Weather Locations in Portugal

Portugal Weather Overview

Portugal is a small country, with a large range of weather conditions! The country can be climatically split up into 3 main regions- the North, the South and the islands.

On the whole the north has cooler temperatures than the south and sees a significant amount more rainfall. As you head inland toward the Spanish border, winters become longer and summers hotter as the land is not cooled by the refreshing Atlantic breezes.

The climate along the 700km coast line is predominantly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and its maritime winds, especially so in the north west of the country where a mild, rainy climate is observed, as you head south down the coast line, precipitation declines and the mercury rises, however like any coastal destination the summer highs are tempered by the cooling sea breezes.

Northern Portugal

The north end of Portugal is home to a much greener and more luscious terrain than its southern counterpart. This is due to the higher proportion of annual rain that the region receives. The region has a tendency to be quite humid, particularly as you near the coast.

  The north and the central interior include mountains and plateaus that rise over 6,000 ft in some places. It is these varying altitudes across the country that has a major effect on the climate in Northern Portugal as the higher you are the cooler the temperatures will be.

Starting in the very north east of Portugal you will find your self in the Cantabrian Mountains, which is a mountain chain that stretches east-west, nearly parallel to the sea. In this region you will find Bragança, which is a small city that likes 22km from the Spanish border at an elevation of 700m.

The climate in Bragança is primarily influenced by its altitude and proximity to the coast. Due to its location over 200km from the coast, the city and the surrounding region experiences long severe winters and shorter, hot summers. Due to its altitude, snow in the area is very common and can often last for a few days. January sees highs of 6ºC while the peak of summer sees temperatures of around 28ºC. The record high in the city was measured when the mercury topped a sweltering 40 degrees, which shows the temperature extremes that occur when a city is not moderated by coastal influences.

Winters can often be so severe that the barometer has dipped to low of -15ºC in the past. Total annual rainfall in the area averages 743 mm, and the area sees, on average of 123 rainy days per year and 20 days of snow. Although normally the area can be relatively wet, the year of 2005 did see Portugal suffer a particularly dry year and Bragança suffered water shortages and devastating forest fires in the rural areas.

As you head further south, remaining inland, you will hit the Serra da Estrela which is the highest mountain range in Portugal. On its highest peak the range has a natural altitude of 1,993 m which is home to the Vodafone Ski Resort. Snow is frequent and heavy here in the depths of winter.

Moving west ward toward the Atlantic coast you will find Porto, which is Portugal’s second largest city. Porto’s weather conditions are interesting, as it is characterized by a split climate of sorts. As a rule as you head south through Portugal you will find temperatures increase, as do hours of sunshine and winter conditions become milder. Porto finds its self just north of a typical Mediterranean climate zone. So as a result much of Porto’s climate is typically Mediterranean- temperate dry summers and rainy, mild winters. However, due to its northerly location and proximity to the nearby mountain ranges Porto’s sun filled summer days can often be interrupted by cool rainy spells. In addition to this, the summer season is considerably shorter than summer in the south.

June to September see average highs of 23 to 24 degrees, with July and August being the warmest months reaching average highs of 25 degrees. Porto can experience occasional heat waves which see temperatures as high at 40 degrees, these heat waves generally last 5 to 10 days and humidity is fairly low throughout.

Winter in Porto sees temperatures typically range between 5°C during morning and 16°C during the afternoon, though it is not entirely uncommon for the barometer to hover at and below freezing come night time. On average, the winter months from December to February see average maximums of 13 to 14 degrees and an average minimum of 5 degrees.

Southern Portugal

As prior mentioned the climate of Portugal begins to change the further south you head. Once you hit Lisbon, the country’s capital, you are in the midst of a fairly typical Mediterranean climate. Lisbon’s climate is mild, temperate and warm, consisting of sunny spring and summer months in which temperatures frequently reach over 30 degrees. Winters on the other hand are wet and windy with average temperatures of around 10ºC, the winter season is comparatively shorter than the summer season however.

Temperatures begin to drop around Autumn time, but even throughout the cooler months of October to April, vibrant sunshine is almost always a constant feature. However as a result of its proximity to the sea, the presence of mist and drizzly rain can sometimes make Lisbon feel cooler than its inland counterparts. In Lisbon it is rare for temperatures to fall below freezing and even December and January only see average minimums of 8 and 9 degrees.

