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16 | Gazette Life | February 2026GAZETTE | WEATHERLanzarote has experienced its coolest, wettest winter for some years, but weather that spoils a few days of holiday is nothing unusual on Lanzarote, and it brings advantages in many ways.December and January on the Canaries were marked by the arrival of cold polar fronts arriving from the north Atlantic, as well as the effects of Atlantic storms Emilia, Francis and Goretti. As a result, two thirds of the 76.7 mms of rain that fell on the island last year came in the last month of the year, when some rainfall was recorded on one out of every two days on Lanzarote. The total of 53.7 mms that fell in December 2025 was nearly as much rain as the island experienced in the whole of 2024 (56.4 mms), and far more than in the drought year of 2023 (38.7 mms). However, 2025 was nowhere near as wet as 2022, when persistent rains in March and heavy storms in September left 130 mms of rain. December 2025 was also cooler than usual, with an average temperature of 18 degrees Celsius %u2013 the coldest month for several years. THE JOY OF WINTEROn December 12th, the island recorded its lowest maximum temperature since records began, with the thermometer not rising above 15.5 degrees all day. Rain and cold weather on Lanzarote are always a disappointment for holidaymakers, especially when they arrive during one of the busiest seasons of the year. Days at the beach are cancelled, sunbathing is off-limits and jackets or cardigans are often required to eat out on a terrace. Yet anyone who arrived from icy northern Europe this winter will still have noticed the immediate difference. December%u2019s average temperature of 18 degrees may be low for the Canaries, but it%u2019s still above the average for May in the UK. Most holiday makers will have experienced plenty of warm, sunny spells along with the poorer conditions.And rain also brings benefits to the island. Farmers and gardeners are, of course, grateful for the free water that falls from the heavens, and the heavy rains that provide a good, deep soaking for the soil are often associated with high grape harvests which Lanzarote%u2019s wine industry relies on.Rain can also enhance tourism. While some tourists in the cooler months may have a day or two spoiled by rain, those arriving a few weeks later will find an island that has been transformed from its usual dull brown and black colouring. The flanks of volcanoes take on a green tinge, rural areas burst into life and, in really good years, the resulting displays of wildflowers can be breathtakingly beautiful. Even when there Photo's by:
