Madeira is not a particularly hot holiday resort. Its climate is quite mild compared to Mediterranean countries. As such, many people may wonder if its temperatures accompanied by strong gusts may not make it so Madeira gets really cold and unpleasant. As such, we’ll go over just how windy Madeira actually is so you can see whether you have anything to worry about.
Is Madeira windy?
The strength of wind in Madeira is usually moderate, as with everything on the island – depending on the month we’re looking at, the average speed varies from 11-14 miles per hour. The strongest winds are recorded from December to March. The common wind in Madeira is northerly or north-easterly and can be felt most vividly in the higher parts of the island.
Do strong gusts happen in Madeira? Occasionally, yes, and it can even disrupt air traffic. This happened in February 2022 when a yellow alert was issued in Madeira due to strong wind gusts. Still, it’s not like this type of thing happens every day, so it’s a rather extreme example.
Are there tropical winds in Madeira?
Apart from the standard question of windiness in Madeira, we can also mention a wind-related phenomenon in Madeira – leste. Leste is a hot, dry wind blowing from the Sahara. It brings little specks of sand from the desert and its appearance is associated with very short-lived heatwaves.
But yes, Madeira is certainly windy enough for a jacket or at least a hoodie being warranted when packing for your holiday. Even if gusts don’t issue a yellow warning during your trip, Madeira can still get a bit brisk in given areas, so they’ll come in handy.
See also:
