Today's weather for Playa blanca, Canary Islands22nd Nov 2009 09:30

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Weather Overview for Playa blanca

Playa Blanca receives a mild but arid sub-tropical climate with high temperatures and very low rainfall year round. The year can be split into a hot, dry summer and a cooler, slightly wetter winter, but temperatures do not differ by much and true beach-lounging weather can be said to exist year round. This is typical of Canary Island weather. Playa Blanca sits in the very south of Lanzarote and is named for its brilliant white sands. The Canary Islands belong to Spain but are far south of the country, sitting in the North Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa.

Summer, from April till November, might see a few millimetres of rain at either end of the season but can expect to be completely dry from June till August. The average high temperature at the beginning and end of summer is in the low 20s and the peak average high in July is pretty much perfect at 28°C. It can often get into the low 30s but it rarely becomes uncomfortably hot in coastal areas due to low humidity and the reliable northeast trade winds. Dipping into the warm sea is also always an option. Night times can be a little too hot for comfortable sleeping conditions, staying up near 20°C from June till October, but it is unlikely that you’ll find yourself without a fan or air-conditioning. It can be overcast or hazy at times but the sun usually shines for most of the day; on average the period from May till August sees nine hours of sunshine per day. Due to its easternmost position in the Canaries, putting it closest to Africa, Lanzarote is the island most likely to be affected by the hot, dry and sometimes sand-bearing sirocco wind blowing over from the Sahara. This can send temperatures rocketing up near to 40°C which is rarely considered enjoyable.

Winter, from December till March, is still warm though nights are much cooler. The average high temperature is around 20°C, dipping to 19°C in January. Precipitation levels do increase but rainfall is usually concentrated in a few brief storms occurring on about five days in each winter month. December and January are Playa Blanca’s ‘worst’ months receiving about 25 mm of rain each, with temperatures slipping just below 20°C. It is more likely to be overcast in winter; average sunshine hours get down to six per day in December but consecutive days of blazing sunshine still occur. Playa Blanca has brilliant weather for a winter getaway; the increase in rain should not even be considered as a negative point as it really is minimal; it is usually warm and the sea is always swimable. However, it can get quite cool at night and January days can’t guarantee uninterrupted sunbathing conditions.

Lanzarote’s easterly location near Western Sahara and Morocco and its low-lying topography make it the hottest and driest of all the Canary Islands. Sitting in the Gulf Stream, the extremes of desert temperatures are usually avoided. There are two mountain ranges which cause some regional variation in temperature and rainfall. Blocking the northeast trade winds, the mountains make the south of the island marginally drier and hotter than the north. On other Canary Islands the variation is more pronounced due to higher mountains. Central Lanzarote is mostly desert and this extreme, alien landscape is one of the attractions of the island. The reliable trade winds make this a favourable spot for sailing and windsurfing, while the warm waters of the nutrient-rich Gulf Stream provide excellent diving and snorkelling sites.

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