Canaria will be like, not only for December, but also for every month of the year.

The only time you'll experience some terrible weather in Gran Canaria is if you deliberately travelled into the mountains above 1000 metres above sea-level. This location is quite cold, windy and cloudy with persistent drizzle. In fact, it has many striking similarities to UK's weather!

Since the weather in Gran Canaria in December is much cooler than the summer months, you won't see a large land/sea temperature contrast and so the sea-breezes will be quite weak on the coast.

The only time you'll encounter gusty winds is either during a calima (i.e. dry gusty winds that accompany dust storms) or when there's rain and cooler air approaching. During such times it will get quite windy at times on the exposed coastal areas but these strong winds will not normally last more than 4-5 days.

Weather in Gran Canaria in January

January is generally considered the coldest month of the year in Gran Canaria. Even so, if you're coming here from the United Kingdom or other northern latitude countries, you probably find it quite warm.

During the night, minimum temperatures drop down to between 12-15°C. You will never see temperatures dropping below 9°C at any time during January. The colder night temperatures are associated with the arrival of winds coming from the north and north west and these winds can occur at anytime during January.

During the day, you should see maximum daytime temperatures peaking at 23-25°C on at least 3-4 days during January. However, on days when it's overcast and rainy, you'll be lucky to see maximum temperatures rising above 17°C. For most of the time, the maximum temperatures tend to range between 20-21°C over most coastal areas.

The rainfall over the coastal areas of Gran Canaria during January is generally quite light and sparse. The north-western part of Gran Canaria receives more frequent short-lived moderate intensity rain (showery weather) and may record rainfall totals of between 5-10mm on some days. During the same time period, the eastern and southern parts of Gran Canaria may miss out on the rain altogether due to the rain shadow effect.

It's quite uncommon to see heavy rain falling over the coastal regions during January. However, back on the 24th January 2006, many parts of Gran Canaria recorded their highest ever 24-hour rainfall total for January when 75mm (3 inches) of rain soaked the region causing significant flooding. This rain was widespread and affected Tenerife and the other mountainous Canary Islands as well.

Sometimes it doesn't rain anywhere on Gran Canaria during January since the cooler rain-bearing weather systems fail to progress this far into the tropics. This ultimately leads to drought which may last a number of years.

Of course you won't mind the lack of rain since that means there'll be plenty of nice weather with sunshine.

If you've chosen to arrive in Gran Canaria during January to soak up the sun's rays and unwind, then ensure you stay in the tourist locations, which are located near the coast in the far southern areas. The southern part of Gran Canaria does get more sunshine and less wind at this time of the year since it's located on the leeward side of the mountains.

Of course, if you don't mind some cloud then you'll still have warm temperatures in other parts of the island as well.

Weather in Gran Canaria in February

If you want a rain-free holiday during your trip to Gran Canaria in February, then there's no guarantee that you won't see any wet weather. Generally, the wet weather in Gran Canaria during February arrives following the passage of a strong dust storm. If a weak dust storm arrives, then it's likely you'll see little if any rain. However, when there's low pressure system moving southward towards the Canary Islands from the northern latitudes, then this will be enough to trigger moderate intensity rain that lasts a couple of days over most regions on Gran Canaria.

The highest ever 24-hour February rainfall total for the capital (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), is only 6mm but in comparison, the Gran Canaria International Airport, which is located only 20km (12 miles) south has recorded 84mm over the same time period. These large fluctuation in rainfall amounts are quite common at this time of the year.

In fact, while the southern parts of Gran Canaria may be basking in sunshine, at the same time, the northern parts may have overcast showery weather.

It's quite common during the first couple of weeks of February to get bursts of colder air associated with the arrival of cold fronts. You can expect to see overnight temperatures near the beginning of February range between 12-15°C and by the end of the month, 13-16°C. Occasionally, the minimum temperature can plummet towards 9-10°C, but this is quite rare.

During the day, maximum temperatures during February hover around 20-22°C. There maybe 4-5 days during February when the maximum temperature doesn't rise above 19°C. Conversely, there will be at least 5-6 days when the maximum temperature rises to 24-26°C range.

If there's a south-easterly wind (wind blowing in from the south-east), then maximum temperatures may rise to 28°C over the south-eastern side of Gran Canaria. The highest ever recorded maximum temperature at the Gran Canaria International Airport during February is 30.5°C but this has only been recorded once so it's highly likely you won't see hot weather in Gran Canaria during this month.

