Madeira weather · November
Weather in Madeira in November
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.
November is the wettest month on average, which for Madeira means green, loud water and dramatic skies rather than a write-off. Between fronts you still get mild, clear days that feel like spring.
What are Madeira's temperatures, rain and sea like in November?
| Where | Day / night | Rain | Rainy days | Sun/day | Peak wind | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funchal / south coast | 21.4 / 16.3 °C | 90 mm | 12 | 9 h | 15 km/h | 22.6 °C |
| Porto Moniz / north coast | 21.1 / 16.9 °C | 100 mm | 13 | 9 h | 15 km/h | — |
| Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) | 9.7 / 4.1 °C | 114 mm | 16 | 8 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 November rank among Madeira's twelve months?
Measured on the south coast, November is number 2 of 12 for rain, number 10 of 12 for sunshine and number 5 of 12 for sea temperature, where number 1 is the wettest, the sunniest and the warmest month of the year.
In figures: 90 mm of rain, in a year that runs from 11 to 91 mm. 8.9 hours of sun a day, against a yearly range of 8.1 to 12.8. A sea of 22.6 °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 November 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 November 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 November its average day maximum is 11.7 °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 November the daily peak averages 10 km/h at Pico do Arieiro, 15 km/h at Funchal and 15 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 November a good month for hiking in Madeira?
Think short and flexible. Waterfall walks are spectacular after rain, but give slopes a day to drain after a heavy storm and always check official trail status, since this is closure season. The south coast keeps the driest odds on any given day.
Good starting points this month: easy levada walks and waterfall hikes. Regulated classics like PR1 need advance booking via SIMplifica.
What is November like in Madeira beyond the weather?
Chestnut festivities in Curral das Freiras around the start of the month, empty trails, and the island at its most intensely green.
Common questions
How warm is Madeira in November?
On the south coast around Funchal, November days average about 21.4 °C and nights about 16.3 °C. The mountains are a different world: at Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) the average daytime high is around 9.7 °C. Pack for both if you plan to hike high.
Does it rain a lot in Madeira in November?
Funchal averages roughly 90 mm across about 12 rainy days in November, one of the wetter 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 November?
In November the strongest wind of the day averages 10 km/h at Pico do Arieiro, 15 km/h at Funchal and 15 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 November?
The Atlantic around Funchal averages about 22.6 °C in November, 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 November 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 November 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: October · December
All months: January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December