Portugal

What's the weather like in Portugal in May?

Located on the Iberian Peninsula surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and neighbouring Spain, Portugal is Europe’s furthest-west country. This means it enjoys a lovely climate that’s approaching the peak summer months in May; you'll get lots of sun at this time, without the busier crowds that come a bit later in the year.

Climatic variances

Portugal has different weather across different regions. The south has fairly typical Mediterranean weather, while the Gulf Stream warms things up further along the west coast. Coastal spots are cooled by breezes and Atlantic winds, while inland temperatures are generally a bit higher. Madeira’s a popular island with great weather, which sits off the northwest coast of Africa and is hotter than mainland Portugal.

Averages

Capital Lisbon gives a good idea of the weather in Portugal, and has an average high temperature of 22ºC in May. You should bring some warmer things for the evenings as this typically falls to 13ºC at night. The expected sea temperature’s 17ºC, while humidity’s low and normal rainfall’s 39mm over eight rainy days. You can expect 14 long hours of daylight with nine hours of sunshine each day, while UV levels will be very high so don’t forget the sun cream. Sunset’s just before 8.30pm at the start of the month, gradually getting later.