Madeira, belonging to Portugal, has a very mild climate, so much so that it can be considered as the island of
eternal spring.
The north-east
trade winds, which prevail throughout the year, bring a bit of cloudiness, humidity, and rainfall on the north-facing slopes. On the other hand, in the cold half of the year, the islands can be affected by Atlantic depressions, which bring rains everywhere.
In the interior of the island we find
hills and mountains. The highest peak is Pico Ruivo, 1,862 meters (6,109 feet) high. Because of the trade winds, the northern side is rainier and windier than the southern one, where the landscape is more arid. On the northern side and in the mountains, the
wind can be strong, and can sometimes reach 100 kph (60 mph). On the other hand,
Funchal, the capital, on the southern slope, is quite sheltered from the wind. The interior can be covered by a layer of fog or low clouds. Of course, temperatures decrease with altitude. In the mountains, especially above 1,500 meters (5,000 feet), snowfall and frost can occur in winter. The record is -9.5 °C (15 °F), recorded in Bica da Cana, at 1,580 meters (5,185 ft), in March 1993.
On the coast, daytime
temperatures hover around 20/21 degrees Celsius (68/70 °F) from December to April, and reach 26/27 °C (79/81 °F) from July to September.
It rarely gets cold, however, from January to March there can be cool days, with highs around 15 °C (59 °F). The coldest record in Funchal is 7.5 °C (45.5 °F), recorded in March 2011, when snowfalls above 500 meters (1,650 feet) occurred in inland areas.
In the period from June to October, Madeira can be affected by the
Leste, a hot, dry wind blowing from the Sahara, which can raise the temperature and bring a fine red powder. Typically, the temperature does not exceed 32 °C (89.5 °F), however, the heat record at Funchal airport is 37 °C (98.5 °F), recorded in September 1988 and in July 2012.
In
Funchal, the average temperature of the coldest month (February) is of 17 °C (62.5 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 23.8 °C (74.9 °F). However, the city climbs hills up to an altitude of 800 meters (2,600 ft), and higher neighborhoods are cooler and cloudier. Here are the average temperatures measured at the airport, on the coast.
Funchal - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 14.6 | 19.8 | 17.2 | 58 | 68 | 63 |
|---|
| February | 14.1 | 19.8 | 17 | 57 | 68 | 62.5 |
|---|
| March | 14.5 | 20.4 | 17.4 | 58 | 69 | 63.4 |
|---|
| April | 15.1 | 20.9 | 18 | 59 | 70 | 64.4 |
|---|
| May | 16.3 | 22.1 | 19.2 | 61 | 72 | 66.6 |
|---|
| June | 18.3 | 23.8 | 21 | 65 | 75 | 69.9 |
|---|
| July | 19.8 | 25.6 | 22.7 | 68 | 78 | 72.9 |
|---|
| August | 20.9 | 26.8 | 23.8 | 70 | 80 | 74.9 |
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| September | 20.6 | 26.5 | 23.6 | 69 | 80 | 74.4 |
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| October | 19.3 | 25.1 | 22.2 | 67 | 77 | 72 |
|---|
| November | 17.2 | 22.6 | 19.9 | 63 | 73 | 67.8 |
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| December | 15.7 | 20.8 | 18.2 | 60 | 69 | 64.8 |
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| Year | 17.2 | 22.9 | 20 | 63 | 73.2 | 68 |
|---|
is concentrated in the period from October to mid-April, when it is quite frequent, while in summer, it is very rare, especially on the southern side. In Funchal, annual rainfall is around 640 mm (25 in). Here is the average precipitation.
Funchal - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 105 | 4.1 | 12 |
|---|
| February | 85 | 3.3 | 11 |
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| March | 65 | 2.6 | 10 |
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| April | 40 | 1.6 | 8 |
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| May | 20 | 0.8 | 5 |
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| June | 12 | 0.5 | 3 |
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| July | 3 | 0.1 | 1 |
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| August | 3 | 0.1 | 2 |
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| September | 35 | 1.4 | 6 |
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| October | 75 | 3 | 9 |
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| November | 100 | 3.9 | 11 |
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| December | 100 | 3.9 | 13 |
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| Year | 640 | 25.2 | 91 |
|---|
The amount of
sunshine is acceptable in winter, when there is an alternation between sunny periods and bad weather periods, while it's good (but not great) in the summer months. In June, a blanket of clouds, called
capacete ("helmet") often forms, which covers the island in the early morning but thins out during the warmest hours. However, even in midsummer, cloud banks can form on the Atlantic Ocean and affect the island, although generally it does not rain. Here are the average sunshine hours per day in Funchal.
Funchal - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 4.5 | 140 | February | 5.5 | 150 | March | 6 | 180 | April | 6 | 180 | May | 6.5 | 200 | June | 5.5 | 160 | July | 7.5 | 230 | August | 7.5 | 240 | September | 6.5 | 200 | October | 6 | 185 | November | 5 | 155 | December | 4.5 | 140 | Year | 5.9 | 2165 |
The temperature of the
sea in Madeira is not very high. In fact, it goes from 18 °C (64.5 °F) between February and April to 23.5 °C (74 °F) in September, and can be considered high enough for swimming from August to October. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Funchal - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 19 | 65 | February | 18 | 64 | March | 18 | 64 | April | 18 | 65 | May | 19 | 67 | June | 21 | 69 | July | 22 | 71 | August | 23 | 73 | September | 24 | 74 | October | 23 | 73 | November | 21 | 70 | December | 20 | 67 | Year | 20.4 | 68.8 |
To the north-east of Madeira we find the island of
Porto Santo, smaller and more arid, while to the south-east we find the Desert Islands (
Ilhas Desertas), even smaller and characterized by a rocky soil.
Best Time
Given that it has a very mild climate, Madeira can be visited all year round, but from mid-October to mid-April, there may be rains and thunderstorms, while the coolest period is from December to April. So, the best time is
the summer, from July to September, since it is the warmest, the sunniest and the most recommended for swimming and sunbathing. However, lovers of flower and nature will prefer the spring.
What to pack
In winter: bring spring/autumn clothes, a sweater, a jacket, a raincoat or umbrella. When climbing Pico Ruivo, a down jacket, a hat, gloves, hiking shoes.
In summer: bring light clothing, but also a scarf for the wind, a sweatshirt or sweater, a light jacket for the evening. When climbing Pico Ruivo, sunglasses, sunscreen, hiking shoes, a sweatshirt and a jacket for the evening.