Weather Costa Adeje , Tenerife
Costa Adeje is a popular holiday resort in the south of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. Since it's a purpose-built resort, the majority of Costa Adeje is made up of bustling streets full of bars and restaurants, hotels and apartment complexes, shopping complexes and tourist attractions. There are a few manmade parks and green spaces in the resort, built to contrast against the concrete structures, in addition to plenty of sandy beaches which vary from naturally dark volcanic sand and coves of smooth pebbles to bays with golden sand imported from the Sahara Desert.
Unlike most European resorts which see distinctive spring, summer, autumn and winter seasons and the defined weather differences which accompany them, the Canary Islands only see two main seasons summer and winter. The temperatures and weather are very mild and pleasant throughout the year, which is why these islands are fondly known as 'The Islands of Eternal Spring'. The reason behind the two seasons and year-round mild weather is the southern location of the Canary Islands. Even though the Canaries are technically classed as being in Europe, they're actually closer to Africa than they are to Spain, being located just 100km off the North African coast.
Spring Weather in Costa Adeje
May and June are great times to visit Costa Adeje, when the average temperature is 20°C-21°C and the resorts are fairly quiet, so you're almost guaranteed to a chance to grab a bargain on both flights and accommodation if you visit at this time of year.
There is only 1 to 5mm of rain during these months, such a small amount that it won't affect your holiday at all. If you visit for a week or a fortnight, the worst thing that might happen is that you get a brief spell with a tiny amount of drizzle.
Both of these months see oodles of sunshine 11-12 hours each day apiece giving you plenty of chances to work on your tan, whilst a warm average sea temperature of 20°C-21°C allows you the opportunity of a dip before returning to the beach to enjoy the sun.
Summer Weather in Costa Adeje
July, August and September, being the height of summer, are the most popular months for travellers to visit Costa Adeje. This is primarily because of two reasons: the first is because it's during these months that the resort enjoys some of its hottest weather and highest number of sunshine hours. The second is because Costa Adeje is largely a family resort and the school holidays fall in these months. The only downside about visiting Costa Adeje in the height of the summer season is that flights and accommodation are generally at their most expensive.
Across the summer season, the average temperatures steadily increase. August and September are the hottest months of the year for Costa Adeje, when the resort sees an average temperature of around 24°C. There is minimal difference between the high day and low night temperatures in summer, although the cooling sea breeze which blows in from the Atlantic makes the air seem cooler than it is especially after dark if the sky is clear. During summer, average high temperatures range from 28°C-29°C, whilst average low temperatures range between 21°C and 22°C.
The reason Costa Adeje is much cooler than the likes of southern Morocco, despite being on the same longitude, is due to the presence of trade winds. These winds blow across the resort (and the Canary Islands as a whole) in a north easterly direction, crossing over the Atlantic first. When the winds cross this cool sea, they decrease in temperature, so by the time they reach Costa Adeje they're a few degrees cooler than the average temperature on land. These cooling winds can bring some much-needed respite from the heat during the height of summer.
During summer, Costa Adeje experiences almost no rainfall . July is the driest month, when there is an average of 2mm of precipitation, whilst September is the wettest month, when an average of 5mm of rainfall occurs showing just how little rainfall Costa Adeje sees in summer.
On the other hand, the resort sees a huge number of sunshine hours each day at this time of year. July and August receive the most sunshine, with 12 hours apiece. Although it might be tempting to lounge on a sunbed and soak in the rays all day, sunburn and heatstroke are real possibilities in Costa Adeje in the summer. The best way to avoid suffering from either one of these conditions is to wear plenty of sun cream, drink water as much as possible and avoid sunbathing between 11am and 3pm the hottest time of day when UV rays will be at their strongest.
With so many hours of sunshine each day, spending some time at the beach is a must during your summer stay at Costa Adeje. The average sea temperature for the water around the resort is 22°C-23°C during summer, which is certainly warm enough to go for a swim.
Autumn in Costa Adeje
For the perfect balance of weather and value-for-money, visit Costa Adeje in October, when the resorts are faily quiet and the temperature is 23°C.
