It's not one weather — it's twelve

Every pin shows the current temperature — tap one to open that town's live forecast. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Map: Windy (ECMWF), fixed to Madeira — 32.76°N, 16.96°W. Switch layers (wind, rain, clouds, temperature) inside the map.

Climate normals for the four reference micro-climates. Daytime high (°C), overnight low (°C), sea temperature (°C), monthly rainfall (mm) and rainy days. Useful for picking a month before you've picked a hotel. See the full month-by-month weather breakdown or the visitor-focused month-by-month guides.

Sources: IPMA 1981–2010 climate normals, Visit Madeira, SNIRH rainfall records. Sea temperature is monthly mean SST.

South coast

• Funchal

  25 m
  20°Foggy · 8 kt NW

  Sun-trap south coast. Sheltered by the mountains from north-east trade winds, so the warmest, driest corner of the island. Sea breeze picks up after noon.

• Câmara de Lobos

  10 m
  20°Foggy · 4 kt NW

  Fishing village 9 km west of Funchal. Same dry-warm pattern as Funchal but a touch breezier in the afternoon as wind funnels around Cabo Girão.

• Ribeira Brava

  20 m
  20°Foggy · 6 kt N

  Mouth of a deep ravine on the south-west coast. Banana plantations and the famous Encumeada pass route start here. Generally sunny; ravine winds in the evening.

• Calheta

  40 m
  22°Mostly clear · 9 kt N

  South-west corner — the island's other sun-trap. Imported-sand beach, statistically the driest spot after Funchal. Long sunshine hours in winter.

• Caniço (Caniço de Baixo & Garajau)

  15 m
  22°Mostly clear · 10 kt N

  South-coast resort cluster 8 km east of Funchal. Caniço de Baixo and Garajau sit in the same warm, dry sun-trap as Funchal — sheltered from north-east trade winds by the island's spine. Sea breeze picks up after noon. Most visitors never realise this is Santa Cruz council.

East

• Machico

  15 m
  21°Mostly clear · 13 kt N

  East-end bay near the airport. Sheltered cove, often a few degrees cooler than Funchal and noticeably windier — the FNC crosswind comes from these hills.

• Santa Cruz

  30 m
  23°Mostly clear · 13 kt N

  Coastal town hosting FNC airport. Sheltered enough for the runway, but expect rotor turbulence on the cliff face when wind is from the north.

North coast

• Porto Moniz

  15 m
  20°Foggy · 11 kt NE

  Far north-west, famous for lava-pool swimming. Atlantic-exposed: bigger swell, cloudier, 3–5 °C cooler than Funchal on a typical day. Wind and sea state change the visit on the day.

• São Vicente

  20 m
  20°Foggy · 5 kt SE

  Central north coast where the volcanic caves live. Trade-wind facing — clouds bank up on the hills here while the south stays sunny. Most reliable rainfall on the island.

• Santana

  415 m
  18°Foggy · 8 kt NW

  North coast village famous for triangular thatched houses. Higher elevation + north-facing = consistently cooler and wetter than the south. Often misty in the morning.

Mountains

• Pico do Areeiro (summit)

  1818 m
  11°Foggy · 8 kt NW

  Third-highest peak. Above the inversion layer on most days — you can stand in sunshine while the coast is overcast (or vice versa). 8–12 °C cooler than Funchal. Snow possible Jan–Mar.

Porto Santo

• Porto Santo

  10 m
  24°Mostly clear · 11 kt N

  Sister island, 50 km north-east. Flat, sandy, dry — closer to Canary Islands climate than Madeira. Reliably sunnier than Funchal in summer; slightly warmer sea.

Madeira weather questions

What is the weather like in Madeira right now?

It depends entirely on where you stand. Funchal and the south coast are usually the warmest and driest, the north coast (Porto Moniz, São Vicente) is cooler and wetter, and the summits around Pico do Areeiro can be 12 °C colder and inside cloud at the same moment. This page shows live readings for every parish so you can check the exact spot you are heading to.

Why is the weather so different across Madeira?

The island is a 1,860 m volcanic ridge sitting in the north-east trade winds. Moist air is forced up the northern slopes and drops its rain there, leaving the south coast in a rain shadow that is sunny and dry for most of the year.

Does rain in Funchal mean the walks are washed out?

Not necessarily — and the reverse is just as common. Cloud often sits on the summits and the north while Funchal is clear. Check the parish nearest your trailhead and the live webcams before cancelling a walk.

When is the best weather in Madeira?

Air temperatures sit between roughly 19 °C in winter and 26 °C in late summer on the south coast. April to June and September to October give the most settled walking weather; sea temperature peaks around 23 °C in September.

How often does this weather data update?

Live conditions are fetched fresh from Open-Meteo on every page load, with MET Norway as a fallback, and the 14-day outlook is refreshed on the same request.