Funchal climate: monthly weather and when to visit

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal has average daily highs of 19.9 to 26.8 °C across the year. June to August have the least precipitation, while October to December are the wettest months on average. I would choose June for a city break with less heat than in the warmest summer months.

Which month suits your city break?#

For the least rainfall, July and August are the obvious candidates. I would choose June for lower daytime highs with little precipitation. September remains almost as warm as August, with an average daily high of 26.6 °C, while monthly precipitation rises to 23.1 mm. These suggestions consider temperature and precipitation, not prices, crowds or sea temperature.

Looking for mild winter temperatures rather than summer warmth? From November to March, average daily highs range from 19.9 to 22.8 °C. The trade-off: those five months together bring 376.9 mm, about two thirds of the annual precipitation.

All twelve months#

In every month, the average high and low are only 5.5 to 6.3 °C apart. The gap between the average daily high and low is not a forecast of the temperature at a particular evening hour.

February or March?#

The change is modest: March has an average daily high just 0.7 °C above February. Monthly precipitation falls from 72.4 to 62.3 mm, yet days with at least 1 mm rise from 5.5 to 5.8. The average number of wet days is therefore almost unchanged, with a somewhat lower amount of precipitation in March.

October or November?#

November is cooler: average daily highs fall from 25.2 to 22.8 °C and average daily lows from 19.2 to 17.0 °C. Monthly precipitation also falls, from 91.2 to 80.3 mm, while wet days rise slightly from 7.0 to 7.3. Compare the amount and frequency separately when choosing your month.

Heavy rain or frequent rain?#

The millimetre figure is the average precipitation total for an entire month. The last column counts days with at least 1 mm, not hours of rain or completely washed-out holiday days. Lighter rain below that threshold is excluded from the wet-day count but can contribute to the monthly total. Neither measure tells you the length of a shower or the intensity of an individual storm. Even a month with few wet days can bring rain during your particular week.

What the table covers#

Source: IPMA, Funchal station 522, elevation 58 m; 1991–2020 climate normals, version 1.0 (2024). These figures describe the station in Funchal, not all of Madeira or its mountains. Highs and lows are averages of daily values, not records. The source series includes observations and locally modelled data.

A wet day can still have dry hours. The table does not tell you how long rain lasts or forecast your travel dates. Sea temperature and swell are not included, so it cannot establish swimming conditions.