Once you hit the southern most peak of Portugal you will be in the midst of it all, as this is the country’s prized tourist destination. The Algarve region is the country’s southern most region and its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea has a great influence on its weather conditions. The Algarve is the sunniest, driest, and warmest part of the country. While this region is undoubtedly the hottest in the country, it doesn’t reach the uncomfortable sweltering highs that some parts of southeastern Spain reach, such as Seville. The region receives minimal rain, averaging 500mm annually falling on 50 days of the year.

Here you will find the popular destinations of Lagos, Praia da Luz , Sagres and Faro which is the Algarve’s administrative capital. There are many smaller towns which lie close to the Algarve’s famed beaches and are ideal for a summer getaway.

Sagres is the most southernmost point of both Portugal and Europe. It lies inside the Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina Natural Park and is known to enjoy its very own mini-climate!  In Sagres there is very little vegetation, the ground is mainly rock and has barely any soil, however if you head north from the town, vegetation becomes more interesting and you will find varieties of wild orchids.

Sagres’s microclimate means that the weather if often quite different that when you head further east around the Algarve. When a microclimate exists this means that the weather conditions in the small area vary slightly to its surrounding areas. Sagres sees, on average, 300 sunny days per year, with about 130 of these falling between the months of October to March.

The climate in the heart of Sagres is ideal year round, making it a popular four season holiday destination. However as you head  immediately north of the Cape you will find areas that are more exposed to the winds and high tides of the Atlantic and plays host to  quite dangerous offshore currents.

Heading further east you will reach the vibrant coastal town of Lagos, which like most of southern Portugal is a popular year round destination. Winter months see the average lows ranging from 5 to 13 degrees, with a minimal amount of rain.

The spring and autumn months play host to gorgeous mild temperatures of about 15 to 25 degrees. The months either side of summer (May, September and October) see conditions that resemble summer conditions. This makes them a great time to visit the area as it is not peak season so beaches and accommodation won’t be as busy and the whole experience will be a lot calmer and more tranquil.

  Summer in Lagos and neighbouring areas can be very hot. It is not uncommon for temperatures to reach in excess of 35 degrees, but generally they hover around the late 20’s and early 30’s. Bear in mind that the blistering days are cooled by sea breezes so you are provided with a welcome break from the heat. The wind that washes over the town is refreshing and makes sitting on the terraces and beaches a very enjoyable, relaxing experience. If you can handle the crowds and love the heat than the peak season months of June to August will be your ideal time to visit.

Azores and Madeira Islands

Maderia

Maderia, is an archipelago that is located in the Atlantic Ocean 860 kilometers off the coast of mainland Europe. Although it is located in the African Plate, closer to Africa than Europe, it politically and culturally belongs to Europe.

Madeira witnesses a mild climate, that is fairly constant year round. Because of the mountain range in the centre of the island, the north side of the island sees a mildly different climate to the south side. The mountain acts as a rain shield, stopping a lot of rain from drifting to the south from the north. As a result, the southern part of the island sees less precipitation than the north and on the mountains. The south side sees most of its rainfall in the winter month, whereas the north witness’s precipitation throughout the entirety of the year.

As a whole, the temperature averages throughout the summer months sit at 19 to 22 degrees from June to September, for the remainder of the year the temperature sits at about 16 to 18 degrees, with October to February being the coldest and wettest months. Because of the sufficient rainfall on the island, Madeira has been labeled as the ‘floating garden’ because of the luscious flora that is present year round.

Azores

The Azores are a Portuguese archipelago located about 1,500 km from Portugal’s capital of Lisbon.  Azores witnesses a temperate, maritime climate which is characterized by agreeable temperatures with small average annual range. Due to its location in the North Atlantics the archipelago is therefore in constant contact with the high pressure areas that are common to the North Atlantic and also the polar and tropical air masses.

The average annual temperature sits at about 17ºC and varies between 13º and 14º C during the colder months of January and February and 22º-23ºC during the summer months. Obviously as the region is and island and surrounded by water a high level of humidity (77% average/yr.) is therefore observed. Rainfall is well distributed throughout the year however the winter months see slightly more than the remainder of the year.

The ocean temperatures fluctuate between 14º-15ºC in winter and 22º-23ºC in Summer.  The area is affected by the Gulf Stream, which is a Northern Atlantic current that brings warmer waters up into the region, this consequently warms the surrounding waters.

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