ClimavisoLas Palmas de Gran Canaria vs Santa Cruz de Tenerife: which has less bad weather?
Averages over the last 7 complete years, from official warnings. Updated 26 October 2026.
The eternal Canary Islands question, now in warnings. Las Palmas is among the Spanish cities with the fewest warnings; Santa Cruz gets more, mostly for wind and heat. Calima dust, on the other hand, reaches both.
The verdict
Less bad weather: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has 26 warning days a year; Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 37. In other words, Santa Cruz de Tenerife gets a warning on about 11 more days a year. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is mostly heat and wind; Santa Cruz de Tenerife, wind and heat.
Head to head
| Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | |
|---|---|---|
| Warning days a year | 26 | 37 |
| Orange or red days a year | 2.9 | 5.7 |
| Red days (last 7 years) | 0 | 3 |
| Heat (days a year) | 9.4 | 13 |
| Rain (days a year) | 6.4 | 9.1 |
| Storms (days a year) | 2.6 | 4.3 |
| Wind (days a year) | 7.7 | 16 |
| Quietest month | May | May |
| Busiest month | August | August |
| Heat warning starts at | 34 °C | 34 °C |
In bold, the city with fewer warnings in each row. A day with several warning types counts in each.
Month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.9 |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 3.3 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 3.3 |
Warning days in each month, average over the last 7 years.
By season
- Winter: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (8.4 warning days) against Santa Cruz de Tenerife (9.6).
- Spring: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (4.4 warning days) against Santa Cruz de Tenerife (8.1).
- Summer: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (7.7 warning days) against Santa Cruz de Tenerife (13).
- Autumn: a tie, 5.9 warning days each.
If you're going to live in one of them
- If you'd rather avoid heat: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is better, with 9.4 warning days a year against 13 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
- If you'd rather avoid wind: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is better, with 7.7 warning days a year against 16 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Warnings are only one part: choosing where to live depends on far more than the weather.
Frequently asked questions
Which has better weather, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Going by official warnings, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: 26 warning days a year against 37 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Where does it rain more, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
By rain warnings, Santa Cruz de Tenerife: 9.1 days a year against 6.4 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Warnings only count heavy rain, not every rainy day.
Which is hotter, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
By heat warnings, Santa Cruz de Tenerife: 13 days a year against 9.4 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The yellow heat warning starts at 34 °C in both.
When is the best time to visit Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
If you want to dodge warnings, May in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and May in Santa Cruz de Tenerife: their quietest months.
Each zone has its own thresholds: the same heat or rain can trigger a warning in one city and not in the other. A warning is a forecast that the zone's threshold will be crossed, not damage or a measurement. Here we compare how often each city was warned.