Santa Cruz climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 17.7 °C and it receives 493 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Santa Cruz?

The hottest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 20 July 1941, reaching 28.3 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Santa Cruz?

The coldest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 14 February 1981, at 8.3 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Santa Cruz?

Almost never: Santa Cruz sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Q: Has the climate of Santa Cruz warmed?

Yes: Santa Cruz warmed by +0.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Santa Cruz?

The wettest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 4 November 1941, with 108 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Santa Cruz?

The windiest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 12 January 1999, with winds reaching 51.8 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Santa Cruz?

The warmest month in Santa Cruz is August (21.2 °C on average); the coldest is February (14.8 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz receives on average 493 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 105 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz gets on average 11.1 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,052 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Santa Cruz (Portugal) has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Csb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 17.7 °C and it receives 493 mm of precipitation per year.

These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.

The warmest month is August (21.2 °C on average) and the coldest is February (14.8 °C). Rainfall peaks in November.

Santa Cruz averages 0 frost days, 0 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 105 rainy days per year.

Santa Cruz has warmed by +0.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.10 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 28.3 °C (on 20 July 1941) and the coldest 8.3 °C (on 14 February 1981).

Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.

Climate normals · ERA5

Santa CruzMadeira

coords: 32.69°, -16.79°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

CsbWarm-summer MediterraneanWarmest monthAugustColdest monthFebruaryWettest monthNovemberDriest monthJuly

Mean daily temperature

17.7°C

Average daily high

18.8°C

Average daily low

16.7°C

Annual rainfall

493mm

Sunshine / day

11.1h

Mean relative humidity

77%

Average peak wind

19.3km/h

Seasonal range

6.4°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

0 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

105 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

18.7 °C

Average feels-like low

15.4 °C

Average peak gust

35.8 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

43 d/yr

Solar radiation

17.8 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+0.8 °C

since 1940

+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.28 · p = < 0.001

19402025

Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).

A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.

