The second largest city in Portugal, located on the country’s northern coast, Porto, has a mixed temperate oceanic and Mediterranean climate, characterized by warm summers and mild winters.
Travellers familiar with the climate of other parts of Portugal will surely notice that the temperatures in Porto are usually slightly lower than in Lisbon. The difference is even more noticeable when compared to the sunny Algarve in the south.
It is always a bit more chilly in Porto, although the moderating influence of the large body of water, the Atlantic Ocean, makes the temperatures here still less extreme, both in winter and summer, than in the interior of the Portuguese North.
The average daytime temperatures are of about 14 degrees Celsius in the winter and 25 degrees during summer.
When preparing your trip to Porto, always check current weather conditions and forecast at a reliable source (for example BBC Porto Weather).
Below, you can find a very general outline of Porto weather during different seasons.
Porto weather in the winter
The common characteristic of all seasons in Porto is the high humidity of a city cradled between the River Douro and the Atlantic Ocean. The winter in Porto is usually rainy and cold, being December the month with the most precipitation and January the coldest month of the year in this part of Portugal.
During winter you can expect between 15 and 18 rainy days per month in Porto and the temperatures between 5 degrees Celsius on the colder days and 20 degrees on warm and cloudless (and rare) days.
Porto cityscape:
Spring in Porto
The temperatures start gradually increasing in Porto from March, often reaching 18-20 degrees Celsius during the day around mid-May. While in March and April there is still a lot of rainy days, in May the chance of precipitation decreases and significantly and the sunny periods extend.
Porto – summer in the city
July and August are the hottest months in Porto, although even during this period the temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Thanks to the proximity of the ocean, even during the heat waves often experienced in Portugal in the summer season, the temperatures in Porto can rarely ever be described as oppressive heat.
Rain is very rare in Porto during summer and even if it does happen, usually doesn’t last long.
July is the month with the most sunny hours, approximately 10 per day, in Porto.
If you have experienced and enjoy warm summer nights in other parts of Portugal, the climate of Porto may be somewhat of a disappointment. At nights the temperatures decrease significantly and a light jacket becomes a must if you are planning to be outdoors after sunset.
Find more information about Porto climate (max. and min. temperatures, rain, sunny days, etc).
Autumn – great time for off-season holiday in Porto
The months between September and November are a good time to visit Porto for those who prefer to avoid tourist crowds and hot weather in the city.
In September, the temperatures of 20+ degrees Celsius during daytime are common during the day in decreasing slowly as the winter approaches. The cooling down of the temperatures is accompanied by the each time cloudier skies, increased humidity and more rainy days, even 18 per month, in November and December.
Please not that also the water temperature is slightly lower in Porto area than in other parts of the Portuguese coast. During the best months for sea bathing in Porto, in August and September, the temperature of the waters in the Atlantic ocean rarely exceeds 18 degrees Celsius.
