Grand Canary Island Weather: Canary Islands by Month

The Canary Islands temperature range is narrow by European standards. At Adeje the coolest month is February, with highs of 20°C and lows of 13°C, and the warmest is August, at 28°C by day and 22°C at night. Between those two points the thermometer moves gently, which is why eleven of the twelve months count as good months to go, with February as the only shoulder month.

Rain is light and short-lived. The wettest stretch runs from February to March, when Adeje sees five or six wet days a month and March collects 39mm, the highest total of the year. From April to August rain is rare, and the autumn months bring only three or four wet days each. Sea temperatures are not recorded for this station, so check the live forecast above before you pack the snorkel.

Because the four main airports, Tenerife South, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, all have direct flights from the UK, most travellers book a package with flights, hotel and transfers together. Transfers are short: Playa de las Américas is about 14 minutes from Tenerife South, Puerto del Carmen 6 minutes from Lanzarote, and Maspalomas 24 minutes from Gran Canaria airport.

Winter is mild rather than hot. January reaches 21°C with 4 wet days, February dips to 20°C with 6 wet days, and the weather in the Canaries in March warms to 22°C, though March also carries the year's heaviest rainfall at 39mm over 5 days. December mirrors January at 21°C with lows of 15°C.

Spring settles quickly. Canaries weather in April is among the driest of the year, with just 5mm of rain over 2 days, and the Canary Islands temperature in April reaches 23°C by day and 16°C at night. May is similar at 22°C with 2 wet days. Canary Islands weather in June steps up to 24°C; the 30mm recorded tends to fall on only 2 days, so expect long dry spells between showers.

High summer is the warmest and driest stretch. July reaches 26°C with no rain recorded, and August peaks at 28°C with lows of 22°C and a single wet day. Autumn holds the warmth well: September sits at 25°C, Canaries weather in October brings 26°C with 4 wet days, and Canaries weather in November still offers 24°C with 3 wet days. Those Canary Islands temperatures by month explain why the October half-term is such a popular time to fly, and why school-holiday weeks generally cost more than the weeks either side.

From December to March, pack for warm days and cooler evenings. Highs of 20°C to 22°C feel pleasant in the sun, but lows of 13°C to 15°C call for a light jumper or jacket after dark, and a compact waterproof is sensible in February and March, the two months with the most wet days.

From April to November, summer clothes do most of the work. With highs between 22°C and 28°C and nights that stay at 16°C or above, light layers, sun cream and a hat are the essentials. In July and August, when nights stay at 20°C to 22°C, you will barely need anything warmer, though a thin layer is useful for walks such as the Barranco del Infierno near Adeje or a day at Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz.