Weather in Madeira in September
Averages, what the month actually feels like, and what is on while you are here.
September averages
| Measurement | Funchal, south coast | Santana, north coast | Pico do ArieiroModel grid cell at 1,758 m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 26 °C | 22 °C | 15 °C |
| Average low | 20 °C | 17 °C | 8 °C |
| Daylight | 12.4 h | 12.4 h | 12.4 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 September
Funchal averages 33 mm of rain in September, on 3 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 September feels like
September keeps August's warmth with fewer people in it. The sea is still warm, the light softens through the month, and the nights start to cool off usefully.
What to pack
Summer clothes with a light waterproof towards the end of the month. Walking shoes for the long trails, which are back in comfortable condition.
What to do in September
One of the best months of the year to come. The wine harvest festival runs in Funchal and Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, the sea is swimmable, and the trails are quieter than in August.
Worth knowing before you book
The first autumn showers usually arrive in the second half of the month. Tropical systems pass well to the west but can still send a heavy swell onto the north coast.
Cruise ships in September
4 ship calls at Funchal in September, which is what fills the old town and the cable car on a weekday morning.
Busiest days: Saturday, September 26, Sunday, September 27, Wednesday, September 16
What is on in September
- Blandy´s Wine FestivalFunchal
- Dias do SaxofoneMadeira
- Meo Sons do Mar 2026Parque de Santa Catarina
- Seminar on Raúl Brandão's 'Unknown Islands'Castanheiro Boutique Hotel
- Rentrée Copacabana at Casino da MadeiraFunchal
- Traditional Festival of the Trays in Ponta do PargoIgreja Matriz da Ponta do Pargo
Quick answers
- How warm is Madeira in September?
- In Funchal an average September day reaches 26 °C and falls to 20 °C overnight. Pico do Arieiro averages 15 °C in the same month, so the mountains need their own layer.
- Does it rain in Madeira in September?
- Funchal records about 33 mm across September, on 3 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 September?
- The sea off Funchal averages 24 °C in September. Madeira has no shallow shelf to warm it, so the water stays close to that figure all month.
- How long are the days in September?
- About 12.4 hours between sunrise and sunset, which sets how much of a long levada walk you can fit in before dark.