Surface air temperature in downtown Funchal recorded rare values below 9 ºC
The sharp drop in temperatures in the early hours of Thursday morning in Madeira created the perception of an exceptional event, especially in Funchal. But was it, in fact, the coldest day ever recorded in the city? The answer requires context — and historical data helps to clarify.
The source of the doubt lies in the values recorded at the beginning of the morning. The Observatory and Lido stations, in downtown Funchal, recorded 8.8 ºC between 05:20 and 05:40, an unusual value for a coastal city with a mild climate like Funchal. In addition, the wind chill was amplified by a prolonged cool night, contributing to the idea of a possible record.
However, historical records from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) show a different reality.
The climatological series from Funchal/Observatory, dating back to the mid-20th century, reveals that there have been several episodes with lower minimum temperatures. The lowest value in the entire series is 7.3 ºC, recorded on February 4, 1954. Over the following decades, several occurrences below 9 ºC were repeated, including 7.4 ºC (1981), 7.5 ºC (1957), 7.7 ºC (1972) and 7.8 ºC (also in 1972).
Even looking at more recent periods, there are records of temperatures lower than this Thursday’s value. On March 15, 2011, the minimum temperature dropped to 8.5 ºC, confirming that the value now observed — although low — is not unprecedented.
This context allows for a more rigorous interpretation: this morning’s episode was not the coldest ever recorded in Funchal, but it is part of a series of infrequent occurrences. In fact, it has been about 15 years since the last time the temperature dropped to such low (or lower) values at that station.
Another way to interpret the data reinforces this rarity: although there are several historical records of lower values, their concentration occurs mainly between the 1950s and 1980s, with fewer episodes in recent decades. This suggests that, in the recent climatic context, values below 9°C are less common, although not unprecedented.
It is also important to distinguish between “rare value” and “record value”. A rare value may occur sporadically over decades, while a record implies an absolute extreme that has never been surpassed — which is clearly not the case here.
In the higher altitude areas of Madeira, the contrast with historical records is even more evident. At Pico do Areeiro, temperatures of -3.3 ºC were recorded, while at Chão do Areeiro, historical records indicate temperatures as low as -7.0 ºC, especially in the early 1990s. Even considering that the available lists only highlight the most severe extremes, it is safe to say that substantially colder episodes have occurred.
This point is relevant from a journalistic standpoint: the absence of complete intermediate values prevents us from stating whether the value of -3.3 ºC is the lowest in recent decades, but it does allow us to guarantee that it is not a historical minimum.
In summary, the data shows that the early hours of Thursday morning were undoubtedly cold and unusual in Funchal, especially in the context of recent years. However, there is no evidence to support the idea of an absolute record.
Public perception of an “unprecedented” event largely results from a combination of low values, less frequent recent occurrences of these episodes, and the direct experience of the population—factors that, while relevant, do not replace long-term climatological analysis.