The normal weather in Tenerife is a difficult and complex question to answer because, due to the shape of the island, several climate zones exist, and within each zone, microclimates also occur.
Not only temperatures, hours of sunshine, and number of rainy days come into play, but wind too is a full-fledged — yet unpredictable — player on the weather team.
In addition, there are a few odd phenomena that can stir things up, but we call those weather phenomena with strange names like mar de fondo, panza de burro, cumulus lenticularis, mar de nubes, alisios, and calima. But as mentioned, these are phenomena and are described one by one HERE.
Subtropical climate
There is still some confusion when talking about the weather. One misconception is that weather reports are not forecasts, but rather expectations. Meteorology is not an exact science, and the weather can therefore turn out differently than previously indicated. The words “weather expectation” and “weather forecast” are often used interchangeably, and many people even assume that what is “expected” will always happen.
The weather on the Canary archipelago, of which Tenerife is the largest island, is subtropical, with higher and warmer average temperatures than in the Low Countries — both at night and during the day, in both winter and summer. And we all enjoy that a great deal.
Lid on the pan
The Gulf Stream, trade winds, the Coriolis effect, and geographical location determine the weather — and let’s be honest, these elements do an excellent job. Instability in the lower air layers typically occurs up to 1,500 meters altitude. Cumulus clouds then form that usually remain modest in appearance. Showers usually don’t develop because the rising air cannot go higher due to an inversion layer that blocks further cloud formation, like a lid on a pan. But this weather pattern is not stereotypical year-round. Sometimes there are spoilers lurking that can disrupt normal weather conditions.
Disturbances
The normal pattern is occasionally disrupted by a massive depression that manages to push in from the cold north to the archipelago. The upper air is then freezing: between -20 and -32 degrees Celsius at an altitude of 5,000 meters. This air mass comes from a maritime polar source area that breaks up the inversion layer, allowing the air to rise higher than normal — resulting in showers. Sometimes light, but sometimes very heavy showers, which can last for two to three days.
When the weather takes a dip, the official Spanish Meteorological Institute Aemet forecasts a strong wind field attacking the island from the northwest, bringing heavy wind, showers, a drop in temperature, and in winter snow and sleet above 2,000 meters altitude, along with high waves up to 5 meters tall that can batter the coasts.
Afterwards, the weather returns to normal: sunny and summery, as if nothing happened!
Reliability
For temperature, around 85 percent of forecasts prove accurate, meaning the observed temperature differs no more than two degrees from the forecast.
Cloudiness and precipitation are the hardest to “predict.” The further into the future the forecast looks, the less reliable it becomes. Weather forecasts five or six days ahead are generally less reliable than those for the first three days. And that’s why, on the Aemet website, the first days are shown in large boxes — considered highly reliable — while the following three days are in smaller boxes, as those data are less trustworthy.
Climate zones
In a previous article My weather report, difficult task, the various climate zones were discussed in more detail, and it became clear that they are not clearly delineated, nor defined, and certainly not classified by meteorologists. The 2,000 square kilometer island does not fit into a single weather report.
An island with high altitudes is too complex, so the island must be divided into several zones. North and south are already two well-known zones; west and east also have distinct characteristics. And towering above all this are El Teide, Las Cañadas, and the surrounding mountain ranges — an exceptional meteorological area. But you already knew that.
Weather sayings
The normal weather in Tenerife partly depends on the trade winds coming from the northeast, which is why planes land and take off heading east, against the wind. If planes land from west to east (with the island on the left-hand side), the weather is stable. If aircraft fly in the opposite direction, the wind comes from the west or northwest.
Then people say the planes are landing “the wrong way” — a little trick to instantly be informed of a changing weather pattern, a bit of folk wisdom better than the best barometer.
In this way, two weather sayings have arisen that are only applicable to Tenerife. The wind proverb “East is least, west is a pest” and the weather saying “Depression over the Azores brings wind around our doors” certainly belong in this weather picture.
Weather apps
And finally, this tip: never be tempted by weather apps. They may have attractive and seductive layouts, be easy to install, and even easier to use — but we explained our view in the article DAMNED WEATHER APPS. These apps that predict the weather days or weeks in advance are moderately to completely unreliable.
So says Aarnout van Delden, senior lecturer in meteorology at Utrecht University. “The weather apps that come standard on mobile phones look nice but are based on calculations made automatically by a computer — often using American models, because their weather data is free and publicly available.”
One thing is for sure: the subtropical climate lifts all our spirits.
Pixabay © Photography
The normal weather in Tenerife ©
More WEATHER can be read [HERE]
Interested in Tenerife?
Subscribe to our newsletter and always stay informed about the news on Tenerife.
Enter your first name and a valid email address below. Then click on Subscribe.
