Ponta Delgada weather in January

In January, Ponta Delgada sees average daytime highs of 16°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 102 mm of rain across 13.3 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 16°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 24 min at the start of January to 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Ponta Delgada's 12th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ponta Delgada's year-round climate.

Daytime high
16°
9th warmest
Overnight low
14°
4th coldest
Rainfall
102 mm
13.3 wet days
Daylight
9 h 42 min
8:02 AM – 5:42 PM
Cloud cover
69%
12th clearest
Wind
27 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.5
out of 10

Ponta Delgada is city seat of Ponta Delgada municipality, Azores, Portugal.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 16°C through the month.

A typical January day in Ponta Delgada reaches about 16°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 17°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and on par with February.

10°13°15°18°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11615
21615
31615
41615
51615
61615
71615
81615
91615
101615
111615
121615
131615
141615
151614
161614
171614
181614
191614
201614
211614
221614
231614
241614
251614
261614
271614
281614
291614
301614
311614

Ponta Delgada weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan16° / 14°10213.39.74.5
Feb15° / 14°8610.610.54.4
Mar15° / 14°9712.211.74.5
Apr16° / 14°731012.94.8
May17° / 16°649.3145.6
Jun19° / 18°406.914.66.6
Jul21° / 20°184.714.37.6
Aug23° / 21°346.213.57.6
Sep22° / 21°589.912.36.8
Oct20° / 19°10813.9115.8
Nov18° / 17°8210.8105.6
Dec17° / 15°14414.79.44.7

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 63%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13961
23961
33961
43961
53862
63961
73961
83862
93862
103862
113862
123862
133763
143763
153763
163763
173664
183763
193763
203763
213763
223664
233763
243763
253664
263664
273664
283664
293565
303565
313565

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Ponta Delgada gets around 102 mm of rain over 13.3 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 43% and peaks near 49% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
149
249
349
449
549
649
749
849
948
1048
1147
1246
1345
1444
1543
1642
1741
1840
1940
2039
2138
2238
2337
2437
2537
2636
2736
2836
2937
3037
3137

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 62% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
155396
256386
356386
457385
557385
658375
759374
859374
960364
1061363
1161363
1261363
1361363
1462362
1563352
1663352
1763352
1863352
1963352
2064342
2164342
2265332
2365332
2466322
2566322
2667312
2767312
2868302
2968302
3068302
3168302

Wind in January

Winds average 27 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 26 km/h on the calmest days to 28 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
128breezy
228breezy
328breezy
428breezy
528breezy
628breezy
728breezy
828breezy
928breezy
1028breezy
1127breezy
1227breezy
1327breezy
1427breezy
1527breezy
1627breezy
1727breezy
1827breezy
1927breezy
2026breezy
2126breezy
2226breezy
2326breezy
2426breezy
2526breezy
2626breezy
2726breezy
2826breezy
2926breezy
3026breezy
3126breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 24 min at the start of January to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 8:03 AM to 7:55 AM, and sunset from 5:29 PM to 5:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.48:035:29
29.48:035:29
39.58:035:30
49.58:035:31
59.58:035:32
69.58:035:33
79.58:035:33
89.58:035:34
99.58:035:35
109.58:035:36
119.68:035:37
129.68:035:38
139.68:035:39
149.68:035:40
159.68:025:41
169.78:025:42
179.78:025:43
189.78:025:44
199.78:015:45
209.78:015:46
219.88:005:47
229.88:005:48
239.88:005:49
249.87:595:50
259.97:585:51
269.97:585:52
279.97:575:53
2810.07:575:54
2910.07:565:55
3010.07:555:56
3110.07:555:57

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.16 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.91 kWh/m² to a high of 6.83 kWh/m² in July across the year — January's 2.16 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.9Dim
21.9Dim
32.0Dim
42.0Dim
52.0Dim
62.0Dim
72.0Moderate
82.0Moderate
92.0Moderate
102.0Moderate
112.1Moderate
122.1Moderate
132.1Moderate
142.1Moderate
152.1Moderate
162.1Moderate
172.2Moderate
182.2Moderate
192.2Moderate
202.2Moderate
212.3Moderate
222.3Moderate
232.3Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.4Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.5Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Ponta Delgada

In seasonPeak

None of Ponta Delgada's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Ponta Delgada sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Ponta Delgada?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.5
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.5
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Ponta Delgada for sightseeing.

What to pack for Ponta Delgada in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Ponta Delgada sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and a windbreaker. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Ponta Delgada in January

The nearest coast averages about 17°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 13 km away) is warmest in August at about 23°C and coldest in March near 16°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 23 to Nov 6 — about 4.5 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb16Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr17Cool
May18Cool
Jun20Cool
Jul22Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep23Refreshing
Oct21Refreshing
Nov19Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Ponta Delgada in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Ponta Delgada peaks around August 10 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateAug 10UV 9Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep7High
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Ponta Delgada?

Ponta Delgada sits at 37.7°N, 25.7°W, 12 m above sea level, in Portugal. The nearest listed city is Angra do Heroísmo, 169 km away.

Angra do HeroísmoCâmara de LobosSanto AntónioFunchalSão MartinhoCaniço

Topography around Ponta Delgada

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Ponta Delgada.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ponta Delgada has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 228 m around an average of 38 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 937 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,068 m.

The land around Ponta Delgada is covered by water (48%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 3 km, water (66%) within 16 km, and water (92%) within 80 km.

3 km
228 m
16 km
937 m
80 km
1,068 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
January weather nearby: Angra do Heroísmo 169 km · Câmara de Lobos 971 km · Santo António 973 km · Funchal 974 km · São Martinho 974 km · Caniço 981 km · Los Llanos de Aridane 1,240 km · Santa Cruz de la Palma 1,246 km

Portugal travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / E / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 60% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$32,082
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
95%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
8.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 612
Religion
Catholic 68%not applicable 13%no religion 12%no response 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Ponta Delgada (37.7395°, -25.6687°, elevation 12 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).