# Wedding weather in Portugal, month by month: temperature, rain and sunshine

> Official climate normals from IPMA, Portugal’s weather institute, for Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Évora, Funchal and Ponta Delgada — daytime highs, night-time lows, rainy days, hot days and sunshine — and what each month means for a wedding.

- Updated 2026-10-11
- URL: https://lensandvows.com/journal/portugal-wedding-weather-by-month
- Português: https://lensandvows.com/pt/journal/portugal-wedding-weather-by-month.md
- Lens & Vows: https://lensandvows.com/

**In short**

- In Lisbon the average daily high is 15.1 °C in January and 28.8 °C in August, and it rains 1 mm or more on 10 days in January but on fewer than one day in July (IPMA climate normals, 1991–2020).
- Porto is the wettest of the mainland cities, with 105 rainy days a year against 76 in Lisbon and 49 in Faro, and even in July and August it averages about three rainy days a month.
- Inland heat is the summer risk: Évora averages highs of 33.5 °C in August, with 25 days of 30 °C or more that month, against 10 in Lisbon and 3.5 in Porto.
- Funchal, on Madeira, has the mildest year — average highs between 19.9 °C and 26.8 °C every month — while Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, has rain on 122 days a year, including five to seven days a month in summer.
- July is the sunniest month on the mainland, with about 345 hours of sunshine in Lisbon and 361 in Faro, against 150 and 182 in January (IPMA normals, 1971–2000).

Every wedding planner in Portugal will tell you that May–June and September are the safe bets. This guide shows the numbers behind that advice, from the official climate normals of IPMA — the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera — for six weather stations that stand for the places couples marry: Lisbon, Porto, Faro for the Algarve, Évora for the Alentejo, Funchal for Madeira and Ponta Delgada for the Azores. For the character of each region, read [the best months by region](https://lensandvows.com/journal/best-months-by-region); this page is the data.

## Where do the numbers come from?

- **Temperature, hot days and rain** are IPMA’s climate normals for **1991–2020**, the current thirty-year reference period: the average of thirty years of daily measurements at each station.
- **Sunshine and fog** are from IPMA’s **1971–2000** normals, the latest that publish them for these places. They are older, so read them as a pattern rather than a precise count.
- **The stations**: Lisboa/Instituto Geofísico (in the city, 77 m), Porto/Pedras Rubras (the airport, near the coast north of the city), Faro airport, Évora, Funchal Observatory and Ponta Delgada’s Afonso Chaves Observatory. Porto’s sunshine comes from Serra do Pilar, across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, and Évora’s from a nearby, slightly higher station.
- **A rainy day** means 1 mm of rain or more. **A hot day** means a maximum of 30 °C or more.

> **Averages, not a forecast.** A normal is what a month is like on average over thirty years, not what your day will be. Any single June can be cooler, any September wetter. Use these numbers to choose the month and to decide how much plan B you need; use the forecast in the last week.

## How warm are the days?

Average daily maximum temperature, °C, 1991–2020.

| Month | Lisbon | Porto | Faro | Évora | Funchal | Ponta Delgada |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 15.1 | 14.0 | 16.3 | 14.1 | 20.0 | 17.5 |
| February | 16.4 | 15.0 | 17.0 | 15.7 | 19.9 | 17.4 |
| March | 18.9 | 17.0 | 18.9 | 18.7 | 20.6 | 17.9 |
| April | 20.4 | 18.1 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 21.0 | 18.8 |
| May | 23.1 | 20.3 | 23.5 | 25.0 | 22.0 | 20.2 |
| June | 26.1 | 22.7 | 26.8 | 30.2 | 23.7 | 22.4 |
| July | 28.2 | 24.3 | 29.4 | 33.3 | 25.4 | 24.7 |
| August | 28.8 | 24.8 | 29.2 | 33.5 | 26.8 | 26.0 |
| September | 26.6 | 23.5 | 26.4 | 29.5 | 26.6 | 25.0 |
| October | 22.8 | 20.7 | 23.3 | 24.1 | 25.2 | 22.6 |
| November | 18.1 | 16.8 | 19.6 | 17.6 | 22.8 | 19.9 |
| December | 15.4 | 14.7 | 17.1 | 14.6 | 21.0 | 18.3 |
| Year | 21.7 | 19.3 | 22.3 | 23.1 | 22.9 | 20.9 |

The coast stays moderate in summer — Porto’s August averages 24.8 °C — while inland Évora climbs past 33 °C in July and August. The islands barely change: Funchal’s highs move only 6.9 °C between February and August, Ponta Delgada’s 8.6 °C.