You will certainly see sunshine in February but don't be disappointed if you see cloudy conditions at times as well. Probably the best location for warm sunny weather is located in the extreme south between the towns of Puerto de Mogan and Maspalomas.

Weather in Gran Canaria in spring

The weather in Gran Canaria during spring is warmer and somewhat drier than the winter months and there's always the risk of the arrival of a dust storm in the early part of the season, but they usually don't last too long.

If you're planning to sunbathe, just remember that mid-spring is the cloudiest time of the year in most areas, although the southern parts of Gran Canaria usually have less cloudy weather. Thankfully though, by the end of spring, the sunny weather will return and become more frequent as summer approaches.

You needn't worry about prolonged wet weather during spring. The risk of rainy weather rapidly decreases with each passing month since the air at upper levels begins to become quite dry and this limits the vertical extent of rain-bearing weather systems in coastal areas at least.

However, in the mountains of Gran Canaria, mist, rain and low temperatures are quite common even up to mid-spring, so you'll have to bring warm clothes for that sort of trip.

Weather in Gran Canaria in March

While the weather in Gran Canaria during March is a little bit warmer with a lower risk of rain compared with January and February, it still isn't the best time of year to travel here. Your main concern would be the possibility that dust will blow in off North Africa during March and so would reduce the air quality as well as the visibility.

Although the dust is not usually severe every year, no one can accurately predict when it will be. So if you're planning to travel to Gran Canaria in March and suffer from asthma or other respiratory problems, then you shouldn't really travel here then. Delay your trip until May or come here during the summer months when the risk of dust storms is low.

The overnight temperatures during March near the the beginning of the month drop down to between 13-16°C and by the end of the month, 14-16°C near the coast. Although, you're likely to experience significantly cooler overnight temperatures further inland as well as up in the mountains, or when a cool air mass passes through the region.

You're very unlikely to experience overnight temperatures lower than 8°C anywhere along the coast in March. So just bring a light jacket for use at night if you're planning to stay on the coast since the wind can feel a little cool at times. Although, you needn't pack many warm clothes unless you plan to stay in accommodation away from the coast or if you're coming here from a tropical climate.

During the daytime, maximum temperatures should rise to a comfortable 21-23°C on most days. However, if the wind begins to blow in from the south-east, then you're highly likely to see some airborne dust within 24 hours. It also means that the maximum temperatures will rise well above normal for this time of year (i.e. rising maybe to 30°C).

Conversely, if the wind is blowing in from the north-west, then daytime temperatures may only reach 18-19°C, since the clouds together with the cooler air mass will prevent the temperatures rising any higher.

While it's very unlikely that you'll experience prolonged wet weather in Gran Canaria during March unless you travel up into the mountains, you have to be prepared for the odd wet day. Such a day occurred on the 14^th March 1995 when 51.5mm fell at Gran Canaria International Airport. In comparison, it never rained at all in March 2010, so you may find that your trip is rain free after all.

If you're staying on the southern side of Gran Canaria, then you'll most likely experience much less rain and generally sunnier weather conditions than anywhere else on the island. But just be aware, that you may experience a little bit of cloud on some days no matter where you are especially towards the end of March.

So if you want good weather in Gran Canaria, then plan to stay on the southern side of the island since the central mountainous region blocks the path of rain-bearing weather systems and its most of the associated cloud.

Weather in Gran Canaria in April

The weather in Gran Canaria during April is very similar to March except you normlly don't see the dust clouds. The northern side of Gran Canaria is cloudier, cooler and slightly wetter than the southern coastal areas and so if you're after the sun, then you need to make sure to book accommodation on the far southern regions of Gran Canaria between Puerto de Mogan and Maspalomas.

April is the cloudiest month of the year on the northern side of Gran Canaria, however, in the southern parts of the island, the weather in Gran Canaria is still quite sunny. Although there's normally a couple of days during April when you'll experience cloud all day no matter where you're located on the island, it won't ruin your holiday. The sun will return and you'll have plenty of days to bask in the sunshine, that's for sure.

What ever you do, don't worry about the rain. There's hardly any rain about in the southern coastal areas of Gran Canaria during April, but you'll likely to see dark clouds covering the mountains in the distance but it's quite rare for those clouds to move over onto the coast. The highest ever recorded daily rain event in April for Gran Canaria International Airport is about 28mm and so can be sure you won't be needing your umbrella.

