By Azores Tourist · Published
Azores weather by month: temperatures, rain and trip planning
Compare monthly weather at coastal Ponta Delgada, understand why island and elevation matter, and plan around rain, cloud and disrupted connections.
What weather should you expect in the Azores?
The Azores have mild coastal temperatures throughout the year, with a drier summer and wetter autumn and winter. For a general outdoor holiday, June to September is our starting recommendation. At Ponta Delgada, the average daily maximum rises from 17.4°C in February to 26.0°C in August; July has the lowest average monthly rainfall. Those numbers describe one low-altitude station on São Miguel. They are not a forecast for all nine islands, and they do not tell you whether a crater viewpoint, mountain trail or ferry crossing will be usable on a particular day. Plan the season with climate figures; make daily decisions with local forecasts, warnings and route information.
Monthly weather at Ponta Delgada, São Miguel
Scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Compare | Average daily high / low | Average monthly rainfall |
|---|---|---|
| January | 17.5°C / 12.7°C | 102.1 mm |
| February | 17.4°C / 12.1°C | 87.2 mm |
| March | 17.9°C / 12.6°C | 97.1 mm |
| April | 18.8°C / 13.3°C | 79.6 mm |
| May | 20.2°C / 14.6°C | 61.0 mm |
| June | 22.4°C / 16.8°C | 44.4 mm |
| July | 24.7°C / 18.9°C | 26.0 mm |
| August | 26.0°C / 19.9°C | 45.8 mm |
| September | 25.0°C / 19.1°C | 78.2 mm |
| October | 22.6°C / 17.1°C | 118.0 mm |
| November | 19.9°C / 14.9°C | 95.3 mm |
| December | 18.3°C / 13.4°C | 152.8 mm |
How to read the monthly figures
The table uses IPMA’s 1991–2020 climate-normal tables for Observatório Afonso Chaves, at 35 metres in Ponta Delgada. High and low mean the average daily maximum and minimum, not a guaranteed daily range. Rainfall is a monthly total, not the chance of rain on each day. July averages 4.8 days with at least 1 mm of rain; October averages 13.7. A day in that count can contain dry hours as well as rain. November is cooler than October but has a lower rainfall total at this station: the autumn pattern is not a simple increase every month. These long-term averages cannot identify the driest week of your trip.
IPMA: station tables and definitionsA Ponta Delgada forecast is not a mountain forecast
A temperature for the coast is a poor basis for choosing clothing or conditions on Pico Mountain. Equally, a town forecast does not promise a clear view into Sete Cidades or Lagoa do Fogo. Keep a high-viewpoint day movable rather than assigning your only chance to the first morning. For island hopping, use the forecast for each island you will visit. IPMA separates weather warnings into the eastern, central and western Azores groups. Read the applicable group, warning period and hazard; a rain warning and a coastal-event warning answer different travel questions. This guide does not reproduce live warnings.
Open IPMA warnings and select the relevant Azores groupWhat to change when rain, wind or cloud arrives
For low cloud without a weather warning, move the lake-viewpoint plan to a clearer opportunity and keep the current day closer to your base. On São Miguel, Ponta Delgada town time or a shorter Furnas outing can be more useful than repeatedly driving to an obscured rim. These are alternatives, not promises of dry weather. For a heavy-rain, wind or coastal warning, remove exposed walks and sea-dependent outings from the day until current guidance supports them. Do not treat a thermal pool or waterfall as automatically safe because it is a rainy-day suggestion. An attraction may close independently of the road or town around it.
Walking: check closure notices as well as weather
Use the official Azores Trails alerts for the exact named route before leaving. A route can be closed even when the forecast improves, and a route absent from a closure list is not a personal safety assessment. Match the route’s terrain, ascent and exposure to your ability and the conditions. Keep a shorter, lower-level alternative in the same part of the island. A remote linear walk can also need a collection at the other end; do not use a fair-weather estimate as the only plan for getting back.
Official Azores Trails closure noticesBuild recovery time into island connections
Search ferries by actual port, direction and date. Atlânticoline’s timetable search distinguishes passenger seats from vehicle space; the existence of a route in a menu is not a daily sailing guarantee. A pleasant land forecast also does not establish a suitable sea state. Our planning recommendation is to return to the island of your important onward flight before departure day and leave a recovery day where the consequences of a missed connection are high. That reduces dependence on one crossing or flight; it cannot guarantee recovery after prolonged disruption.
Search Atlânticoline by date and portsWhat to pack for a mixed-weather week
Bring a waterproof outer layer, a light insulating layer and footwear suited to the actual walks, rather than packing only for the afternoon high in the table. Carry rain protection with you on excursions and keep a dry change of clothes available for the return. For a boat outing, account for wind and spray even when the town feels warm. Mountain equipment and requirements belong to a separate ascent plan; ordinary sightseeing clothes do not become suitable because the coast is mild.
Choose activities as well as temperatures
Compare the spring whale-migration window, summer diving guidance and the implications for a walking-led holiday.
Best time to visit the AzoresOctober: mild days with a wetter trip pattern
Use the October guide for a São Miguel-first plan and the trade-offs of adding Pico and Faial.
Plan an October visitNovember: choose a stay that works without a boat trip
See how to arrange a flexible November week without relying on an inter-island circuit.
Plan a November visit