Although Costa Adeje is subject to an average of 20mm of rain during this month, this is such a small amount that it probably won't affect your holiday at all.
10 hours of beautiful sunshine means there's plenty of time to enjoy the beach and water temperatures of 23°C mean you'll be able to cool off in the sea if the Canarian sunshine gets too much for you.
Winter in Costa Adeje
Thanks to the resort's southerly location, Costa Adeje is pleasantly mild in winter, making it a great place to go if you're searching for some winter sun. The winter season is made up of November, December, January and February and is a much quieter time to visit, compared to summer. The only exception to this is the end of December and the beginning of January. Loads of travellers from all across Europe head to Costa Adeje to spend Christmas and New Year in the sunshine, so be prepared for high flight and accommodation prices if you choose to visit during this period.
The average winter temperature in Costa Adeje ranges between 18°C and 21°C. There is an even smaller difference between the high and low temperatures in Costa Adeje in winter than summer. During the day average highs range between 21°C and 24°C, whilst night time average lows are between 16°C and 19°C. The cooler sea breezes can feel more cold than mild during this month, so ensure you have a jacket for the evenings if you plan on visiting Costa Adeje in the winter.
Compared to summer, Costa Adeje receives significantly more rainfall in winter. December usually receives the most rain, when 43mm falls across 12 days, followed by November with 39mm of rainfall over an average of ten days. When rainfall occurs in winter, it's normally short and heavy downpours which end as soon as they begin. A whole day of overcast skies and rain is extremely unlikely, even in winter. If it's raining in the morning, the sun is almost guaranteed to be shining by the afternoon and vice versa.
Sunshine hours are at their lowest during the winter season. November, January and February see the most hours of sunshine with nine each, whilst December sees only seven. Despite the drop in figures, Costa Adeje still enjoys enough sunshine each day to make a day at the beach worth it. Although with a cold average sea temperature ranging between 19°C and 22°C, you might want to think twice about going in the water.
Although the Canary Islands enjoy higher temperatures than most other European holiday destinations, they generally have cooler sea temperatures. This is because whilst many popular resorts in Europe are lined by the warm Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands are amid the cool Atlantic Ocean.
Weather Hazards
Despite top average highs of 29°C, temperatures in summer can regularly soar upwards of 35°C in Costa Adeje, when the resort is affected by a calima. A calima is a weather phenomenon which occurs when winds from the east blow directly in from the hot Sahara Desert in North Africa. When the winds blow in this way, they bring high temperatures (up to 10°C higher than normal), low visibility (due to concentrated sand and dust particles) and a general discomfort (due to the heat and saturated air).
Although calimas can usually be foreseen a few days before they descend on the resort, it's almost impossible to estimate how long they'll last. Some calimas last 2-3 days, whereas others can last up to a fortnight. The perfect way to cool down and stay comfortable whilst a calima is occurring is to find shelter in a hotel or bar with air conditioning or try to catch a cooler sea breeze by heading to the coast. Since Costa Adeje is located on the southern coast of Tenerife, you should be ideally located if a calima strikes during your holiday.
Although calimas are at their most severe when they hit the resort during summer, they can occur during any time of year winter included. When calimas occur in winter, they bring with them the same increase in temperature and decrease in visibility as they do in summer, but conditions are a lot more comfortable and sometimes even welcome if temperatures are particularly cool.
Despite experiencing 2-3 heavy rainstorms each winter, Costa Adeje is very unprepared for such weather occurrences. Draining is a big issue in the resort and without fail, as soon as a heavy storm begins, the drains get blocked up and flash flooding occurs which results in closed off roads, flooded tunnels, beaches half washed away and uprooted palm trees in severe cases.
In December 2013, Costa Adeje saw one of the worst storms to date which was caused by a clash of cold winds descending from Europe and warm winds blowing over from Morocco. After La Palma and La Gomera, the south of Tenerife Costa Adeje included was one of the worst affected areas in the Canary Islands. Thunder and lightning storms and intense rainfall caused mudslides spreading onto the motorway, huge traffic jams and leaking roofs in thousands of homes island-wide. When storms like this occur, there really is nothing you can do except wait it out in your hotel or apartment complex.