Portugal Weather and Climate

Geographical location

According to COUNTRYAAH, Portugal is a southern European state located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula. The country has around 10 million people, the capital is beautiful Lisbon.

Portugal is surrounded to the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean, it borders on its only neighbor, Spain, to the north and east. The popular island groups Madeira and Azores are also part of the national territory, they are located in the middle of the Atlantic and are of volcanic origin.

The center of Portugal is very hilly, the highest mountain reaches a height of 1993 meters. In the northwest is the densely populated region of Minho with lush vegetation and in the northeast is the Trás-os-Montes region.

Portugal’s south is divided into the regions of Terras do Sado, Alentejo and Algarve. The south coast is characterized by pine forests, cliffs and sandy beaches.

• Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Portugal.

Climate in Portugal

The climate in Portugal, as one of countries with P according to COUNTRYAAH, can be described as temperate-maritime. In the north of the country there is a cool and humid climate, the summers are warm here and the winters are rather mild and with a lot of rainfall.

The north-east of Portugal is characterized by mountains, in winter it is cold and there is snowfall at high altitudes. The summers, however, are dry and hot.

In the south, a Mediterranean climate dominates, the region is hot and dry, and longer periods of drought often occur. The summer months of July and August are very hot, while the winters remain pleasantly mild.

From November to March, the most rainfall occurs in southern Portugal. In the Azores and Madeira it is warm and humid all year round and there are little temperature fluctuations.

When to go to Portugal

You can travel to Portugal all year round, as there are different climatic regions. In winter, the north-eastern Serra da Estrela mountains are popular with skiers and other winter sports enthusiasts. Some regions in Portugal are also popular travel destinations for beach holidays.

On the north coast, the summer months of July and August are particularly suitable. The further south the travel destinations, the longer the period for the best travel time in summer. In the very south of the country, the bathing season lasts until October, with the water temperature in the Atlantic rarely exceeding 20 ° C.

In the Algarve it is very hot in midsummer, but at the same time there is usually a light wind, so the summer months are a good time to travel to this region. The seasons of spring and autumn are best for city trips.

Optimal travel time for the regions

In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Portugal).

Place	Best travel time
postage	June, July, August and September
Lisbon	June, July, August and September
Funchal	May, June, July, August and September
Horta	May, June, July, August and September
Faro	June, July, August and September
São Miguel	May, June, July, August and September
Cascais	June, July, August and September

Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Porto (Portugal)

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daytime temperature	14 ° C	14 ° C	16 ° C	18 ° C	20 ° C	23 ° C	25 ° C	25 ° C	24 ° C	21 ° C	17 ° C	14 ° C
Night temperature	5 ° C	6 ° C	7 ° C	8 ° C	11 ° C	14 ° C	15 ° C	15 ° C	14 ° C	11 ° C	8 ° C	6 ° C
Water temperature	14 ° C	13 ° C	13 ° C	14 ° C	15 ° C	16 ° C	17 ° C	18 ° C	18 ° C	17 ° C	15 ° C	14 ° C
Precipitation in mm	171	169	112	112	89	53	16	22	64	131	152	176
Rainy days	14	13	11	10	9	6	2	3	6	10	12	12
Hours of sunshine	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	10	8	6	5	4
Sunrise	7:55	7:30	6:50	6:55	6:15	6:00	6:15	6:45	7:15	7:45	7:20	7:50
Sunset	17:30	18:05	18:40	20:15	8:45 pm	21:10	21:05	20:35	19:45	18:55	17:15	17:05

Temperatures

The annual average temperature in Porto is 14.5 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is July (19.9 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 9.3 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Porto is 18 ° C. Pleasant bathing is possible from temperatures of around 21 ° C. The months of July, August, September and October have a water temperature of at least 17 ° C. Bathing is then possible to a limited extent.

Precipitation

The annual precipitation is 1267 mm on 108 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The December is considered the rainy season, since in this month are expected to more than 175 mm of rainfall. You cannot expect snow in any month in Porto.

Sunshine

As our climate table shows, July is the sunniest month with an average of 9.9 hours of sunshine per day. In the annual mean, the sun shines an average of 6.7 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.

Cities nearby

The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto city, Braga, Matosinhos, Gondomar, Guimarães, Santa Maria da Feira, Braga, Maia, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Barcelos, Valongo and Paredes.

Highlights and attractions

As the capital of Portugal, Lisbon is also one of the most popular travel destinations. You will find the Oceanário de Lisboa, the Gulbenkian Museum and the Jeronimos Monastery here. The nearby Ponte Vasco da Gama is a bridge over the Tagus River and its design and appearance are reminiscent of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at first glance.

The Jesus statue Cristo Rei and the impressive Torre de Belém monument are also a must in the capital. Other sights in Portugal are the Convento de Cristo monastery in Tomar, the Christian pilgrimage site of Fátima and the wonderful bell tower Torros dos Clérigos in Porto. In the north of Portugal is the Peneda Gerês, the only national park in the country.