## How cool are the evenings?

Average daily minimum temperature, °C, 1991–2020 — roughly what the air feels like late at night, when the party is outside.

| Month | Lisbon | Porto | Faro | Évora | Funchal | Ponta Delgada |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 8.6 | 6.4 | 8.3 | 4.5 | 14.3 | 12.7 |
| February | 9.1 | 6.8 | 8.8 | 5.0 | 13.9 | 12.1 |
| March | 11.0 | 8.8 | 10.8 | 6.9 | 14.3 | 12.6 |
| April | 12.3 | 10.1 | 12.4 | 8.5 | 14.9 | 13.3 |
| May | 14.4 | 12.3 | 15.0 | 10.9 | 16.2 | 14.6 |
| June | 16.8 | 14.5 | 17.8 | 13.8 | 18.2 | 16.8 |
| July | 18.2 | 15.5 | 19.6 | 15.6 | 19.7 | 18.9 |
| August | 18.8 | 15.7 | 19.9 | 16.0 | 20.7 | 19.9 |
| September | 17.6 | 14.8 | 18.3 | 14.6 | 20.4 | 19.1 |
| October | 15.3 | 12.9 | 15.8 | 12.3 | 19.2 | 17.1 |
| November | 11.8 | 9.4 | 11.9 | 7.9 | 17.0 | 14.9 |
| December | 9.4 | 7.6 | 9.7 | 5.3 | 15.5 | 13.4 |
| Year | 13.6 | 11.2 | 14.0 | 10.1 | 17.0 | 15.5 |

Two things stand out. Inland nights are cool even in high summer — Évora’s August low is 16.0 °C, a full 17.5 °C below the afternoon — so an Alentejo dinner outside needs a layer for guests by midnight. And the islands stay warm at night: in August alone, Funchal averages 23 nights with a minimum of 20 °C or more.

## How many days does it rain?

Average number of days with 1 mm of rain or more, 1991–2020.

| Month | Lisbon | Porto | Faro | Évora | Funchal | Ponta Delgada |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 10.0 | 12.8 | 6.0 | 8.6 | 6.2 | 13.0 |
| February | 7.9 | 10.0 | 5.4 | 7.0 | 5.5 | 10.8 |
| March | 7.6 | 9.9 | 5.6 | 7.5 | 5.8 | 11.7 |
| April | 7.9 | 10.4 | 5.3 | 8.0 | 4.7 | 10.2 |
| May | 5.8 | 8.9 | 3.8 | 6.0 | 3.3 | 8.7 |
| June | 2.0 | 4.9 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 6.6 |
| July | 0.6 | 3.1 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 4.8 |
| August | 1.1 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 6.5 |
| September | 3.8 | 5.8 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 9.4 |
| October | 8.7 | 11.1 | 6.0 | 7.7 | 7.0 | 13.7 |
| November | 9.9 | 13.0 | 6.6 | 8.8 | 7.3 | 11.8 |
| December | 10.0 | 12.4 | 7.0 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 15.0 |
| Year | 75.5 | 105.4 | 48.9 | 68.9 | 53.4 | 122.3 |

And how much falls: average monthly rainfall, mm, 1991–2020.

| Month | Lisbon | Porto | Faro | Évora | Funchal | Ponta Delgada |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 104 | 151 | 49 | 69 | 67 | 102 |
| February | 78 | 98 | 42 | 52 | 72 | 87 |
| March | 69 | 101 | 47 | 61 | 62 | 97 |
| April | 72 | 96 | 39 | 62 | 45 | 80 |
| May | 58 | 86 | 26 | 47 | 27 | 61 |
| June | 14 | 34 | 5 | 11 | 8 | 44 |
| July | 3 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 26 |
| August | 5 | 29 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 46 |
| September | 39 | 68 | 22 | 34 | 23 | 78 |
| October | 111 | 149 | 56 | 82 | 91 | 118 |
| November | 134 | 166 | 76 | 86 | 80 | 95 |
| December | 108 | 153 | 90 | 85 | 95 | 153 |
| Year | 794 | 1147 | 455 | 596 | 574 | 988 |

The mainland’s rain comes from October to April and nearly stops in summer: Lisbon averages 0.6 rainy days in July, Faro 0.2. Porto keeps a few wet days all summer. The Azores are the exception — rain is possible in any month, with 4.8 to 6.6 rainy days a month even from June to August. A covered plan B belongs in every Azores wedding and in any mainland wedding from October to May; our [rain plan](https://lensandvows.com/journal/rain-plan) covers how to build one.

## How many very hot days?

Average number of days with a maximum of 30 °C or more, May to October, 1991–2020. (The last row is the whole year.)

| Month | Lisbon | Porto | Faro | Évora | Funchal | Ponta Delgada |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| May | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 5.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| June | 5.7 | 2.5 | 5.3 | 15.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| July | 8.5 | 3.1 | 13.1 | 23.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| August | 10.2 | 3.5 | 12.4 | 25.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| September | 5.7 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 13.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Year | 33.2 | 13.0 | 35.5 | 86.5 | 2.5 | 0.0 |

Heat is the summer problem, not rain, and it is an inland problem. Évora averages 86.5 days of 30 °C or more a year, 25 of them in August, and 10.9 August days of 35 °C or more. Lisbon averages 10.2 hot days in August, Faro 12.4, Porto 3.5. Funchal and Ponta Delgada almost never reach 30 °C. For a July or August wedding in the Alentejo or the Douro valley, put the ceremony late in the day, in shade.

## How much sunshine?

Average hours of sunshine per month, 1971–2000 (the latest IPMA normals with sunshine for these places).

| Month | Lisbon | Porto (Serra do Pilar) | Faro | Évora | Funchal | Ponta Delgada |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 150 | 130 | 182 | 154 | 140 | 100 |
| February | 159 | 135 | 172 | 146 | 141 | 106 |
| March | 217 | 193 | 243 | 204 | 172 | 115 |
| April | 236 | 211 | 254 | 209 | 169 | 140 |
| May | 277 | 238 | 305 | 270 | 183 | 166 |
| June | 308 | 268 | 327 | 295 | 151 | 161 |
| July | 345 | 296 | 361 | 347 | 220 | 207 |
| August | 337 | 284 | 345 | 335 | 231 | 218 |
| September | 259 | 219 | 279 | 248 | 189 | 172 |
| October | 210 | 174 | 227 | 203 | 175 | 144 |
| November | 159 | 134 | 192 | 163 | 152 | 110 |
| December | 135 | 112 | 159 | 142 | 134 | 94 |
| Year | 2793 | 2394 | 3044 | 2715 | 2057 | 1734 |

Faro is the sunniest of the six, with 3,044 hours a year; Ponta Delgada the least sunny, with 1,734. Funchal has a quirk worth knowing: June is its cloudiest summer month, with 151 hours against 183 in May and 220 in July. Porto has another: its airport station recorded fog on 11.6 days in August and 9.7 in September on average (1971–2000), the most of any month — summer mornings on that coast often start grey.

