Canary Islands are set for a warmer and drier autumn following an unusually hot summer, according to David Suárez, the territorial delegate of the State Meteorological Agency.
The region experienced a notably warm summer, with five episodes of extreme temperatures, resulting in 89 deaths attributed largely to the heat, Suárez reported at a press conference. The average temperature across the archipelago was 22.7 degrees Celsius, exceeding the normal range by 0.9 degrees compared to the reference period from 1991 to 2020, marking it as the sixth hottest summer since 1961.
The highest recorded temperature was in Tasarte, a locality in the municipality of La Aldea, where it reached 44.4 degrees Celsius. A heatwave occurred between August 1 and 5, with temperatures peaking 6 degrees above the seasonal average.
During the summer, temperatures were highest in the province of Las Palmas, while slightly milder in the western province. As usual, the southern slopes and interior areas of the larger islands saw more intense heat. Suárez noted the significance of the islands’ orography, explaining that “the same mass of air has very different implications depending on the area.”
Precipitation levels were also high this summer, with 6.5 litres per square metre, which is 120% above the normal average. Suárez explained that rain, primarily from June to July, typically occurs under the influence of trade winds, especially on the northern slopes of Tenerife, the northeast of La Palma, as well as La Gomera and El Hierro, while other regions remained drier.
Sea surface temperatures climbed significantly from mid-June onwards, averaging 24.52 degrees throughout July and August.
Current forecasts indicate temperatures will rise to between 34 and 37 degrees in the coming days, prompting only a yellow alert. Suárez remarked that this rise in temperature so close to the start of autumn, which began on September 23, suggests that “summers are extending” in the Canary Islands.
Regarding the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to be quite intense this year, Suárez stated it is not anticipated to have an impact on the Canary Islands, potentially resulting in fewer tropical storms and hurricanes than usual.
