Today's weather for Puerto Rico, Canary Islands8th Nov 2009 08:00

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Weather Overview for Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, the resort on the southwest coast of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, is not to be confused with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Islands. The resort enjoys a sub-tropical climate with warm to high temperatures year round, plenty of sunshine and very little rain.

Summer, from May till October, sees a pleasant average high of 22°C steadily rising through the months to its peak in August and September at 26°C.  The average high temperature then begins to subside but stay in the 20s right into autumn. The sea is warm throughout the year, reaching its peak temperature of 23°C a month after the air temperature peaks. From June till August it is very dry and visitors are unlikely to experience any rain at all. The sun beats down for a full ten hours per day on average in July. Temperatures are kept lower than might be expected at this latitude by the sea and the north-easterly trade winds. Night time temperatures hover near 20°C so fun can continue throughout the night. However, some might find this a little uncomfortable when trying to sleep.

Winter, from September till April, sees slightly cooler temperatures and some rain. The climate on the Canary Islands really is ideal all year round and calling this season winter seems a little ridiculous. November sees average highs at a pleasant 23°C: warm enough for the beach. However, the sun starts to slack a little, only showing up for work around six hours a day; showers become more likely, but still infrequent, with around five days per month seeing some rain. Temperatures do drop: January and February see day time highs of 20°C and night time lows of 14°C. Some may find these cooler but still very warm days and refreshingly mild nights preferable to the inescapable heat of the peak summer season. However, these months are sometimes subject to sandstorms or ‘calima’, and freak hot spell blown over by the sirocco wind from the Sahara. The sea temperature does not really fall below 19°C.

The Canary Islands are nicknamed the ‘Islands of Eternal Spring’ for their consistently pleasant climate. While belonging to Spain, the islands actually sit off of the northwest coast of Africa, near Morocco and the Western Sahara. It receives cooler temperatures than the areas adjacent to it due to the cooling, southwest Canary Current and the usual moderating effects of the sea. The island of Gran Canaria has mountain range stretching from north to south, dividing the island. On its peaks snow can be found in winter months. Puerto Rico is the hottest resort in the Canary Islands also the sunniest. This is thanks to the barrier to the northeast trade winds created by the mountains. They trap the cool, humid winds on the northeast side forcing clouds to form and rain to drop there instead of on the southwest.

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