Tenerife

What’s the weather like in Tenerife in December?

If you want a dose of sun close to Christmas, Tenerife holidays promise nice warm weather if you're going there in December. This is because the island’s so close to Africa and the Sahara Desert, with the Canary Islands nicknamed the ‘Islands of Eternal Spring’.

Geographical influences

Tenerife’s beside the Sahara, so it can feel like you're in the desert sometimes because of the occasional hot wind and dust storms. You'll usually be kept comfortable by breezes, north easterly winds and the cool Canary Current though, which also gives the island great diving opportunities. Mount Teide attracts rain and shelters the south from winds, so you'll get warmer and drier weather if you're staying in the south.

Averages

The average high temperature during December is 20ºC, so it’s still warm enough for you to kick back on the beach. You should pack some warmer things for the evenings though as things can get a bit chilly, although it’s not exactly cold. At 21ºC, the sea’s a couple of degrees above its lowest annual temperature, while humidity’s low and ranges from 50% to 80%. Average rainfall’s 56mm over six days with rain.

Daylight

Although it’s winter there’s still loads of sun in December, and you can expect ten hours of daylight with six hours of sunshine each day. UV levels will be moderate so you’ll still need to use plenty of sun cream. Sunset’s around 6.15pm at this time.