## What does each month mean for a wedding?

- **January.** The coolest month: Lisbon 15.1 °C by day and 8.6 °C at night, with 10 rainy days. Porto has 12.8 rainy days and 151 mm. Faro is drier (6 rainy days) and Funchal warm at 20.0 °C. Indoors with a fire, or a short outdoor ceremony on a clear day; the low sun is soft for hours.
- **February.** Much like January, a little drier: Lisbon 7.9 rainy days, Faro 5.4. Inland nights are cold — Évora averages 5.0 °C and 1.8 frosty nights. Funchal (19.9 °C, 5.5 rainy days) is the warmest choice.
- **March.** Days lengthen fast and sunshine jumps — 217 hours in Lisbon against 159 in February. Highs of 18.9 °C in Lisbon and Faro; still 6–10 rainy days a month on the mainland coast. Good for small, flexible weddings with a covered fallback.
- **April.** Spring, with showers: Lisbon 20.4 °C and 7.9 rainy days, Porto 10.4, Évora 20.7 °C with green fields. The Alentejo’s best weeks begin. Plan B still needed.
- **May.** The first reliable month for outdoor weddings on most of the mainland: Lisbon 23.1 °C and 5.8 rainy days, Faro 23.5 °C and 3.8. Évora already reaches 25 °C. Porto (8.9 rainy days) and Ponta Delgada (8.7) remain changeable.
- **June.** Warm, dry, long evenings: Lisbon 26.1 °C and two rainy days, Faro 26.8 °C and 0.8. Évora averages 30.2 °C, with 15 hot days. Porto is pleasant at 22.7 °C. On Madeira, June is the cloudiest month of summer.
- **July.** Peak summer: Lisbon 28.2 °C, Faro 29.4 °C, almost no rain on the mainland south of Porto. Évora averages 33.3 °C, with 23.7 hot days and 11.5 days of 35 °C or more. Shade, water and a late ceremony matter more than a rain plan. Sunniest month, 345 hours in Lisbon.
- **August.** The hottest month nearly everywhere: Lisbon 28.8 °C with 10.2 hot days, Faro 29.2 °C, Évora 33.5 °C. The islands are at their warmest — Funchal 26.8 °C, Ponta Delgada 26.0 °C, its sunniest month (218 hours) though still with 6.5 rainy days. Porto’s coast is mild and often foggy in the morning.
- **September.** Many people’s favourite month: Lisbon 26.6 °C and 3.8 rainy days, Faro 26.4 °C and 1.9, warm nights (17.6 °C in Lisbon). Évora still averages 29.5 °C. The rain starts to return late in the month — 5.8 rainy days in Porto, 9.4 in Ponta Delgada.
- **October.** The rains come back: Lisbon 8.7 rainy days and 111 mm, Porto 11.1 days and 149 mm, Faro 6.0 days. Days are still warm (Lisbon 22.8 °C, Faro 23.3 °C) and Funchal is at 25.2 °C. A good month with a firm plan B, especially in the north.
- **November.** The wettest month by rainfall in Lisbon (134 mm, 9.9 rainy days) and Porto (166 mm, 13 days). Lisbon 18.1 °C by day. Funchal stays at 22.8 °C. Short days — after the clocks change, Lisbon’s sunset falls between about 17:15 and 17:40.
- **December.** Lisbon 15.4 °C and 10 rainy days; the wettest month in Faro (90 mm), Funchal (95 mm) and Ponta Delgada (153 mm, 15 rainy days). Funchal still averages 21.0 °C by day. Winter weddings work best indoors, or on Madeira and the Algarve between showers.

## Which places suit which months?

| Place | Driest months (fewest rainy days) | Warmest | Watch for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Lisbon & Sintra](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/lisbon) | June–August (0.6–2.0 days) | August, 28.8 °C | Rain November–January; Sintra’s hills have their own cooler, mistier weather that the city station does not show |
| [Porto & Douro](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/douro) | July–August (3.1–3.2 days) | August, 24.8 °C on the coast | 105 rainy days a year; summer fog on the coast; the Douro valley is far hotter (Régua: 32.1 °C in August) |
| [Algarve](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/algarve) | July–August (0.2 days) | July, 29.4 °C | Hot days in July–August (12–13 a month); December is the wettest month |
| [Alentejo](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/alentejo) | July–August (0.6–0.7 days) | August, 33.5 °C | Heat: 86.5 days of 30 °C or more a year; cold winter nights |
| [Madeira](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/madeira) | July–August (0.3–0.4 days in Funchal) | August, 26.8 °C | Cloudier June; only Funchal, on the south coast, is measured here — the north coast and the mountains have their own weather |
| [Azores](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/azores) | July (4.8 days) | August, 26.0 °C | Rain in every month; 122 rainy days a year |

Two favourite places differ sharply from their nearest city. The Douro valley is far hotter than Porto: IPMA’s station at Régua, on the river, averaged 32.1 °C in August with 22.3 days of 30 °C or more in 1981–2010 (its latest normals), against 24.7 °C and 3.5 days at Porto airport over the same years. Sintra’s hills keep a cooler, often misty weather of their own that no station here measures. Ask a photographer who works there how a typical day in your month goes. When you have chosen the month, [the sunset and golden-hour times](https://lensandvows.com/journal/sunset-golden-hour-portugal) tell you how to shape the day, and [photographers](https://lensandvows.com/photographers) in your region can tell you the rest.

