Conditions at Ribeira d'Ilhas in May
May: The Summer Windswell Transition Begins
May sees the North Atlantic storm track retreat and the Azores High begin to build toward Iberia. Average surf height drops to 1.7m (5.5ft), with the period falling to 9.9s - a clear shift from groundswell to a mix of swell and windswell. The directional character changes too: the NNW quadrant becomes the leading swell source at 31.5%, with NW close behind at 30.5% and WNW at 17.4%. However, this energy is shorter-period and largely wind-generated, often riding in under the same NNW wind that puts bumps on the face. Offshore winds are scarce - only about 5% of observations from the NE-ENE-E-ESE quadrant - and ideal surf time drops to 15%. The result is a month of small to fun waves, best early in the morning with lighter winds, rather than clean firing surf. Air averages 16.7°C, water temps warm to 16.5°C, and precipitation decreases to 1.48mm/day as the dry Portuguese summer sets in.
Average Spot conditions at Ribeira d'Ilhas in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Ribeira d'Ilhas during May. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Ribeira d'Ilhas for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Ribeira d'Ilhas for May. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Ribeira d'Ilhas.