Overnight temperatures range from 14-16°C near the coastal areas near the beginning of April but gradually become a degree warmer by the end of the month. So that means, while it may a little bit cool near the ocean at night when there's breeze about, but you won't see minimum temperatures dropping below 10°C anywhere over the coastal areas of Gran Canaria during April. So this means you're only need a light jacket if any at night if you come from the UK.

During the daylight hours, you can be sure that the maximum temperature will hover between 22-23°C on most days. The only time it will be cooler is when it's cloudy with a little rain about, but that not very likely if you're staying on the southern coast areas of Gran Canaria. There might be a couple of days when the maximum temperature spikes to 30+°C and this occurs when air is moving in from North Africa. It was during one of these episodes that the highest ever April temperature was recorded at Gran Canaria International Airport (33.7°C).

Weather in Gran Canaria in May

May is a great time of year to visit Gran Canaria as you'll only need to pack summer clothing if you're coming here from the UK. There's usually abundant sunshine along the coast and that includes the northern part of Gran Canaria. So this month should be a great month to explore the rest of the island. The only time you may experience cloudy conditions would be if your travelling up into the mountains.

You can be sure you don't have to worry about the rain as most of the rain-bearing weather systems rarely move over Gran Canaria during May. You should definitely bring a hat, sun glasses or some sun protection since the sun rises around 7:15am and doesn't set until 8:45pm, and you'll certainly get sunburnt if you plan to stay out on the beach all day.

Overnight temperatures shouldn't drop below 13°C anywhere along the coastline, so you needn't worry about taking warm clothes with you if you come here in May. Although, if you plan to stay further inland, or up in the mountains, then please bring warm clothes as you'll need them. On most nights, the minimum temperature drops down to only about 16°C near the start of May and 18°C by the end of the month.

During the day, the weather in Gran Canaria is generally quite warm. Maximum temperatures rise to about 22-23°C near the start of May but it's usually a degree or so warmer by the last week of May. There's usually a couple of hot days about when the temperature rises between 28-32°C and this is associated with air coming in from the deserts in North Africa.

Just be aware that during the afternoon, sea-breezes begin to become quite noticeable along the coast, especially towards the end of May. So if you plan any water sports activities, the larger waves during the afternoon can become choppy.

Dust storm weather in Gran Canaria

February is the beginning of the so-called calima (dust storm) weather in Gran Canaria.

If you happen to see a thick dust cloud approaching while you're staying in Gran Canaria then move inside since the dust is likely to irritate your eyes and upper respiratory tract.

You should take extra precautions if you suffer from respiratory illnesses since clinical research has shown that the North African dust is known to worsen the symptoms of asthma.

Gran Canaria as well as the other Canary Islands has the highest prevalence of childhood asthma, much higher than what is found in any other region of Spain. Of course, the dust is not the only factor that contributes the outbreak of asthma on the Canary Islands.

Two additional risk factors are house dust mites and mold. These two allergens tend to multiply quite rapidly in the coastal parts of the Canary Islands due to the year-round favourable weather conditions.

Yes, dust storms can be problematic during the months of February and March each year on the island of Gran Canaria. These dust storms can significantly reduce the visibility to less than 1000 metres. Consequently this will make life quite uncomfortable for you if you're going to spend most of your time outdoors.

However, even though dust storms are common throughout these months, not every part of Gran Canaria will be affected by the dust. If you're staying on the western side of Gran Canaria you may be fortunate enough to avoid the dust altogether since the inland mountains generally prevent the dust from reaching this area.

However, since you're more likely visiting the tourist resorts like Maspalomas, and Playa del Inglés then you may not be able to avoid the dust.

Be aware that some flights to the Canary Islands may have to be cancelled during February and March due to the low visibility during dust storms.

Hot weather in Gran Canaria

Very hot weather in Gran Canaria can occur any time from June through to early September, especially over the southern coastal parts of the island.

The most frequent occurrence of hot weather is in August. During this time, hot plumes of dusty air from the African continent pass over Gran Canaria causing both the nighttime and daytime temperature to spike. Daytime temperatures as high as 38°C are recorded during these times.

If you're planning of spending a couple of weeks in Gran Canaria during the summer months, you should make sure that your accommodation has some form of air conditioning. You certainly don't want to be stuck in a tent during a heat wave.

