Weather in Madeira in October
Averages, what the month actually feels like, and what is on while you are here.
October averages
| Measurement | Funchal, south coast | Santana, north coast | Pico do ArieiroModel grid cell at 1,758 m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 24 °C | 21 °C | 13 °C |
| Average low | 19 °C | 16 °C | 7 °C |
| Daylight | 11.4 h | 11.4 h | 11.4 h |
| Sea temperature | 24 °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 October
Funchal averages 90 mm of rain in October, 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 October feels like
October is mild and increasingly changeable. The sea holds its summer warmth well into the month while the sky starts doing considerably more.
What to pack
Layers again, a waterproof shell, and swimwear that will still get used. Walking shoes with grip, because wet basalt is slick.
What to do in October
Swimming and walking both still work, and the low light is good for photography. Nature Festival events run in Funchal early in the month.
Worth knowing before you book
Heavy rain days become normal and levadas can close at short notice. Wind at the airport picks up, and diversions to Porto Santo or Tenerife start appearing on the arrivals board.
Cruise ships in October
30 ship calls at Funchal in October, which is what fills the old town and the cable car on a weekday morning.
Busiest days: Wednesday, October 7, Sunday, October 18, Thursday, October 8
What is on in October
- Eco Rally Madeira in CalhetaCalheta
- Nature Festival in Ponta do SolPonta do Sol
- Madeira Legend RallyFunchal
Quick answers
- How warm is Madeira in October?
- In Funchal an average October day reaches 24 °C and falls to 19 °C overnight. Pico do Arieiro averages 13 °C in the same month, so the mountains need their own layer.
- Does it rain in Madeira in October?
- Funchal records about 90 mm across October, 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 October?
- The sea off Funchal averages 24 °C in October. Madeira has no shallow shelf to warm it, so the water stays close to that figure all month.
- How long are the days in October?
- About 11.4 hours between sunrise and sunset, which sets how much of a long levada walk you can fit in before dark.