Ponta Delgada (Azores) weather in December

December in Ponta Delgada: nice, rainy, with clean air — a fair time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Ponta Delgada🇵🇹 Portugal · Atlantic Islands · Island57
  1. 58Jan
  2. 64Feb
  3. 70Mar
  4. 75Apr
  5. 79May
  6. 85Jun
  7. 92Jul
  8. 91Aug
  9. 88Sep
  10. 74Oct
  11. 67Nov
  12. 57Dec

#12 of 12 months in Ponta Delgada · #1040 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 57/100 (tier D)

Days
18°C
Nights
14°C
Wet days
14
Sun
6.9 h
Humidity
79%
Daylight
10 h
Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Photo: Alexandre Moreira · Pexels

Traveller notes on Ponta Delgada in December

Other months in Ponta Delgada

Regulars are specific a rain jacket is mandatory here regardless of forecast, the weather capable of running through what feels like all four seasons in a single day, with Ponta Delgada's own south-coast position making it warmer and sunnier than locations on the north coast of the same island. Our row backs that cool, genuinely wet and windy read, 19.5C over 15.1C nights feeling 13C, with a substantial 71.9mm of rain across 11.3 days and a real 27.6 kph wind. Regulars are honest that statistically September reads as a better month than this one, though late May and June both still count as genuinely good windows to visit. A warm layer for evenings alongside the rain jacket remains the standard advice throughout. The sea sits at a cool 18.6C. The record: 11.7 hours of sun, humidity 81 percent and AQI 47.
RainJacketMandatoryAllFourSeasonsOneDay · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
The phrase this board reaches for is four seasons in one day, and it means it: the weather changes constantly, the showers are intermittent, they may miss half the island and may not fall in daylight at all. June is among the better months - regulars list June through September as the driest and warmest - and our row is gentle rather than dramatic: 21.7C by day and 17.2C at night, a four-and-a-half degree range, which is what mid-ocean does to a climate. Rain is 38.4mm across 6.7 days, so the showers really are quick. The constant is wind, 24.1 kph, and the sea is 20.4C. A waterproof shell you can take off again. The record: humidity 81 percent, 12.6 hours of sun and AQI 46.
FourSeasonsInOneDay · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Ponta Delgada-forum threads on April weather agree it's one of the better months to visit, but every account leans hard on unpredictability as the defining feature: one visitor's third week of April brought genuinely sunny, lovely conditions on the main island, while other islands in the same archipelago saw wind, rain and even hail on the very same days. The standing advice is short sleeves layered under a light waterproof jacket, since a clear morning can turn to rain within the hour, and fog is common enough to factor into hiking or viewpoint plans. Posters say flexibility matters more here than in most destinations - build slack into any day trip, since a washed-out morning can still turn into a beautiful afternoon. Despite the variability, regulars call April one of the calmer, less rain-prone stretches of the year overall. The record: 17.9C days feeling like 16C, 13.7C nights, 80mm across 12.5 days, a 17.1C sea, 80 percent humidity and wind averaging nearly 33 km/h.
SaoMiguelAprilRegular · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
September has become the month Azores regulars name: ocean around 23C, air around 25, and drier than midsummer - our row gives 24.6C and a 23.6C sea. What they never stop saying is that the weather here changes inside a day and can produce several kinds of it before evening, with a storm possible in any month; our row's 10.2 precipitation days at 25 kph is that Atlantic restlessness. September also sits at the back end of the whale season, which runs roughly May to September for the big migrating whales, though sperm whales and dolphins are there year-round and the boats leave from the waterfront in the middle of town. The record: 19.7C nights, 51.8mm of rain, humidity 78 percent and 10.8 hours of sun.
FourKindsOfWeatherInADay · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Ponta Delgada climate normals — December

Daytime high18°C / 65°F😎 nice
Nighttime low14°C / 57°F
Feels like (high)16°C / 61°F
Sea temperature18°C / 65°F🧊 bracing
Rainfall133 mm / 5.2 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days14 days
Humidity79%💦 very humid
Dew point13°C / 55°F
Sunshine6.9 h/day
Daylight9.6 h
Wind35 km/h / 22 mph
Air quality (US AQI)47🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Ponta Delgada in December

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

BusyChristmas holidays in Portugal, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Ponta Delgada's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Toughest weatherPonta Delgada's weather peaks July–September.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Ponta Delgada in December

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Hazard

    Winter Atlantic storms

    1 Nov – 15 Mar · usuallyWinter storms & gales

    A few deep Atlantic storms each winter bring gales, heavy rain and rough seas for a day or two; flights to the other islands and the mainland are cancelled and harbours close. Leave a buffer day before an onward flight. Source ↗

  • Festival

    Christmas in Ponta Delgada

    25 Nov – 6 Jan · usuallyChristmas & New Year

    The Portas da Cidade and Campo de Sao Francisco are lit from late November, with a Christmas market, a giant tree, rides for children and a shop-window contest in early December, through to the New Year. Source ↗

  • Nature

    Camellias at Terra Nostra

    15 Dec – 31 Mar · usuallyWildflowers & blooms

    Terra Nostra Park in Furnas, about 45 minutes' drive away, holds hundreds of camellia varieties that flower through winter and usually peak in February, a good pairing with its warm iron-rich pool on a grey day. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Where is Ponta Delgada?

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Ponta Delgada in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Ponta Delgada?
December in Ponta Delgada: nice, rainy, with clean air — a fair time to visit. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Ponta Delgada on SeasonMap's comfort score (57/100).
What is the weather like in Ponta Delgada in December?
In December, Ponta Delgada averages a daily high of 18.3°C and a low of 14.1°C, with about 132.9 mm of rain over roughly 14.3 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Ponta Delgada in December?
Ponta Delgada has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 47 in December.