Weather Porto
Porto, or better known among the Portuguese as Oporto, is Portugal's second largest city and one of the world's most recent top holiday destinations. It is a city with an impressive historical and cultural heritage, dating back to the days of the ancient Roman Empire, and it thrives on mild weather, with a maritime climate best known for its warm to hot summers and cool, rainy winters. You can check our 14 day forecast here, but in the meantime let us tell you why this is an excellent choice for your holiday pretty much any time of the year.
Porto is situated in the northern part of Portugal, on the Douro River estuary, as it flows into the majestic Atlantic Ocean. With a chain of northern and eastern mountains bordering with Spain and hindering the airflow from Mediterranean regions, this northern part of Portugal is not as warm as the Algarve, or southern region, but it is equally charming and perfect for those who don't really enjoy the scorching summers typical to the parts towards the Straits of Gibraltar and north-African neighboring countries. Porto benefits from four gentle seasons, ranging from dry and comfortably hot to cool and humid with consistent precipitation.
Spring Weather In Porto
Temperature
From March until May, Porto's springs are warm but surprisingly unpredictable, with average high temperatures growing from 16°C in March, to 17°C in April and up to 19°C in May, and frequent but moderate rainfall. Temperatures are mainly subject to the capricious sun, which can sometimes burn hot enough to go well over the usual averages in the last month of spring; with 8 hours of sunshine per day. Temperatures can also drop below the average of 14°C if the sky is covered in clouds.
Sea Temperature
The Atlantic Ocean is not known for its warm temperatures at around just 15°C, reason for which spring is certainly not considered a good season for swimming.
Summer Weather In Porto
Spreading over four months, from June all the way until the end of September, summers in Porto are very warm, but rarely scorching or too dry, given the ocean breeze.
Temperature
There is an abundance of sunshine during this period, with barely any rainfall, and record high temperatures often reach 30°C, with normal high averages between 22°C and 24°C.
Sunshine Hours
You can experience up to 11 hours of sunshine in August, and given the low humidity in the region during this time of the year, you are most likely to enjoy cool nights throughout the gorgeous summer lows hover around 14°C.
Sea Temperature
Given that it's the North Atlantic Ocean you're dealing with here, don't expect sub-tropical waters, but the best month for swimming is definitely September, when the water temperature exceeds the 18°C average mark.
Autumn Weather In Porto
Temperature
October and November bring along a mild autumn with lower average temperatures around 16°C. It gets increasingly wet though, and expect it to get as cool as single digits on November nights.
Alongside chilly nights, swimming becomes quite the challenge, and towards the end of October you will easily observe the increase in clouds, loss of sunshine and onset of heavy showers as winter comes along. For example, precipitation maxes out at 160mm per month this season, so bring an umbrella!
Winter Weather In Porto
Sunshine Hours
Lasting from December until the end of February, winter in Porto is always cool and wet, with barely 4 hours of sunshine a day, and consistent heavy rainfall.
Rain
December in fact is the wettest month of the year, measuring up to 180mm. The average high temperature hangs around 14°C, but the lower end will reach 4°C in months like January, or even the first week of February. There hasn't been any frost recorded over the past 100 years in Porto, so other than a little chill and a red nose, don't expect any snowfall in these parts of Portugal.
Resort Information
This overall gentle climate is generally attributed to Porto's positioning on the North Atlantic coastline, as well as Portugal's diverse topography. The average humidity throughout the year stays comfortable at 70-80%, and wind speeds measure between 4 and 5m/s, the latter better felt throughout autumn and winter. The cool currents and trade winds often moderate the heat throughout the year, making it one of the top locations to enjoy the cultural and gastronomical treasures this country has to offer.
This jumble of shapes and sizes, a kaleidoscope of medieval landmarks, proud bell towers, baroque churches, artistic buildings framed by narrow streets and staircases, is one of Portugal's most treasured cities. The Ribeira district alone, Porto's historical center, is the subject for millions of trips throughout the year, as it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, riddled with vintage storefronts, village-style plazas and massive Roman ruins hidden beneath its foundations. Although its young and rich have mostly fled to seaside suburbs, the Tripeiros (Porto's residents) have helped the city grow and literally bloom into a marvelous tourist destination, through an intensive process of rejuvenation over the past two decades.
You'll definitely be pleased with its efficient metro system, and thanks to low cost airlines, you'll most certainly pick Porto as a top weekend getaway destination. This wonderful city has a prominent football culture, thanks to its F.C. Porto; but most importantly, this is the birth place of Port wine, and thus a Mecca for wine aficionados worldwide.
You'll certainly want to explore the wine caves in Vila Nova da Gaia, and rest assured that you'll get a fine taste of Portugal's delicious cuisine every 5m in whichever direction you pick, as there is an abundance of cafes, terraces and tapas bars ready to delight your senses. Porto is certainly one of Europe's most notable gastronomical centers and Portugal's food capital, many of its award-winning chefs are not fearful of mixing traditional flavors with contemporary twists.
There are also wonderful venues scattered all over the city, playing a delightful variety of rock, jazz and electronic music; and you'll most definitely want to visit Porto's amazing museums, particularly Alvaro Siza Vieira's Museo de Arte Contemporanea and Rem Koolhaas' Casa de Musica.
While its summertime plazas often turn into bustling and vibrant block parties, sizzling with meaty barbecues and crisp wines and cocktails, Porto also has a peaceful, quiet and romantic side to it, particularly in its historic center and down by the Douro River. You'll find yourself mesmerized by lines of laundry in the wind on the riverfront, and feet shuffling down the cobblestone in the Ribeira District; you'll probably fall in love with Porto's landmark bridges and park fountains.
This is a city with deep cultural fingerprints dating not only from Roman and Spanish occupation, but also from Moorish Muslim invasions of the 8th century. Landmark monuments such as the Ponte de Dom Luis - designed by Seyrig, the Maria Pia - a railway bridge designed by Eiffel in partnership with Seyrig, and the Central Railway Station of Sao Bento all stand as beautiful and lavish feats of architectural prowess which further testifies in favor of Porto's impressive growth as a maritime center and point of interest.
Its beauty and diversity continues to unravel itself to this day, not only through its food, its art and its cultural events, but through the facades of its buildings, a mélange of Baroque and stone walls, sprinkled with graffiti's and posters in its more urban areas. Whichever way you will go, Porto will have something to dazzle you with.