Madeira weather · August
Weather in Madeira in August
A monthly average blurs the two Madeiras together: a drier south, a wetter and greener north. The numbers below are the island averaged out. On the day you actually walk, one coast is clear and the other is under cloud.
August is the hottest, driest, busiest month. On the coast expect highs near 28 °C; a few times a summer the leste, a hot dry wind off the Sahara, pushes temperatures well past that for a day or two.
What are Madeira's temperatures, rain and sea like in August?
| Where | Day / night | Rain | Rainy days | Sun/day | Peak wind | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funchal / south coast | 27.6 / 20.7 °C | 11 mm | 3 | 12 h | 14 km/h | 24.9 °C |
| Porto Moniz / north coast | 26.7 / 20.9 °C | 12 mm | 3 | 12 h | 16 km/h | — |
| Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) | 16.3 / 8.5 °C | 24 mm | 6 | 12 h | 10 km/h | — |
10-year monthly averages (2016-01-01 to 2025-12-31), historical archive. See all months
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.Where does August rank among Madeira's twelve months?
Measured on the south coast, August is number 12 of 12 for rain, number 3 of 12 for sunshine and number 1 of 12 for sea temperature, where number 1 is the wettest, the sunniest and the warmest month of the year.
In figures: 11 mm of rain, in a year that runs from 11 to 91 mm. 12.1 hours of sun a day, against a yearly range of 8.1 to 12.8. A sea of 24.9 °C, against 19.4 to 24.9 °C across the year. The order uses the same ten-year averages as the table above, so it describes a typical August rather than any single year, and it holds for the south coast only: the north coast and the summits keep their own order.
Why does Madeira's weather differ so much by coast and altitude?
The three rows above are the point: in the same August week, Funchal and the summits behave like different countries. Madeira's mountains split every weather system in two, so "weather in Madeira" is really the weather of whichever coast and altitude you stand on. The pattern is explained in our microclimate guide; for a specific day, live per-trail conditions beat any monthly average.
The three rows are three altitudes, not three towns: Funchal sits at 25 m, Porto Moniz at 20 m and Pico do Arieiro at 1,818 m. That last figure is why the third row reads like another island. In August its average day maximum is 11.3 °C below Funchal's, so a walk that starts in a t-shirt on the coast finishes in a warm layer at the top.
Wind splits the same way. In August the daily peak averages 10 km/h at Pico do Arieiro, 14 km/h at Funchal and 16 km/h at Porto Moniz. Each figure is the average of the strongest reading of each day over ten years, so single days run well above it. What decides whether you feel it is exposure, not altitude: the ridge between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo and the coastal spine of Ponta de São Lourenço have nothing to break the wind, while a levada running inside laurel forest barely registers it.
Is August a good month for hiking in Madeira?
Altitude is the escape. The summits average a pleasant 16 °C, the forest walks are shaded, and dawn starts put you on the trail hours ahead of the crowds and the heat. Carry more water than feels necessary; levada water is not for drinking.
Good starting points this month: summit hikes and forest & laurisilva trails. Regulated classics like PR1 need advance booking via SIMplifica.
What is August like in Madeira beyond the weather?
The warmest sea of the summer so far, the busiest trailhead car parks of the year, and the month where booking the regulated classics ahead stops being optional in practice.
Common questions
How warm is Madeira in August?
On the south coast around Funchal, August days average about 27.6 °C and nights about 20.7 °C. The mountains are a different world: at Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) the average daytime high is around 16.3 °C. Pack for both if you plan to hike high.
Does it rain a lot in Madeira in August?
Funchal averages roughly 11 mm across about 3 rainy days in August, one of the driest months on the south coast. The north coast and the mountains always catch more. Rain is usually local: when one coast is wet, the other is often dry, which is why a single island-wide forecast misleads.
Is it windy in Madeira in August?
In August the strongest wind of the day averages 10 km/h at Pico do Arieiro, 14 km/h at Funchal and 16 km/h at Porto Moniz, over a ten-year record. Individual days run well above that. Wind is a question about the path rather than about the island: the ridge between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo and the coastal spine of Ponta de São Lourenço are fully exposed, while levadas inside laurel forest are sheltered for most of their length. On an exposed section, wind costs you balance and body heat before it costs you time.
Can you swim in the sea in Madeira in August?
The Atlantic around Funchal averages about 24.9 °C in August, which is comfortably warm for swimming. The natural lava pools at Porto Moniz and Seixal are the classic post-hike swim spots.
Is August a good month for the levada walks?
Yes. Levada walks work all year because most sit in sheltered valleys and forest, and Madeira has no real off-season. What changes in August is which side of the island has the better day, so check live per-trail conditions on the morning rather than trusting a single island-wide forecast.
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