Madeira is mild all winter rather than hot. In Funchal, days average 22.8°C in November, 21.0°C in December and 20 to 21°C from January to March, and nights average 14 to 17°C. The sea off Funchal is 22.6°C in November and 21.1°C in December, so yes, you can swim, and it cools to about 20°C by February. The catch is rain: November and December are among Funchal's wettest months.
Below you'll find the winter month by month, whether you can swim, how much it rains, the whole year in Funchal, and how Madeira compares with Porto Santo and Tenerife.
Madeira in Winter: the Table
Air temperatures and rain are the official 1991-2020 climate normals from IPMA, Portugal's weather service, for its station in Funchal (IPMA climate normals). The station is in Funchal itself, on the south coast, 58 m above sea level. Sea temperatures are the average sea surface temperature off Funchal for 2023 to 2025, from the Open-Meteo marine model. They are modelled figures for the open water near the coast, not a reading at any one beach, so a sheltered cove can feel a little different on the day. "Day high" and "night low" are the average daily maximum and minimum.
| Month | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rain | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 22.8°C | 17.0°C | 22.6°C | 80 mm | 7.3 |
| December | 21.0°C | 15.5°C | 21.1°C | 95 mm | 8.6 |
| January | 20.0°C | 14.3°C | 20.2°C | 67 mm | 6.2 |
| February | 19.9°C | 13.9°C | 19.5°C | 72 mm | 5.5 |
| March | 20.6°C | 14.3°C | 19.2°C | 62 mm | 5.8 |
Across the five months Funchal averages 20.9°C by day, 15.0°C at night and 20.5°C in the sea. It is the warmest place in Portugal in winter (see the warmest place in Portugal in winter for the mainland comparison).
In Dream Trip your saved places sit on one map, so you can see levada walks, Funchal restaurants and swimming spots side by side before you book.
Month by Month
November: Funchal averages 22.8°C by day and 17.0°C at night, with 80 mm of rain over about 7 rainy days. The sea is 22.6°C: warm enough for most people to swim.
December: Funchal averages 21.0°C by day and 15.5°C at night, with 95 mm of rain over about 9 rainy days. The sea is 21.1°C: warm enough for most people to swim.
January: Funchal averages 20.0°C by day and 14.3°C at night, with 67 mm of rain over about 6 rainy days. The sea is 20.2°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water.
February: Funchal averages 19.9°C by day and 13.9°C at night, with 72 mm of rain over about 6 rainy days. The sea is 19.5°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water.
March: Funchal averages 20.6°C by day and 14.3°C at night, with 62 mm of rain over about 6 rainy days. The sea is 19.2°C: on the cool side, so a short, bracing dip for most people.
Each month links to our Madeira weather page for that month. Those pages use a model average for air temperature, which can differ from these IPMA station figures by up to about 1.5°C.
Madeira Sea Temperature in Winter
The sea stays mild all winter, though how it feels depends on the month. Over the year the sea off Funchal is warmest in August (24.6°C) and coolest in March (19.2°C). So November, at 22.6°C, is still close to early-summer sea temperatures, while February and March, at 19.5°C and 19.2°C, are the coolest of the year.
- November: the best winter month for swimming. The sea is 22.6°C and days average 22.8°C.
- December: 21.1°C, fine for a swim on a sunny afternoon. Bring something warm for afterwards.
- January to March: 19.2°C to 20.2°C. Swimmable, but most people keep it short.
For a closer look at the water, see can you swim in Madeira in winter.
Does It Rain in Madeira in Winter?
Yes, more than the Algarve or the Canaries' southern beach resorts. Funchal gets 574 mm of rain in an average year, and 66% of it falls from November to March. Its three wettest months are December, October and November. December is the wettest, at 95 mm over about 9 days with 1 mm or more. On the other days less than 1 mm falls, so expect wet spells between dry days rather than a washed-out month. February and March bring fewer rainy days (5.5 and 5.8).
Summer is the dry season: Funchal averages 2 mm in July and 1 mm in August.