Records for the period

Hottest day

28.3 °C

20 July 1941

Coldest day

8.3 °C

14 February 1981

Wettest day

108 mm

4 November 1941

Windiest day

51.8 km/h

12 January 1999

Strongest gust

118.4 km/h

27 February 2010

Hottest feels-like

32.8 °C

20 July 1941

Coldest feels-like

2.4 °C

14 March 2022

Sunniest day

13.9 h

26 June 2025

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall
2025	26.1 °C19 September 2025	11.9 °C2 April 2025	18.4 °C	459 mm
2024	25.4 °C9 October 2024	11.8 °C29 March 2024	19.0 °C	391 mm
2023	27.4 °C8 October 2023	11.8 °C15 February 2023	19.2 °C	407 mm
2022	25.4 °C24 July 2022	9.6 °C14 March 2022	18.3 °C	460 mm
2021	25.0 °C6 September 2021	10.9 °C8 January 2021	18.2 °C	392 mm
2020	25.2 °C20 August 2020	11.7 °C26 November 2020	18.3 °C	489 mm
2019	25.5 °C8 August 2019	11.6 °C16 December 2019	18.2 °C	225 mm
2018	24.1 °C6 August 2018	11.4 °C29 January 2018	17.7 °C	428 mm
2017	25.5 °C14 October 2017	11.4 °C12 February 2017	18.2 °C	286 mm
2016	25.6 °C8 August 2016	10.6 °C19 February 2016	18.0 °C	350 mm
2015	25.1 °C16 September 2015	11.1 °C9 February 2015	17.9 °C	335 mm
2014	26.1 °C4 September 2014	10.4 °C28 March 2014	17.9 °C	384 mm
2013	25.6 °C10 July 2013	12.3 °C28 February 2013	17.9 °C	318 mm
2012	25.9 °C26 June 2012	11.9 °C5 February 2012	18.2 °C	462 mm
2011	24.5 °C31 August 2011	8.8 °C15 March 2011	17.6 °C	423 mm
2010	26.5 °C30 August 2010	11.8 °C28 January 2010	18.0 °C	711 mm
2009	25.2 °C30 July 2009	10.6 °C30 January 2009	18.0 °C	505 mm
2008	24.4 °C5 September 2008	12.6 °C1 November 2008	17.9 °C	423 mm
2007	26.5 °C29 July 2007	11.4 °C13 March 2007	17.7 °C	357 mm
2006	27.1 °C4 September 2006	12.0 °C29 January 2006	18.0 °C	414 mm
2005	25.0 °C4 September 2005	10.5 °C1 March 2005	17.6 °C	490 mm
2004	27.8 °C25 July 2004	12.3 °C2 May 2004	18.2 °C	369 mm
2003	25.4 °C14 August 2003	11.9 °C21 March 2003	18.1 °C	385 mm
2002	24.5 °C19 August 2002	10.2 °C2 March 2002	17.9 °C	449 mm
2001	24.9 °C25 August 2001	12.0 °C20 February 2001	18.2 °C	479 mm
2000	24.2 °C15 September 2000	10.1 °C15 January 2000	17.4 °C	380 mm
1999	25.9 °C5 August 1999	9.8 °C11 January 1999	17.8 °C	469 mm
1998	25.0 °C6 September 1998	11.9 °C30 January 1998	18.1 °C	340 mm
1997	24.0 °C11 September 1997	10.5 °C21 January 1997	18.1 °C	487 mm
1996	24.4 °C14 July 1996	10.6 °C10 March 1996	17.4 °C	634 mm
1995	24.6 °C9 September 1995	11.5 °C11 March 1995	18.3 °C	456 mm
1994	23.5 °C8 August 1994	11.4 °C20 January 1994	17.6 °C	237 mm
1993	23.7 °C5 September 1993	10.2 °C29 January 1993	17.1 °C	412 mm
1992	23.9 °C28 August 1992	10.3 °C22 February 1992	17.4 °C	401 mm
1991	24.8 °C8 September 1991	10.2 °C18 February 1991	17.4 °C	408 mm
1990	27.3 °C6 August 1990	10.9 °C7 April 1990	17.7 °C	560 mm
1989	24.3 °C14 August 1989	11.6 °C11 January 1989	17.7 °C	513 mm
1988	26.5 °C9 September 1988	9.2 °C29 February 1988	17.3 °C	400 mm
1987	26.4 °C14 September 1987	11.3 °C28 January 1987	18.1 °C	558 mm
1986	25.0 °C11 September 1986	10.2 °C2 March 1986	17.1 °C	389 mm
1985	24.6 °C30 September 1985	11.0 °C23 February 1985	17.6 °C	600 mm
1984	23.4 °C5 September 1984	11.2 °C28 February 1984	17.0 °C	586 mm
1983	25.5 °C6 September 1983	9.1 °C13 February 1983	17.5 °C	443 mm
1982	24.8 °C10 August 1982	11.8 °C12 January 1982	17.3 °C	339 mm
1981	23.9 °C27 August 1981	8.3 °C14 February 1981	17.4 °C	360 mm
1980	24.9 °C26 August 1980	11.2 °C15 January 1980	17.6 °C	428 mm
1979	23.3 °C4 September 1979	10.3 °C5 January 1979	17.2 °C	645 mm
1978	25.1 °C23 July 1978	10.4 °C15 January 1978	17.3 °C	475 mm
1977	24.0 °C23 September 1977	9.7 °C30 December 1977	17.3 °C	461 mm
1976	26.3 °C10 August 1976	10.6 °C20 February 1976	17.2 °C	638 mm
1975	23.6 °C11 August 1975	10.1 °C4 December 1975	17.1 °C	615 mm
1974	23.8 °C11 September 1974	10.2 °C27 March 1974	16.9 °C	466 mm
1973	24.2 °C13 September 1973	11.0 °C11 March 1973	17.0 °C	618 mm
1972	24.5 °C7 August 1972	9.6 °C21 February 1972	16.7 °C	631 mm
1971	25.0 °C15 October 1971	10.1 °C30 March 1971	16.9 °C	565 mm
1970	23.7 °C3 September 1970	11.3 °C28 February 1970	17.2 °C	844 mm
1969	24.9 °C25 July 1969	11.0 °C2 April 1969	17.4 °C	691 mm
1968	24.7 °C21 July 1968	9.7 °C9 March 1968	17.4 °C	681 mm
1967	23.9 °C25 September 1967	10.7 °C10 February 1967	17.3 °C	651 mm
1966	26.4 °C20 August 1966	11.5 °C18 December 1966	17.7 °C	551 mm
1965	24.3 °C12 August 1965	10.4 °C6 January 1965	17.4 °C	601 mm
1964	23.9 °C23 September 1964	11.6 °C1 April 1964	17.5 °C	541 mm
1963	23.5 °C30 September 1963	10.4 °C5 February 1963	17.2 °C	600 mm
1962	25.6 °C31 August 1962	11.3 °C24 March 1962	17.5 °C	535 mm
1961	27.5 °C27 August 1961	11.5 °C18 March 1961	18.1 °C	352 mm
1960	24.7 °C17 August 1960	10.6 °C28 January 1960	17.9 °C	451 mm
1959	25.2 °C18 August 1959	10.8 °C3 March 1959	17.1 °C	570 mm
1958	24.9 °C17 October 1958	11.6 °C17 January 1958	17.6 °C	487 mm
1957	26.2 °C6 September 1957	9.8 °C19 January 1957	17.3 °C	560 mm
1956	24.7 °C4 August 1956	10.9 °C24 February 1956	17.1 °C	693 mm
1955	24.3 °C25 August 1955	10.1 °C11 March 1955	18.1 °C	568 mm
1954	25.4 °C18 October 1954	8.9 °C4 February 1954	17.1 °C	531 mm
1953	25.2 °C10 September 1953	11.7 °C4 December 1953	17.6 °C	625 mm
1952	26.1 °C10 October 1952	10.9 °C27 January 1952	17.6 °C	505 mm
1951	23.7 °C4 September 1951	10.5 °C11 February 1951	17.5 °C	527 mm
1950	23.7 °C6 August 1950	10.7 °C28 January 1950	17.6 °C	557 mm
1949	25.5 °C3 August 1949	11.4 °C9 March 1949	18.1 °C	628 mm
1948	24.1 °C7 August 1948	12.1 °C20 February 1948	17.9 °C	413 mm
1947	23.6 °C17 August 1947	10.5 °C31 January 1947	17.8 °C	415 mm
1946	25.6 °C15 September 1946	11.7 °C5 March 1946	17.5 °C	372 mm
1945	23.8 °C23 July 1945	10.1 °C14 January 1945	17.5 °C	508 mm
1944	24.3 °C31 July 1944	11.0 °C11 March 1944	17.5 °C	603 mm
1943	25.5 °C9 August 1943	9.8 °C28 February 1943	17.2 °C	576 mm
1942	25.7 °C20 September 1942	10.9 °C9 February 1942	17.4 °C	760 mm
1941	28.3 °C20 July 1941	10.6 °C15 February 1941	17.8 °C	501 mm
1940	24.5 °C1 September 1940	11.3 °C29 February 1940	17.6 °C	595 mm

Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.

A specific year

Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

19.5 °C

+0.7 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

0 d/yr

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

459 mm

-34 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	17.6 °C	+1.5 °C	33 mm	-29 mm
Feb	17.0 °C	+1.2 °C	31 mm	-25 mm
Mar	16.1 °C	0.0 °C	86 mm	+30 mm
Apr	17.1 °C	+0.5 °C	48 mm	+8 mm
May	18.4 °C	+0.5 °C	52 mm	+31 mm
Jun	21.0 °C	+1.1 °C	11 mm	-3 mm
Jul	22.4 °C	+0.8 °C	9 mm	+2 mm
Aug	22.9 °C	+0.3 °C	10 mm	-1 mm
Sep	22.8 °C	+0.5 °C	23 mm	-5 mm
Oct	21.8 °C	+1.0 °C	31 mm	-27 mm
Nov	19.6 °C	+0.9 °C	56 mm	-15 mm
Dec	17.5 °C	+0.5 °C	69 mm	-0 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

26.1 °C

19 Sep 2025

Coldest day

11.9 °C

2 Apr 2025

Wettest day

25.5 mm

9 Dec 2025

Windiest day

50.5 km/h

12 Dec 2025

Strongest gust

98.6 km/h

12 Dec 2025

Hottest feels-like

29.4 °C

20 Sep 2025

Coldest feels-like

6.2 °C

12 Dec 2025

Sunniest day

13.9 h

26 Jun 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 17.7 °C and it receives 493 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Santa Cruz?

The hottest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 20 July 1941, reaching 28.3 °C.

What is the coldest day in Santa Cruz?

The coldest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 14 February 1981, at 8.3 °C.

Does it snow in Santa Cruz?

Almost never: Santa Cruz sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Has the climate of Santa Cruz warmed?

Yes: Santa Cruz warmed by +0.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Santa Cruz?

The wettest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 4 November 1941, with 108 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Santa Cruz?

The windiest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 12 January 1999, with winds reaching 51.8 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Santa Cruz?

The warmest month in Santa Cruz is August (21.2 °C on average); the coldest is February (14.8 °C).

How much does it rain in Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz receives on average 493 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 105 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz gets on average 11.1 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,052 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Santa Cruz?

Yes: Santa Cruz has on average 43 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Santa Cruz?

In Santa Cruz, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 32.8 °C on 20 July 1941, and the lowest was 2.4 °C on 14 March 2022.

Compare Santa Cruz with another city

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