In 2024, the Canary Islands experienced the second warmest year in the last 63 years, as far back as the historical series with which the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) works, and the driest.
The average temperature in the archipelago last year was 19.6 degrees Celsius, which represents an anomaly of 1.2 degrees and gave 2024 an extremely warm character.
In addition, it was on the edge of the values corresponding to an extremely dry year: the average value of accumulated rainfall was 138.8 milliliters, half of what was expected.
Throughout the year there were several episodes in which the average temperature was well above the normal value with respect to the reference period (1961-2020), especially in January, February and April.
Two record high temperatures were broken in a month of January: 31.7 degrees at the La Oliva-Carretera del Cotillo weather station, on the 16th; and of November: 37.1 degrees in La Aldea de San Nicolás, on the 8th.
The maximum temperature of all of 2024 was recorded on July 19 in Tasarte-La Aldea with 42.8 degrees.
In the disaggregated analysis by months, only March, June and October were normal in terms of temperatures; January, February, April and November were extremely warm.
As for rainfall, only the northwest of La Palma was within the average values of the reference period. In Puntagorda, 82.4 liters accumulated in 24 hours on December 23.
January and April were very dry; February, November and December, dry; July very humid, and March, May and June, humid.