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On the small island of Porto Santo, 43 kilometers (27 miles) north-east of Madeira, the climate is
subtropical oceanic, with very mild winters and pleasantly warm summers.
The prevailing winds, the northeast
trade winds, bring a bit of cloudiness, humidity and rain on inland hills, while they keep the summer temperatures pleasant along the coasts. During winter, in contrast, Atlantic disturbances can affect the island, preceded by southerly winds.
It rarely gets cold, however, from January to March there can be cool days, with highs around 15 °C (59 °F). The coldest record is 6.4 °C (43.5 °F), recorded in February 1981.
In the period from June to October, Porto Santo 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; however, this happens a bit more rarely than in Madeira. Typically, the temperature does not exceed 32 °C (89.5 °F), however, the heat record is 35.3 °C (95.5 °F), recorded in August 1990.
The
average temperature of the coldest month (February) is of 15.8 °C (60 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 23.1 °C (73.6 °F). Here are the average temperatures recorded at the airport.
Porto Santo - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 14 | 18 | 16.1 | 57 | 65 | 61 |
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| February | 13 | 18 | 15.8 | 56 | 65 | 60.5 |
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| March | 14 | 19 | 16.4 | 57 | 66 | 61.4 |
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| April | 14 | 20 | 17.1 | 58 | 68 | 62.8 |
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| May | 16 | 21 | 18.4 | 60 | 70 | 65.2 |
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| June | 18 | 23 | 20.4 | 64 | 73 | 68.7 |
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| July | 19 | 24 | 22 | 67 | 76 | 71.5 |
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| August | 20 | 26 | 23.1 | 69 | 78 | 73.6 |
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| September | 20 | 25 | 22.7 | 68 | 78 | 72.9 |
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| October | 18 | 24 | 21.2 | 65 | 75 | 70.1 |
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| November | 16 | 21 | 18.8 | 62 | 70 | 65.8 |
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| December | 15 | 19 | 17.1 | 59 | 67 | 62.8 |
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| Year | 16.5 | 21.7 | 19.05 | 61.8 | 71 | 66.5 |
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The
rains are not abundant, since they do not reach 400 millimeters (16 inches) per year at sea level, and are concentrated in the period from October to mid-April, when they are relatively frequent, while in summer, they are virtually absent.
Here is the average precipitation at the airport.
Porto Santo - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 50 | 2 | 6 |
|---|
| February | 40 | 1.6 | 5 |
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| March | 35 | 1.4 | 6 |
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| April | 25 | 1 | 4 |
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| May | 15 | 0.6 | 2 |
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| June | 7 | 0.3 | 1 |
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| July | 3 | 0.1 | 0 |
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| August | 4 | 0.2 | 1 |
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| September | 25 | 1 | 2 |
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| October | 40 | 1.6 | 5 |
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| November | 50 | 2 | 6 |
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| December | 70 | 2.8 | 7 |
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| Year | 365 | 14.3 | 45 |
|---|
Porto Santo is a more arid island than Madeira, however, it is a little greener in the Northern inland area, where there are some hills: the highest peak is
Pico do Facho, 517 meters (1,696 feet) high.
The amount of
sunshine in Porto Santo is decent even 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 fact, even in midsummer, cloud banks can form on the Atlantic Ocean, even if it does not rain.
Porto Santo - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 4.5 | 135 | February | 5 | 135 | March | 5.5 | 170 | April | 6.5 | 190 | May | 7 | 225 | June | 7 | 205 | July | 7 | 225 | August | 8 | 240 | September | 7 | 205 | October | 6 | 180 | November | 5 | 145 | December | 4.5 | 135 | Year | 6 | 2185 |
The temperature of the
sea in Porto Santo 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.
Porto Santo - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 18.5 | 65 | February | 18 | 64 | March | 18 | 64 | April | 18 | 65 | May | 19 | 67 | June | 20.5 | 69 | July | 22 | 71 | August | 23 | 73 | September | 23.5 | 74 | October | 23 | 73 | November | 21.5 | 70 | December | 19.5 | 67 | Year | 20.4 | 68.8 |
Best Time
Given that it has a very mild climate, you can visit Porto Santo all year round, but from mid-October to mid-April, there may be rains and thunderstorms; the best time for swimming and sun bathing is the summer (July to September), while if you want to visit cities and go on excursions, you can choose the spring, from mid-April to June.
What to pack in the suitcase
In winter: bring clothes for spring and autumn, a sweater, a jacket, and a raincoat or umbrella.
In summer: bring light clothing, but also a scarf for the wind, and a sweatshirt and a light jacket for the evening.