Last December 2023 has become the fourth warmest in the Archipelago since records began in 1961. This is reflected in the Climatological Advance of the Canary Islands that the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) produces every month.
Specifically, the average temperature of the Archipelago has been 17.2 degrees, that is, 1.3 degrees warmer than normal. Therefore, it is considered a "very warm" month.
Regarding accumulated rainfall, a total of 23.3 millimeters were recorded, that is, only 41% of what was expected. In this line, December 2023 was a dry month, occupying the eighteenth position.
December temperatures
Regarding average, maximum and minimum temperatures, they were higher in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. However, the thermometer mismatch was 1.1 above the average temperature of the province of Las Palmas, 1.4 higher in the maximums and 0.9 in the minimums.
The highest temperature detected in Lanzarote last December was located at the César Manrique Airport meteorological station, where the maximum of 27.1 degrees was recorded at 14 meters altitude and was detected on December 9.
Meanwhile, the island of La Graciosa reached a maximum temperature of 28.8 degrees on December 10.
Thus, the municipality of Yaiza suffered three tropical nights at the Playa Blanca station. Specifically, on the nights of December 1, 11 and 16, temperatures were above 20 degrees. Thus, the year in which December had the most tropical nights in the Canary Islands was last 2022.
In the municipality of Yaiza, in the tourist town of Playa Blanca, the highest minimum temperature of December was recorded on the 1st of the month, exceeding 20.4 degrees. While in La Graciosa the highest minimum was 19.9 degrees at the heliport station on December 16.
Rain in Haría
The approach to the Archipelago of a front associated with an Atlantic storm left rainfall on all the islands, but the highest record in 24 hours was collected in Lanzarote. In this case, 5.22 millimeters accumulated with a maximum intensity of 18.2 millimeters per hour at 11.45 am in the municipality of Haría.
At the end of the month, the municipality of Haría saw the rain again due to the approach to the Canary Islands of a DANA that formed over Algeria and generated heavy to very heavy rainfall in Lanzarote.
Specifically, in 24 hours 42.8 millimeters of rain accumulated in Haría, with a maximum intensity of 79.2 millimeters per hour at 7.25 am. This episode left images of the accesses to the municipality collapsed and the roads muddy.