Madeira Weather Through the Year
The whole year in Funchal, air and sea:
| Month | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20.0°C | 14.3°C | 20.2°C | 67 mm |
| February | 19.9°C | 13.9°C | 19.5°C | 72 mm |
| March | 20.6°C | 14.3°C | 19.2°C | 62 mm |
| April | 21.0°C | 14.9°C | 19.7°C | 45 mm |
| May | 22.0°C | 16.2°C | 20.7°C | 27 mm |
| June | 23.7°C | 18.2°C | 22.1°C | 8 mm |
| July | 25.4°C | 19.7°C | 23.7°C | 2 mm |
| August | 26.8°C | 20.7°C | 24.6°C | 1 mm |
| September | 26.6°C | 20.4°C | 24.3°C | 23 mm |
| October | 25.2°C | 19.2°C | 23.8°C | 91 mm |
| November | 22.8°C | 17.0°C | 22.6°C | 80 mm |
| December | 21.0°C | 15.5°C | 21.1°C | 95 mm |
February has the coolest days, at 19.9°C (68°F), and August the warmest, at 26.8°C. The whole year spans under 7°C by day.
Madeira, Porto Santo or Tenerife in Winter?
Porto Santo is cooler than Funchal and gets less rain, though over slightly more rainy days: 1.7°C cooler by day over the winter on IPMA's normals, with 250 mm of rain from November to March against 377 mm in Funchal.
Southern Tenerife is warmer and much drier. The Tenerife figures below are AEMET's 1981-2010 averages for Tenerife Sur airport, the same data as our warmest Canary Island guide, so the periods differ and the comparison is approximate.
| Place | Day high | Night low | Rain, Nov to Mar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funchal, Madeira | 20.9°C | 15.0°C | 377 mm |
| Porto Santo | 19.2°C | 14.4°C | 250 mm |
| Tenerife south (airport) | 22.9°C | 16.1°C | 108 mm |
Over the five months southern Tenerife averages about 2.0°C more by day than Funchal and 1.1°C more at night, with a fraction of the rain. The sea off Tenerife averages 21.4°C from November to March against 20.5°C off Madeira, about 0.9°C warmer (Open-Meteo, same years as above). If you want the most warmth and the least rain, Tenerife wins. If you want green mountains, levada walks and a city break with your sun, Madeira is the better fit.
Madeira is a little closer: it is timetabled at about 3 hours 55 minutes from Gatwick, the Canaries at about 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 40 minutes (see our Christmas sun holidays guide for the timetables). Madeira keeps UK time in winter (Time in Portugal).
How to Choose Your Month
- Swimming: November, with the sea at 22.6°C and days at 22.8°C.
- Christmas and New Year: 21.0°C by day in December, but the wettest month of the year. Our Christmas sun holidays guide compares Madeira with the Canaries, Egypt and long haul for the festive weeks.
- Fewest rainy days: February and March, at about 6 rainy days each.
- The most warmth: go in November, or look at the Canaries.
For other places a similar flight away, see winter sun holidays from the UK and the Madeira weather overview.
Keep It All on One Map
A Madeira trip usually starts as a pile of saved videos and half-remembered tips: a levada walk, a natural pool, a restaurant in Funchal's old town. In Dream Trip your saved places sit on one map, so you can check which ones are near Funchal and which need a day on the north coast. Subscribers can import TikTok and Reels links.
Start your Madeira shortlist in Dream Trip.
FAQ
What is the sea temperature in Madeira in November?
November has the warmest sea of the winter: the water off Funchal averages 22.6°C and days 22.8°C. See Madeira weather in November.
What is the sea temperature in Madeira in December?
The sea averages 21.1°C in December, right around the 21°C we use as the line for comfortable swimming without a wetsuit, and the air 21.0°C by day. See Madeira weather in December.
What is the weather like in Madeira in January?
Mild. Funchal averages 20.0°C by day and 14.3°C at night, with 67 mm of rain over about 6 rainy days. The sea is 20.2°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. See Madeira weather in January.
What is the weather like in Madeira in February?
Funchal averages 19.9°C by day and 13.9°C at night, with 72 mm of rain over about 6 rainy days. The sea is 19.5°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. February is the coolest month of the year by day in Funchal. See Madeira weather in February.
What is the weather like in Madeira in March?
Funchal averages 20.6°C by day and 14.3°C at night, with 62 mm of rain over about 6 rainy days. The sea is 19.2°C: on the cool side, so a short, bracing dip for most people. See Madeira weather in March.
Is Madeira warm in winter?
Mild rather than warm: Funchal averages 20.9°C by day and 15.0°C at night from November to March. That is T-shirt weather by day in the sun, with a jumper for the evening.
Is Madeira warmer than Tenerife in winter?
No. Southern Tenerife averages about 2.0°C more by day than Funchal from November to March, and it is much drier.
What is the wettest month in Madeira?
December, at 95 mm in Funchal on average, ahead of October and November.
