Funchal climate
Funchal (Portugal) has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C65 °F, and about 363 mm14 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Funchal climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1662 | 1558 | 1660 | 371.5 |
| Feb | 1661 | 1457 | 1559 | 451.8 |
| Mar | 1662 | 1458 | 1560 | 441.8 |
| Apr | 1763 | 1559 | 1661 | 291.1 |
| May | 1865 | 1661 | 1763 | 200.8 |
| Jun | 2169 | 1864 | 1967 | 100.4 |
| Jul | 2272 | 1967 | 2169 | 50.2 |
| Aug | 2373 | 2069 | 2271 | 80.3 |
| Sep | 2373 | 2069 | 2271 | 210.8 |
| Oct | 2171 | 1967 | 2069 | 411.6 |
| Nov | 1966 | 1763 | 1865 | 512.0 |
| Dec | 1864 | 1660 | 1762 | 532.1 |
| Year | 2373 | 1457 | 1865 | 36314 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78% | 58% | 2.8 | 10:13 |
| Feb | 77% | 56% | 3.6 | 10:59 |
| Mar | 78% | 57% | 4.9 | 11:53 |
| Apr | 77% | 52% | 6.0 | 12:57 |
| May | 77% | 50% | 6.6 | 13:49 |
| Jun | 78% | 45% | 7.0 | 14:17 |
| Jul | 79% | 44% | 6.9 | 14:06 |
| Aug | 78% | 40% | 6.5 | 13:21 |
| Sep | 76% | 43% | 5.4 | 12:19 |
| Oct | 77% | 49% | 4.2 | 11:18 |
| Nov | 76% | 56% | 3.0 | 10:26 |
| Dec | 78% | 58% | 2.5 | 10:01 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Funchal is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 23 °C73 °F and a low of 20 °C69 °F. The coldest is February, when highs average 16 °C61 °F and lows 14 °C57 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.6 °C11.8 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is dry, with about 363 mm14 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is October–December, which brings 40% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–August. The wettest month is December (53 mm2.1 in), the driest is July (5 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 76% in September to 79% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 40%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 15 km/h (9 mph) in September to 19 km/h (12 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 10.0 hours in December to 14.3 hours in June.
Best time to visit Funchal
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–November: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 23 °C73 °F with 5 mm0.2 in to 51 mm2.0 in of precipitation per month.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Funchal
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1661 to 18 °C64 °F, lows 1457 to 16 °C60 °F, about 45 mm1.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1662 to 18 °C65 °F, lows 1458 to 16 °C61 °F, about 31 mm1.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2169 to 23 °C73 °F, lows 1864 to 20 °C69 °F, about 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1966 to 23 °C73 °F, lows 1763 to 20 °C69 °F, about 38 mm1.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
How Funchal compares
Of the 9 places in Portugal covered by World Climates, Funchal is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 9th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Portugal climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): El Jadida (Morocco, Csa), Safi (Morocco, BSh) and Cape Town (South Africa, Csb).
Nearby places
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife 471 km · 21 °C70 °F · 220 mm8.7 in
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 528 km · 20 °C68 °F · 157 mm6.2 in
- Telde 539 km · 20 °C68 °F · 157 mm6.2 in
- Laayoune 712 km · 21 °C69 °F · 146 mm5.7 in
- Safi 722 km · 19 °C66 °F · 347 mm14 in
- Agadir 738 km · 23 °C74 °F · 267 mm10 in
- Guelmim 773 km · 21 °C69 °F · 197 mm7.8 in
- El Jadida 788 km · 19 °C66 °F · 418 mm16 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Funchal?
August is the warmest month in Funchal, with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Funchal?
February is the coldest month, with an average high of 16 °C (61 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
When does it rain the most in Funchal?
December is the wettest month with about 53 mm (2.1 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 5 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Funchal?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 128 m, while Funchal lies at about 280 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −1 °C1.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.