ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Madrid in October

Madrid in October: 28% of days see measurable rain, 71°F average high, 38% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Madrid in October is historically a poor month for sun: only 38% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 71°F). Historical average, not a forecast.

What you are reading: 8-year historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis, not a forecast. A month that is historically 90% clear can still be overcast on your specific trip. For this week’s actual forecast, see the live Madrid page. Both can be true at once: “historically strong in this month; this particular week is not.” We label which is which.

Early vs. Late October

Clear-sky percentage for Madrid in October, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period	% Clear days	Sample (n)	Avg high
Early October 1st–15th	66%	n=120	71°F
Late October 16th–end	12%	n=128	71°F
Full month average	38%	n=248	71°F

Sunshine & warmth in October

A second measure using actual sunshine hours (ERA5 sunshine_duration), not the daily weather code. A Lowcountry day with 12 hours of sun and a 25-minute afternoon storm is counted below as a warm, sunny day — because it was. How we define this.

Sunshine-based metrics for Madrid in October. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period	Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun)	Sample (n)
Early October 1st–15th	71%	n=120
Late October 16th–end	17%	n=128
Full month average	43%	n=248

9.7 h median sunshine per day 69% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 28% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden

Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 38%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 43%.

Bottom line

Madrid is mostly overcast in October historically: only 38% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 71°F. The two halves differ materially (66% early, 12% late) — favour the early half of the month. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

Every month in Madrid

Compare across all months with data. Numbers are historical clear-sky %.

Historical clear-sky % for Madrid, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month	% Clear	Sample (n)
January	0%	n=248	All destinations →
February	0%	n=226	All destinations →
March	9%	n=248	All destinations →
April	20%	n=240	All destinations →
May	51%	n=248	All destinations →
June	67%	n=240	All destinations →
July	91%	n=248	All destinations →
August	88%	n=248	All destinations →
September	62%	n=240	All destinations →
October ← this page	38%	n=248	All destinations →
November	0%	n=240	All destinations →
December	0%	n=248	All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Madrid in October?

Sometimes. Madrid sees measurable rain on 28% of days in October historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Madrid good for sun in October?

It's mixed. Madrid in October is clear on 38% of days historically (avg high 71°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — the outcome varies year to year.

How Madrid compares in October

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Madrid this month — same passport tier, similar flight distance, both sides from the same 8-year ERA5 record.

→ Madrid vs Rome in October — Rome is 38% clear historically
→ Madrid vs Mykonos in October — Mykonos is 39% clear historically
→ Madrid vs Mallorca in October — Mallorca is 40% clear historically

→ Madrid live forecast — this week’s actual 7-day weather, not historical
→ Best destinations in October — all destinations ranked by October clear-sky %
→ All destinations
→ Raw data (JSON) — buckets, n, source

All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.