The Cunning Canary » April http://www.cunningcanary.com My Grand life on Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands! Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:42:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en hourly 1 What is the weather like in April in Gran Canaria http://www.cunningcanary.com/520/what-is-the-weather-like-in-april-in-gran-canaria/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/520/what-is-the-weather-like-in-april-in-gran-canaria/#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:56:09 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=520 Well this March has been one of the wettest I have known but the temperatures have gone up noticeably from February so I’m not complaining! :-)

If you are taking a holiday in Gran Canaria in April you should bring a pair of long trousers and something with long sleeves just in case but April tends to be warm in the daytimes (about 28 degrees C) and warmish in the evenings (maybe 20 degrees C) so you will definitely go home with a tan!

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/520/what-is-the-weather-like-in-april-in-gran-canaria/feed/ 0 Gran Canaria Weather in March and April http://www.cunningcanary.com/467/gran-canaria-weather-in-march-and-april/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/467/gran-canaria-weather-in-march-and-april/#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:59:17 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=467 The weather was beautiful for the last week of February but this week is very changeable! Yesterday we had sun, rain, wind, a double rainbow and strong winds all night. Right now it’s settled down and the sun is shining!

Average Temperatures

The average daytime temperature is 26 degrees C but it does go down to about 12 degrees C at night right now and it feels colder with the wind so don’t forget to bring a coat when you come over!

Also, if you want to try some Canarian cooking in the evenings, you might want to pick an indoor restaurant rather than shiver on the terrace!

In April things usually hot up and you can expect glorious sun most days with the odd cloudy day. There is very little (if any) rain in April.

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/467/gran-canaria-weather-in-march-and-april/feed/ 5 Heatwave in Gran Canaria! http://www.cunningcanary.com/207/heatwave-in-gran-canaria/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/207/heatwave-in-gran-canaria/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:05:54 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/207/heatwave-in-gran-canaria/ Well I like to call myself a sun worshipper but sometimes the heat here is overwhelming! Since Gran Canaria is situated off the north coast of Africa, we get a lot of their weather blowing over here and the location is also responsible for other strange weather conditions.

sunset-calima.jpg
Photo By J.F.Marrero

Calimas and Siroccos

A calima is an oppressively hot, dusty wind which comes across from the Sahara desert. It happens sometimes in winter but usually in the summer. It makes the sky look hazy but it is really a fine layer of dust. Some calimas last a few hours, others days!

A sirocco (no, not the Volkswagen model) is when you have hot, dry winds from Africa coming across. There isn’t any dust but the heat can hit 50ºC.

Vecindario Calima
Photo By Pcesarperez

Take Care in the Sun 

When this happens, there are a few things to bear in mind. Unless you’re used to the heat, you need to make sure you don’t burn and you don’t get dehydrated! Drink plenty of fluids (not sangria!) and stay in the shade between 10am and 2pm. If you are on the beach or by the pool, have frequent dips in the water to cool off. The sky might look overcast when there is a calima but this is just a layer of dust, or fine sand, so you still need to use sun cream with a high factor.

There are some stunning photos of sunny Gran Canaria on here: http://www.isle-of-gran-canaria.com/weblog/category/weather/page/4/ 

Hottest Temperature in Gran Canaria 

The hottest I ever experienced here was in 2003 when it was 50ºC. It actually hit 60ºC for 10 minutes in Playa del Ingles. The swimming pool was hot, the water out the cold tap was hot and I remember sleeping under frozen towels (which thawed out within 10 minutes!)

San Agustin
Photo By Jonaycp

Don’t let these weather conditions put you off though because they only happen a few times through the year and normally only last a day or two. If you are staying in a budget apartment without a fan or air conditioning, you can rent a fan for the week from various places in the shopping centres. Most places have a fan though and you’ll appreciate it!

The best place to spend sirocco time is on Amadores beach or Puerto Rico beach. You might also want to do a fishing trip, dolphin trip or other boat trip, just to get some breeze.

Right now it is 30ºC in my apartment but it’s surprising how quickly I acclimatise. When it drops to 25ºC I might put my cardigan back on!

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/207/heatwave-in-gran-canaria/feed/ 3 April http://www.cunningcanary.com/8/weather-april/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/8/weather-april/#comments Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:55:05 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=8 April is the start of our summer season. Although the weather is warm all year, the summer is hot hot hot! If you are coming over between April and October, bring some Factor 15 at least! It is still possible to get rain in the summer but it’s unlikely. April is a month of hot sunny days and mild evenings. Expect the temperature to be about 18ºC in the evenings and 24ºC in the daytimes. You can bring a jacket just in case but you probably won’t need it, even at night.

Now the weather is warm, it is a great time to visit Aqualand in Maspalomas, the largest water park in the Canary Islands. There are 33 water slides and 13 attractions. The water park covers 90,000 square metres.

Gran Canaria’s biggest car rally, the Rally El Corte Inglés, takes place in April and there are lots of international entrants.

The Fiesta del Queso del Flor (or Festival of the Flower Cheese) is from 30 April until 7 May. Santa Maria de Guía has traditional music shows and dancing to mark the anniversary of their famous speciality flower cheese-making. And there is lots of yummy cheese tasting too!

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/8/weather-april/feed/ 0