Lanzarote recorded near 30-degree heat in October, yet ranked as coolest Canary Island

October in Lanzarote saw temperatures climb to a sweltering 29.8 degrees, yet the island consistently ranked as the coolest in the Canary Islands archipelago, according to La Voz.

Data from the Spain’s Meteorological Agency (Aemet) confirms that the Canary Islands experienced an unusually warm October, with temperatures nearly half a degree above the seasonal average. Nationally, the month was the 21st warmest since 1961 and the eleventh driest on record.

The late-month heatwave pushed Lanzarote’s airport weather station to a maximum of 29.8 degrees, with La Graciosa recording 27.7 degrees. Despite this significant warmth, when compared to the other islands, Lanzarote and La Graciosa found themselves at the bottom of the list for maximum temperatures, ranking sixth and eighth respectively. Fuerteventura slotted in between them at 28.8 degrees.

In contrast, the highest peaks of heat were felt in Gran Canaria, which reached 32 degrees, and El Hierro, which recorded 30.6 degrees.

A similar pattern emerged for overnight minimum temperatures. Lanzarote’s highest minimum was 22 degrees, recorded in Playa Blanca on October 20 and 23, while La Graciosa reached 21.8 degrees. Once again, both islands were ranked the least hot in the archipelago.

Temperature Increase

The Aemet report detailed a broader trend across the islands. The province of Las Palmas, which includes Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Gran Canaria, saw an average temperature of 21.7 degrees, which is 0.2 degrees above normal.

The most significant deviation was in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where the average temperature reached 19.3 degrees, a notable 0.6 degrees above the expected average.

For Lanzarote and its neighbours, the most pronounced change has been in the overnight lows. The minimum temperatures across Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Gran Canaria were 0.4 degrees warmer than usual, making this the 15th warmest October for minimum temperatures since 1961.

This trend contributed to a high frequency of ‘tropical nights’, defined as those where the temperature does not drop below 20 degrees. Weather stations across the archipelago recorded these balmy nights in 50% of their readings, with more tropical nights occurring this October than in the same month in 2024.