Madeira weather · May
Weather in Madeira in May
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.
May is arguably the sweet spot: warm but not hot, mostly dry, everything in flower, and the summer crowds not yet at full strength. Mountain mornings are frequently clear from the first light.
What are Madeira's temperatures, rain and sea like in May?
| Where | Day / night | Rain | Rainy days | Sun/day | Peak wind | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funchal / south coast | 21.6 / 15.9 °C | 47 mm | 9 | 12 h | 14 km/h | 21 °C |
| Porto Moniz / north coast | 20.8 / 16 °C | 51 mm | 11 | 13 h | 16 km/h | — |
| Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) | 10.2 / 3.7 °C | 63 mm | 12 | 12 h | 11 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 May rank among Madeira's twelve months?
Measured on the south coast, May is number 9 of 12 for rain, number 3 of 12 for sunshine and number 8 of 12 for sea temperature, where number 1 is the wettest, the sunniest and the warmest month of the year.
In figures: 47 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 21 °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 May 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 May 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 May its average day maximum is 11.4 °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 May the daily peak averages 11 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 May a good month for hiking in Madeira?
Almost everything works in May. It is the classic month for the Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo traverse and for long days on the plateau. The north coast paths get their best odds of dry weather, and the levadas still carry good water from spring.
Good starting points this month: coastal walks and summit hikes. Regulated classics like PR1 need advance booking via SIMplifica.
What is May like in Madeira beyond the weather?
Late spring brings the most settled high-mountain weather of the year. If you have one trip to aim at the peaks, aim it here or at June.
Common questions
How warm is Madeira in May?
On the south coast around Funchal, May days average about 21.6 °C and nights about 15.9 °C. The mountains are a different world: at Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) the average daytime high is around 10.2 °C. Pack for both if you plan to hike high.
Does it rain a lot in Madeira in May?
Funchal averages roughly 47 mm across about 9 rainy days in May, a middling month for rain 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 May?
In May the strongest wind of the day averages 11 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 May?
The Atlantic around Funchal averages about 21 °C in May, which is fresh but fine once you are in. The natural lava pools at Porto Moniz and Seixal are the classic post-hike swim spots.
Is May 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 May 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.
Nearby months: April · June
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