May Weather in Gran Canaria

Spring in the Canaries

Temperatures can go up quite steeply during May, and maximums and minimum temperatures are usually one or two degrees higher by the end of the month.

Daytime High Temperatures

In May, temperatures typically reach 23 or 24°C by the afternoon around the coast. There doesn’t tend to be a huge variation from one coastal locality to the next at this time of year, though it may be a degree or so colder in Las Palmas due to cloud cover. Inland and at altitude it may be a few degrees colder. The record high temperature in Puerto de Mogan in May is 35.5°C – recorded in 2003.

Nighttime Lows

At night, temperatures typically dip to 17 or 18°C on the south coast, and to about 19°C in the city of Las Palmas. The coldest temperature ever recorded in May at Puerto de Mogan (South Coast) is 14.4°C (02/05/2015). In terms of clothing, you may still want to pack a light jacket or cardigan just in case there are some cool evenings (especially at the start of the month).

Rain

Gran Canaria Airport sees, on average, between one and two days with appreciable rain (days with more than 0.1mm) during May. The south coast resorts generally don’t see any significant rain at all during this month. The city of Las Palmas may see slightly more than the Airport, but it is generally mostly dry around the coast in May. Inland, the northern slopes of the island will usually see some rain – maybe 10 to 20mm during the entire month. In summary: if you are staying at one of the resorts on the south coast, you probably won’t see any rain in May.

Cloud Cover

The northern part of the island can be very cloudy in May – Las Palmas can be completely overcast on most days during the month. In the south, as usual, the situation is different, with probably only one or two overcast days during the entire month, and many completely clear days without a single cloud in the sky.

Sea Temperature

The sea remains fairly cool in May around Gran Canaria, with an average temperature of between 19 and 20°C. This is warm enough for a quick refreshing dip, but a light wetsuit is advised if you plan on any water-based activities such as surfing or snorkelling.