The climate of Santarém is
Mediterranean, with mild, relatively rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
The city is located in the central part of Portugal, about 50 km (30 mi) from the ocean, and is crossed by the Tagus River, which then heads towards Lisbon (the Portuguese capital is located 65 kilometers or 40 miles to the south-west).
Winter, from December to February, is mild.
There are many sunny days, in which the air is mild during the day, but it can get cold at night. On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature typically drops to 0 °C (32 °F) or slightly below. Also, in periods of good weather, fog can form at night and in the early morning.
However, there are also periods of bad weather, with wind and rain.
Snow in Santarém is very rare, however, snowfalls occurred in February 1954, in January 2006 (a light snowfall) and in January 2010. The lowest record is -4.4 °C (24 °F), recorded in January 1976.
Summer, from June to mid-September, is hot and sunny, with very rare rains.
Highs are usually about 31 °C (88 °F) in July and August, however, from mid-June to early September, there can be very hot periods, in which the temperature reaches 38/40 °C (100/104 °F) or even more.
The highest record is 46.3 °C (115.3 °F), recorded in August 2018. In August 2003, the temperature had reached 45.2 °C (113.4 °F).
On the other hand, on the coast, especially in the more exposed areas (see
Peniche), it is cool and windy.
Best Time
The
best times to visit Santarém are spring and autumn, ie from mid-April to mid-June and from mid-September to early October. In summer, it is generally not too hot, but as we have said, there can be periods of scorching heat.
Santarém - Climate data
The
average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 10.4 °C (50.6 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 23.8 °C (74.8 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Santarém - Average temperatures (1981-2010) Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
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January | 5.8 | 14.9 | 10.4 | 42 | 59 | 50.6 |
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February | 6.7 | 16.4 | 11.5 | 44 | 62 | 52.8 |
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March | 8.6 | 19.6 | 14.1 | 47 | 67 | 57.4 |
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April | 9.8 | 20.9 | 15.4 | 50 | 70 | 59.6 |
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May | 11.8 | 23.7 | 17.8 | 53 | 75 | 64 |
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June | 14.6 | 28.3 | 21.4 | 58 | 83 | 70.6 |
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July | 16.2 | 30.7 | 23.4 | 61 | 87 | 74.2 |
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August | 16.4 | 31.1 | 23.8 | 62 | 88 | 74.8 |
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September | 15.5 | 29.3 | 22.4 | 60 | 85 | 72.3 |
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October | 12.9 | 24.2 | 18.6 | 55 | 76 | 65.4 |
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November | 9.5 | 18.7 | 14.1 | 49 | 66 | 57.4 |
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December | 7 | 15.5 | 11.2 | 45 | 60 | 52.2 |
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Year | 11.3 | 22.8 | 17 | 52.3 | 73.1 | 62.5 |
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Precipitation amounts to 695 millimeters (27.4 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 5 mm (0.2 in) in the driest months (July, August) to 105 mm (4.1 in) in the wettest one (December). Here is the average precipitation.
Santarém - Average precipitationMonth | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
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January | 95 | 3.7 | 10 |
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February | 80 | 3.1 | 10 |
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March | 50 | 2 | 7 |
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April | 65 | 2.6 | 9 |
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May | 55 | 2.2 | 7 |
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June | 25 | 1 | 3 |
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July | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
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August | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
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September | 35 | 1.4 | 4 |
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October | 85 | 3.3 | 8 |
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November | 90 | 3.5 | 9 |
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December | 105 | 4.1 | 11 |
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Year | 695 | 27.4 | 79 |
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There are on average around 2650
sunshine hours per year. Here are the average hours of sunshine per day.
Santarém - Sunshine hoursMonth | Average | Total |
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January | 4.5 | 140 | February | 5 | 140 | March | 6.5 | 195 | April | 7 | 210 | May | 9 | 275 | June | 10 | 295 | July | 11 | 340 | August | 10.5 | 330 | September | 8 | 245 | October | 6.5 | 195 | November | 5 | 150 | December | 4.5 | 130 | Year | 7.3 | 2650 |