Madeira · Funchal

Funchal weather, and the trap hidden inside it

Funchal earns its reputation: it is the sunniest, driest, mildest corner of Madeira. The trap is that every generic weather app answers "Madeira weather" with this one lucky spot. Thirty minutes up the road the peaks run about ten degrees colder under their own cloud, and the north coast lives in different weather entirely. If your plans stay in the city, read on and trust the numbers. If they involve a trail, read the second half first.

Funchal now

Pico do Arieiro now

Porto Moniz now

That gap between the city and the ridge is exactly what most apps flatten into one number. See how the Madeira weather apps compare.

Funchal through the year, against the summit

Month	Funchal day	Summit day	Funchal rain	Sea
January	18.7 °C	7 °C	79 mm	20.2 °C
February	18.7 °C	7.2 °C	73 mm	19.6 °C
March	19.1 °C	7.6 °C	85 mm	19.4 °C
April	20.1 °C	8.9 °C	81 mm	20 °C
May	21.6 °C	10.2 °C	47 mm	21 °C
June	23.5 °C	12.2 °C	76 mm	22.4 °C
July	25.8 °C	14.6 °C	14 mm	24.1 °C
August	27.6 °C	16.3 °C	11 mm	24.9 °C
September	25.7 °C	14.2 °C	39 mm	24.4 °C
October	24.5 °C	13.1 °C	80 mm	24 °C
November	21.4 °C	9.7 °C	90 mm	22.6 °C
December	19.5 °C	7.8 °C	91 mm	21.1 °C

10-year averages (2016-01-01to2025-12-31), historical archive. Each month links to its full page, or see all months.

Those are ten-year averages. For the days you will actually be here, read the 10 and 14-day Madeira outlook. In the summer rows the number that matters is not the high but the hour you leave: when to start walking in Madeira's heat.

Why the gap is structural, not luck

The trade winds arrive from the northeast loaded with Atlantic moisture. Madeira's central wall forces that air up, where it cools and rains out over the north and the heights; by the time it descends on Funchal it is dry and warm. The city is in the island's rain shadow, which is why its winter rain column above looks modest while the summit's runs far higher. The full mechanism, inversions and the plateau included, is in the microclimate guide.

For city plans, any Funchal forecast serves. For the levadas, the laurisilva or the peaks, the honest move is the per-trail reading: our engine scores every tracked trail from live weather along the route, read at that trail's own altitude, and the official closure status, refreshed every 20 minutes.

The walks within reach of the city are listed one by one, with distance, climb and difficulty, on Hiking near Funchal.

That same cloud wall is what the island's best known photographs are made of, and where and when they happen is the subject of the field guides to Madeira's signature shots.

See what the trails look like right now This page shows the averages. The pass shows what each trail is doing today, re-checked every 20 min, and which one is worth your morning.

Temperature & rainfall in Funchal (south coast, sea level) (Madeira)

Avg high °C Avg low °C Rainfall mm

10-year averages (2016-2025). Source: historical reanalysis. levadas.live

Climate data for Funchal (south coast, sea level) (Madeira)

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C	18.7	18.7	19.1	20.1	21.6	23.5	25.8	27.6	25.7	24.5	21.4	19.5	22.2
Average low °C	14.1	13.6	13.8	14.4	15.9	17.8	19.5	20.7	19.7	18.9	16.3	15.0	16.6
Sea temp °C	20.2	19.6	19.4	20.0	21.0	22.4	24.1	24.9	24.4	24.0	22.6	21.1	22.0
Rainfall mm	79	73	85	81	47	76	14	11	39	80	90	91	766
Rainy days	10	9	13	12	9	9	4	3	9	12	12	11	111
Sunshine h/day	8.1	9.3	10.1	11.0	12.1	12.7	12.8	12.1	11.0	9.6	8.9	8.2	10.5

10-year averages (2016-2025). Source: historical reanalysis. levadas.live

Common questions

Is Funchal's weather the same as the rest of Madeira?

No, and this is the single most useful thing to know about the island. Funchal sits on the sheltered, sunny south coast at sea level. The north coast catches the trade-wind cloud and rain, and the peaks above 1,500 metres are around ten degrees colder with weather of their own. A grey day in Funchal can be a clear one at Pico do Arieiro, and the reverse happens weekly.

What is the warmest month in Funchal?

August and September, with day highs around 27.6 °C and the sea at its warmest, about 24.4 °C in September. Winter stays mild: even January averages 18.7 °C by day.

Should I trust the Funchal forecast when planning a levada walk?

Only for walks around Funchal itself. Most levadas and all the mountain trails sit in different microclimates, so check the forecast for the trail, not the city. That per-trail reading, combined with official closure status, is exactly what our live scores are built from.

How do I check the weather for a trail instead of the city?

Read it at the trail's own altitude rather than at sea level. Every marked walk on this site has a page of its own carrying its elevation range, its conditions and its official status, and the walks around the city are gathered on the Hiking near Funchal page, each one linking to its own. The city figures on this page stay the right answer for the seafront, the old town and the botanical garden.