## Questions couples ask

### What is the rainiest month in Lisbon?

By amount of rain, November: 133.9 mm on average (IPMA normals, 1991–2020). By number of rainy days, January and December, with 10.0 days of 1 mm or more each. July is the driest month, with 0.6 rainy days and 2.6 mm.

### Does it rain in Portugal in summer?

Very little on most of the mainland. In July Lisbon averages 0.6 days with 1 mm of rain or more, Faro 0.2 and Évora 0.6. Porto averages about three rainy days in July and in August, and Ponta Delgada in the Azores five to seven a month from June to August (IPMA, 1991–2020).

### How hot is the Algarve in August?

Faro averages a daily high of 29.2 °C and a low of 19.9 °C in August, with 12.4 days of 30 °C or more and 14.9 nights that stay at 20 °C or above (IPMA normals, 1991–2020). Rain is rare: 0.2 days in the month.

### What is the weather like in September for a wedding in Portugal?

Warm and mostly dry. Lisbon averages 26.6 °C by day, 17.6 °C at night and 3.8 rainy days; Faro 26.4 °C and 1.9 rainy days; Porto 23.5 °C and 5.8 rainy days (IPMA, 1991–2020). Rain becomes more likely towards the end of the month, especially in the north and the Azores.

### Is Madeira warm enough for a winter wedding?

Funchal’s average daily high never drops below 19.9 °C, even in February, and its nights average 13.9 °C or more (IPMA, 1991–2020). Winter is its wettest season, with 6–9 rainy days a month from October to January, so keep a covered option.

### When is the best weather for a wedding in the Azores?

July and August are the warmest and driest months in Ponta Delgada: highs of 24.7–26.0 °C, 4.8–6.5 rainy days and over 200 hours of sunshine a month. Rain is still possible on any day, with 122 rainy days a year, so every outdoor plan needs a covered fallback.

### Is Porto foggy in summer?

Often in the morning, on the coast. At Porto’s airport station IPMA recorded fog on 9.3 days in July, 11.6 in August and 9.7 in September on average over 1971–2000, more than in any winter month. It usually lifts during the day, but plan morning photos with that in mind.

## Sources

1. [IPMA — Normais climatológicas 1991–2020 (station list and PDFs)](https://www.ipma.pt/pt/oclima/normais.clima/1991-2020/)
2. [IPMA — Normal climatológica 1991–2020, Lisboa / Instituto Geofísico](https://www.ipma.pt/opencms/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_LISBOA_GEOFISICO.pdf)
3. [IPMA — Normal climatológica 1991–2020, Porto / Pedras Rubras](https://www.ipma.pt/opencms/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_PORTO_PEDRAS_RUBRAS.pdf)
4. [IPMA — Normal climatológica 1991–2020, Faro](https://www.ipma.pt/opencms/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_FARO.pdf)
5. [IPMA — Normal climatológica 1991–2020, Évora](https://www.ipma.pt/opencms/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_EVORA.pdf)
6. [IPMA — Normal climatológica 1991–2020, Funchal](https://www.ipma.pt/opencms/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_FUNCHAL.pdf)
7. [IPMA — Normal climatológica 1991–2020, Ponta Delgada / Observatório Afonso Chaves](https://www.ipma.pt/opencms/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_PONTA_DELGADA_OBSERVATORIO.pdf)
8. [IPMA — Normais climatológicas 1971–2000 (sunshine and fog)](https://www.ipma.pt/pt/oclima/normais.clima/1971-2000/)
9. [IPMA — Normal climatológica 1981–2010, Régua (Douro valley)](https://www.ipma.pt/opencms/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_81-10_REGUA.pdf)
10. [IPMA — Normal climatológica 1981–2010, Porto / Pedras Rubras (for the Régua comparison)](https://www.ipma.pt/opencms/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_81-10_PORTO_PEDRAS_RUBRAS.pdf)

## The places in this guide

- [Lisbon & Sintra](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/lisbon)
- [Porto & Douro](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/douro)
- [Algarve](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/algarve)
- [Alentejo](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/alentejo)
- [Madeira](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/madeira)
- [Azores](https://lensandvows.com/portugal/azores)