These very hot conditions don't normally hang around too long in Gran Canaria. As soon as the wind switches direction back to a north easterly (wind coming from the north east), then cooler conditions will return to Gran Canaria.

Air pollution weather in Gran Canaria

Yes, even Gran Canaria has air pollution problems. This occurs during periods when there's hardly any wind (normally during the winter). On most days during summer, north-easterly trade winds are buffeting the northern and eastern coastline of Gran Canaria and consequently air pollution during this time is quickly blown out of the region.

The most common locations in Gran Canaria for air pollution are within the cities of Las Palmas and Telde.

There are two main areas within Las Palmas where air pollutants are high:

1. The central district of Las Palmas, since there's a high volume of traffic. Around 80,000 vehicles travel down Bravo Murillo (a major road near the central district of Las Palmas) each day. Most of these vehicles are run on diesel and for that reason tend to produce higher levels of air pollutants.
   
   
2. The southern parts of Las Palmas, since this is the location of a small industrial area. The main air pollution sources in this area are from the desalination plant and a thermal power generator.

The city of Telde is also subject to moderate levels of air pollutants due to thick traffic congestion on days with little wind to disperse the air pollutants.

Also, significant respiratory problems occur in people living within the Jinámar Valley. This valley is located halfway between Las Palmas and Telde and is home to approximately 25,000 residents. The valley is separated from the coast by a small hill which helps prevent the removal of air pollutants from passing out to sea. In fact, the Jinámar Valley has the highest rate of hospital admissions in Gran Canaria due to the persistent smog.

This area is particularly hazardous to human health during periods of calm weather since all the air pollutants from both Las Palmas and Telde become trapped in the Jinámar Valley with no means of escape.

In the southern parts of Gran Canaria, air pollution is minimal.

Should You Worry About The Wet weather in Gran Canaria?

If you're only going to be staying along the coastline, then you won't see much rain during any time of the year. Normally the wet weather in Gran Canaria occurs from December to February, with the majority of the heavier rain falling in the mountains. During these months, occasional storms move in from the west and south-west in association with an Atlantic low pressure system. Most coastal regions on Gran Canaria receive less than 150mm (5.9 inches) of rain annually.

You can be assured that flooding in Gran Canaria is quite rare although it does occur once every 15-20 years. When it does rain heavily, many roads are blocked and you may stranded until the water recedes. Just beware that it is highly dangerous to drive around in the mountainous areas after heavy rain since many roads can be washed away.

If you're planning to travel up into the mountains on Gran Canaria then you should expect much higher rainfall. In fact, some of these mountainous areas (above 1200 m above sea-level) receive between 800-1000 mm (31.5-39.4 inches) of rain annually. It does snow in the winter on the higher parts of the mountains.

Since the weather in Gran Canaria varies considerably you may find that the highland regions of Gran Canaria will be overcast and rainy whilst at the same time, the coastal regions will be bathed in sunshine. The northern side of Gran Canaria is wetter and cooler than the southern side of Gran Canaria. If you want to avoid the rain (if it rains) then staying at the many resorts on the southern side of Gran Canaria is a must.

There should be practically no rain during the months of June through to mid-September in the coastal areas of Gran Canaria. This is a great time to visit, but just beware that your trip may coincide with heat wave conditions.

Tips on predicting the weather in Gran Canaria based upon the wind direction

1. If the winds are gusty north-westerly or northerly (i.e. winds coming in from the north-west or north), then the warmest location would be on the southeastern and southern coastlines and adjacent inland regions. The north-westerly winds indicate that a cool air mass has arrived and so expect showery weather on the windward side of Gran Canaria. Day and nighttime temperatures may be 2-3°C cooler that what it's normally like for that time of year.
   
   
2. If there's moderately gusty winds blowing in from the south west, this means the weather in Gran Canaria is warmer than usual and that cooler air is on the way. During this time, the eastern and north-eastern parts of Gran canaria will record the highest temperatures. Generally, the south-westerly winds indicate that there is an anticyclone over North Africa.
   
   
3. If there is quite gusty south-easterly winds (i.e. winds from the south-east) then expect daytime temperatures to rise at least 3-6°C above the average day and nighttime temperature for that time of the year. The south-eastern coastline generally records the highest daytime temperatures during this time. You may notice some dust in the air and this typically occurs in February and March. The locals call this dusty dry and warm wind the calima.

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