19-12-2018 - DREM updates the time series of temperature and precipitation with data for 2017

DREM updates the time series of temperature and precipitation with data for 2017

The Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) releases today on its website, the time series of temperature and precipitation, updated with information for 2017. These data is provided to Statistics Portugal (INE) by the Portuguese Institute of for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), partially by request of DREM.

In 2017, the annual precipitation stood at 377.0 mm in Funchal (647.1 mm in 2016) and at 366.9 mm in Porto Santo (498.4 mm in 2016). 2010 remains as the year in which the highest precipitation levels of the period were recorded, both in Funchal (1,535.3 mm) and in Porto Santo (588.4 mm).

In 2017, there were 324 rainless days in Funchal (up by 15 days from 2016) and 318 days in Porto Santo (up by 27 from 2016). In Porto Santo this was the highest result ever in the 2004-2017 period, while in Funchal only in 2004 a higher number of rainless days was registered.

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In the year of 2017, April was the month in which the highest precipitation levels were observed in Funchal (104.6 mm). In Porto Santo, February (83.8 mm) was the wettest month. By contrast, in the months of June, July, August and September no precipitation was recorded in Funchal, while in Porto Santo, the month with the lowest precipitation was June (0.2 mm).

In the last 41 years, the annual average temperatures in Funchal ranged between 18.1°C (temperature recorded in 1976 and 1984) and 20.6°C (in 2004). However, in 2017, the annual average temperature was the highest since 2005. In Porto Santo, in the period between 2004 and 2017, this indicator registered its lowest point in 2004 (17.6°C) and its highest in 2017 with 19.7°C.

August was the warmest month of 2017 in both meteorological stations, with medium monthly average temperatures of 23.9°C in Funchal and 23.0°C in Porto Santo. By contrast, February was the coldest month, registering medium monthly average temperatures of 17.2°C in Funchal and 15.9°C in Porto Santo.

In 2017, the number of tropical nights - in which the temperature reached 20°C or more - was 102 (78 in 2016) in Funchal, while in Porto Santo stood at 62 (67 in 2016).