The climate of Fátima is
Mediterranean, with mild, quite rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
The town is located in central Portugal, 35 km (22 mi) from the ocean and 350 meters (1,150 feet) above sea level.
The climate data are taken from the nearby town of Abrantes, whose temperatures are similar, but being located in the plain and a bit further from the sea, it's a bit warmer in summer, at least during the day.
Here are the average temperatures.
Abrantes - Average temperatures| Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 5 | 14 | 9.5 | 41 | 57 | 49.1 |
|---|
| February | 5 | 16 | 10.5 | 41 | 61 | 50.9 |
|---|
| March | 8 | 18 | 13 | 46 | 64 | 55.4 |
|---|
| April | 9 | 20 | 14.5 | 48 | 68 | 58.1 |
|---|
| May | 10 | 22 | 16 | 50 | 72 | 60.8 |
|---|
| June | 13 | 27 | 20 | 55 | 81 | 68 |
|---|
| July | 15 | 30 | 22.5 | 59 | 86 | 72.5 |
|---|
| August | 15 | 31 | 23 | 59 | 88 | 73.4 |
|---|
| September | 14 | 28 | 21 | 57 | 82 | 69.8 |
|---|
| October | 12 | 23 | 17.5 | 54 | 73 | 63.5 |
|---|
| November | 8 | 18 | 13 | 46 | 64 | 55.4 |
|---|
| December | 5 | 15 | 10 | 41 | 59 | 50 |
|---|
| Year | 9.9 | 21.9 | 15.85 | 49.9 | 71.4 | 60.5 |
|---|
Precipitation amounts to about 600 mm (23.5 in) per year. The rainiest period is from October to March; in summer, it almost never rains. Here is the average precipitation.
Abrantes - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 80 | 3.1 | 8 |
|---|
| February | 60 | 2.4 | 7 |
|---|
| March | 90 | 3.5 | 7 |
|---|
| April | 50 | 2 | 6 |
|---|
| May | 40 | 1.6 | 5 |
|---|
| June | 20 | 0.8 | 3 |
|---|
| July | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| August | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| September | 30 | 1.2 | 4 |
|---|
| October | 60 | 2.4 | 6 |
|---|
| November | 80 | 3.1 | 7 |
|---|
| December | 90 | 3.5 | 9 |
|---|
| Year | 600 | 23.6 | 62 |
|---|
, from December to February, is mild, but also quite rainy. There are also several sunny days.
Very cold days are rare, although the night temperature can sometimes drop to freezing (0 °C or 32 °F) or a little below. Snow in Fátima is very rare, however, in January 2006, the sanctuary was covered with a white blanket.
Spring, from March to May, is mild; it's initially unstable and rainy in March, and gradually becomes more stable and sunny.
Summer, from June to August or mid-September, is hot and sunny; given the proximity to the ocean, summer is not as hot as in the cities that are located in the interior, near the border with Spain. Sometimes, however, it can get very hot, with highs about 35 °C (95 °F), and sometimes even 40 °C (104 °F).
Autumn, from mid-September to November, is initially warm and sunny, but it gradually becomes milder and wetter over the weeks.
The amount of
sunshine in Fátima is great in summer, when blue skies prevail, it is good in spring, while it is only decent in autumn and winter, when cloud systems due to disturbances from the Atlantic Ocean pass quite frequently. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Abrantes - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 5 | 155 | February | 5 | 140 | March | 7 | 215 | April | 8 | 240 | May | 9 | 280 | June | 10 | 300 | July | 11 | 340 | August | 11 | 340 | September | 9 | 270 | October | 7 | 215 | November | 5 | 150 | December | 5 | 155 | Year | 7.7 | 2805 |
Best Time
The
best time to go to Fátima is spring, in April and May. Summer is a good period, but it can sometimes get definitely hot. September is a good month, although it can sometimes get hot, at least in the first half. In October, temperatures are pleasant, but the rains begin to become more frequent.