Weather Phenomena in Tenerife 3 is the third article in a series of six that cover specific weather phenomena in Tenerife and, by extension, the Canary Islands.
The island with eternal spring! How romantic, how exotic, how enticing. And this is no sales pitch, this is reality—there is truth in this saying. The pleasant temperature, averaging 19°C in winter and 24°C in summer, makes the Canary Islands a lovely, cozy, and healthy place to live. This applies to most of Tenerife as well, although there are some exceptions, like Las Cañadas or higher up on Teide. There are also quite a few differences between the north and south, or if you look at the wind diversity between the west and east coasts. And there are several more fundamental differences. One of these is described here in Weather Phenomena in Tenerife 3 – Wind and Clouds.
The beautiful weather is mainly due to its geographic location. Tenerife is situated in a southern subtropical area at 28 degrees north latitude and 16.5 degrees west longitude. The climate in this zone is largely dependent on the Azores Current (cold ocean current) and the trade winds.
Trade Winds
The trade winds are caused by a large temperature difference between the tropics and subtropics, which, under the influence of the Earth’s rotation (the Coriolis effect), leads to a northeasterly airflow: the northeast trade wind (on the northern hemisphere). The trade winds (derived from the Spanish word Pasar) blow at an altitude of 500 to 2,000 meters, with an average speed of 20 to 40 kilometers per hour.
The trade wind is formed by a continuous air pressure compensation between subtropical high-pressure areas in the northern tropic (20-25 degrees north latitude) and equatorial low-pressure areas. The interaction of air masses creates a natural air-conditioning system for Tenerife. The trade winds also prevent Atlantic low-pressure systems with bad weather from reaching the island. This is why high pressure usually persists in and around the Canary Archipelago.
If a low-pressure system forms in the place where the Azores high-pressure system usually sits, we may be in for rain and wind. This typically triggers a weather alert from the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET).
Eternal Spring
The consistent trade winds and unmatched climatic conditions allow us to speak of an ‘eternal spring’ year-round and enjoy water sports throughout the year. This is why sailing is so popular in and around the Canary Archipelago.
Below you can see the meteorological differences between winter and summer. Pay special attention to the pressure systems over the Atlantic Ocean.
Condensation Clouds
But not everything is perfect, and sometimes, unfortunately, clouds, which are usually consistent in the north of the island, occasionally appear in the south of Tenerife as well! In summer, it happens more often that clouds drift in later in the day. It mainly has to do with the airflow, the daily cycle, and especially the wind variation by altitude. When a sea breeze is created due to the sun’s warmth, moist ocean air is brought in, which rises over the land due to thermals. The air cools down, and condensation clouds form.
Sea Breeze
This stratocumulus is common in the north thanks to the northeast trade wind. The latter ensures that the cloud cover spreads towards the sea. As a result, we often see that, over the course of the day, the cloud cover drifts towards the coast and even hangs slightly over the sea. In these situations, you often have the best chance of sunshine in the morning and early afternoon. Once the airflow also shifts to the east-northeast on the ground, the weather along the southern coast often improves. The southern wind usually arises from the sea breeze. The land is warmer than the seawater, creating lower pressure over the land than over the sea, which triggers an airflow from the sea to the land. We are also very familiar with sea wind or sea breeze in the United Kingdom.
When the temperatures over the land drop in the evening (slightly faster than over the sea), the sea breeze stops, and even a barely noticeable offshore wind flow develops. Cloud formation ceases, and the existing clouds dissipate over time. This shows that Weather Phenomena 3 – Wind and Clouds also plays a role in the occasional weather dips that Tenerife experiences.
Also, check out the previously published articles about weather and climate on Tenerife:
Part 1: Phenomena
Part 2: Calima
Part 3: Wind and Clouds
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