Funchal in May: weather, water temperatures and things to do
Is May a good time to visit?
May in Funchal is warm, with daytime temperatures averaging +18 °C. Rain is frequent, so the forecast can help you choose a suitable day for a longer walk. The water is cool, averaging +20 °C.
Weather in May
Average daytime temperatures vary little between early, mid- and late May. There is no clear advantage in warmth between these periods.
- Ocean waterAtlantic Ocean
- +20 °C
- Daytime air
- +18 °C
- Night-time air
- +13 °C
Atlantic Ocean
Sun and precipitation in May
Monthly averages
Sunny
14 days
Sun and clouds
13 days
Cloudy
4 days
By part of the month
| Dates | Sunny | Sun and clouds | Cloudy | Days with precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 | 4 days | 4 days | 2 days | 5 days |
| 11–20 | 5 days | 4 days | 1 day | 5 days |
| 21–31 | 5 days | 5 days | 1 day | 5 days |
Early, mid or late May?
| Travel dates | Day | Night | Ocean waterWater |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 May | +18 °C | +12 °C | +19 °C |
| 11–20 May | +18 °C | +12 °C | +20 °C |
| 21–31 May | +19 °C | +14 °C | +21 °C |
Water in May
Seasonal data gives an average water temperature of +20 °C for the month. It averages +19 °C in the first ten days and +21 °C towards the end. These are seasonal averages, so the water on your travel dates can be warmer or cooler. Before your trip, check the water temperature and weather in the forecast for Funchal.
Rainfall in May
Historical records show that May has precipitation on roughly half the days. This includes light precipitation and does not mean it lasts all day.
April, May or June: which should you choose?
| Month | Day | Night | Ocean waterWater |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | +16 °C | +11 °C | +19 °C |
| May | +18 °C | +13 °C | +20 °C |
| June | +20 °C | +14 °C | +21 °C |
Both the air and the water are cooler in April than in May. Both the air and the water are warmer in June than in May.
The annual charts for Funchal compare air and water temperatures throughout the year. For historical weather in May across different years, see the weather archive.
Things to do in May
- Madeira Botanical Garden offers a variety of plants to discover and viewpoints overlooking Funchal.
- In the old quarter, Zona Velha, you can wander along narrow cobbled streets and Rua de Santa Maria, with its painted doors from the Portas Pintadas project.
- The Museum of Sacred Art houses Portuguese and Flemish paintings and sculpture in a former bishop’s palace.
About the data
Air temperatures use the WorldWeatherAI archive for 2020–2025. Precipitation uses data for 2020–2025.Sea temperature data source: NASA. Averages from complete months in: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
Cloud cover is estimated from local six-hour intervals weighted by their overlap with daylight: up to 25% clear or mostly clear, 75% or more mostly cloudy, and partly cloudy in between. These are the site’s categories. Rounded day counts add up to the period length; icons do not represent particular dates. Precipitation is counted separately and may coincide with sunshine. Sunshine hours come from the archive, not from cloud cover. Each metric requires complete data for the same set of years; incomplete metrics are omitted.