Weather in Madeira in February
Averages, what the month actually feels like, and what is on while you are here.
February averages
| Measurement | Funchal, south coast | Santana, north coast | Pico do ArieiroModel grid cell at 1,758 m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 19 °C | 16 °C | 8 °C |
| Average low | 14 °C | 11 °C | 2 °C |
| Daylight | 11.0 h | 11.0 h | 11.0 h |
| Sea temperature | 19 °C | – | – |
Temperature and daylight, averaged over the ten years from 2016 to 2025 and recomputed from the Open-Meteo archive rather than typed in by hand. The model works in cells roughly ten kilometres across, so each column describes an area rather than one thermometer. Checked against IPMA's Funchal normal, the temperatures land within about a degree and a half. Sea temperature averages the years 2022 to 2025. The marine record is shorter than the air record, so it rests on fewer years.
Rain in February
Funchal averages 83 mm of rain in February, on 7 days with a millimetre or more.
The north coast around Santana and the mountains above a thousand metres are wetter than the seafront in every month of the year, often several times over. IPMA publishes no station normal for Santana or Pico do Arieiro, so this page puts no millimetre figure on them rather than one it cannot check.
Rainfall: the IPMA climate normal for the Funchal observatory (station 522, 58 m), averaged over the 30 years from 1981 to 2010. The ten-year reanalysis behind the table above is not used for rain. Its grid cell is about ten kilometres across, so it averages the Funchal seafront with the slopes that climb steeply behind the city, where most of the island's summer rain falls. Measured against this normal it runs roughly ten times high in June, July and August.
What February feels like
February is January with more daylight and a little more confidence. The south coast stays mild, the sea is at its coldest of the year, and between fronts the island gets long clear runs that suit walking.
What to pack
The same layers as January, plus something you do not mind getting wet. Carnival happens outdoors in the evening, when it cools off quickly.
What to do in February
Carnival fills Funchal with parades and street parties in the days before Lent. Away from town the almond blossom is out and the high paths are usually walkable.
Worth knowing before you book
Carnival moves with Easter, so check the dates before booking around it. The north coast can be wet for days on end while Funchal stays dry.
Cruise ships in February
41 ship calls at Funchal in February, which is what fills the old town and the cable car on a weekday morning.
Busiest days: Monday, February 15, Tuesday, February 16, Monday, February 1
What is on in February
Quick answers
- How warm is Madeira in February?
- In Funchal an average February day reaches 19 °C and falls to 14 °C overnight. Pico do Arieiro averages 8 °C in the same month, so the mountains need their own layer.
- Does it rain in Madeira in February?
- Funchal records about 83 mm across February, on 7 days with a millimetre or more of rain. The north coast and the mountains take several times as much in the same weeks, which is why the two halves of the island can look like different holidays.
- Can you swim in the sea in February?
- The sea off Funchal averages 19 °C in February. Madeira has no shallow shelf to warm it, so the water stays close to that figure all month.
- How long are the days in February?
- About 11.0 hours between sunrise and sunset, which sets how much of a long levada walk you can fit in before dark.