Town · Norte, Portugal · 41.59°N 8.47°W

Merelim, Portugal

Merelim is a town of 5,363 people in Norte, with January highs of 13°C, 2 days a year above 35°C, a hospital 3.1 km from the centre and Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) 42 km away.

Updated 1 November 2026 · 10 of 10 core measures available · 16 open datasets · How we calculate this

Weather now

Normal for November, 1991-2020

16°high · low 8°C · 14 rain days

Good fit for

  • People who dislike heat
    26°C July highs and 2 days a year above 35°C

Weaker fit for

  • Anyone who dislikes rain
    132 rainy days a year

Climate comfort

36/ 100

Rank 588 of 759 in Portugal

Based on: Average January high, Days above 35°C a year in the last ten years, Days with rain a year, Tropical nights a year in the last ten years, Frost days a year in the last ten years

Car-free living

47/ 100

Rank 418 of 790 in Portugal

Based on: Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Pharmacies within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk, Distance to the nearest train station, Distance to the nearest bus station

Access to services

48/ 100

Top 49% in Portugal

Based on: Distance to the nearest hospital, Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Doctors and clinics within a 15-minute walk, Schools within a 15-minute walk

How precise is each number?Town-levelmeasured or computed for this townModelledestimated from a grid or a modelRegionalonly available for the wider area

Merelim compared with Porto

Pick another town in Portugal to see the differences in plain terms.

  • Same January warmthAverage January highMerelim 13°CPorto 13°C
  • Same July heatAverage July highMerelim 26°CPorto 26°C
  • 13 more rainy days a yearDays with rain per yearMerelim 132Porto 119
  • 1 more very hot day a yearDays above 35°C per yearMerelim 1.5Porto 1.0
  • 2 min less daylight in DecemberDaylight on 21 DecemberMerelim 9 h 10 minPorto 9 h 12 min

Housing & costs

Official · INE Portugal, Eurostat
Median rent €7.69/m²Per month, 2024, new leases · Portugal €7.97/m²
Sale price €2,199/m²2026 Q2, median of the last 12 months · Portugal €2,264/m²
Price change, 5 years +102%Since 2021 Q2 · Portugal +86%
Crimes per 1,000 residents 21.4Recorded by the police in 2025 · Portugal 32.0
Price level, Portugal 85EU average = 100 (whole country, 2024)

At these medians, a 70 m² home costs about €540 a month to rent and about €154,000 to buy.

Merelim is in the municipality of Braga. Rents, prices and crime are published for each municipality as a whole, not for single towns.

Climate today

Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020
Average daily high (°C)Average daily low (°C)
Days with rain 1321 mm or more, per year
Tropical nights 7Nights staying above 20°C, 2016-2025
Feels 32°C or hotter 12Days a year when heat and humidity feel like 32°C or more, 2016-2025
Daylight on 21 Dec 9 h 10 min15 h 12 min on 21 Jun
Windy days 3Hourly wind of 30 km/h or more, per year, 2016-2025
Wettest month Oct231 mm on average
Frost days 4Below 0°C, per year, 2016-2025
Days above 35°C 1.5Per year, 2016-2025
Highest UV index Modelled9June and July, noon on a clear day

Month by month

Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020

August is the warmest month (27°C average high) and January the coolest (13°C). October is the wettest (231 mm) and July the driest (35 mm).

Best time to visit

  • Not ideal for reliable dry weatherOctober to MayBy the published month rules
  • Not ideal for warm-weather holidaysJanuaryBy the published month rules
  • JanuaryAir 13°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
  • FebruaryAir 14°11 rain daysCrowds: Low
  • MarchAir 16°12 rain daysCrowds: Low
  • AprilAir 18°14 rain daysCrowds: Medium
  • MayAir 21°13 rain daysCrowds: Medium
  • JuneAir 24°8 rain daysCrowds: Medium
  • JulyAir 26°5 rain daysCrowds: High
  • AugustAir 27°6 rain daysCrowds: Peak
  • SeptemberAir 24°8 rain daysCrowds: High
  • OctoberAir 20°14 rain daysCrowds: Medium
  • NovemberAir 16°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
  • DecemberAir 13°14 rain daysCrowds: Low

Crowd levels are for Norte as a whole: nights booked through online platforms in 2025, against the region's busiest month (Eurostat).

Each month links to its own page with temperatures, rain and daylight.

Is it getting hotter?

Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis

Days above 35°C per year

1991-20000.5 days
2016-20251.5 days

Both measured periods come from the same reanalysis as the climate section. The bars run to 10 days.

Healthcare & getting around

Town-level · straight-line distances

Within 1.2 km of the centre

  • Grocery stores1
  • Pharmacies1
  • Doctors & clinics1
  • Train stationNo

30 min by car

  • Hospitals16
  • Sea beaches0
  • People409,597

60 min by car

  • Towns over 10,00064
  • Hospitals73
  • Sea beaches142
  • People2,377,721
  • Nearest train stationBraga4.9 km
  • Nearest bus stationCentro Coordenador de Transportes de Braga1.5 km
  • Nearest hospitalTrofa Saúde Braga Norte3.1 km · 9 min by car
  • Nearest airport with scheduled flightsFrancisco de Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO)42 km · 52 min by car

Distances are straight lines from the town centre. Drive times are by road in free-flowing traffic (OSRM on OpenStreetMap roads); people counts add up the towns reached.

Daily life

Town-level · Overture Maps places, 2026-10-21.0

Within 1.2 km of the centre

  • 1Grocery stores & supermarketsPortugal median: 3
  • 1PharmaciesPortugal median: 1
  • 4CafésPortugal median: 4
  • 2RestaurantsPortugal median: 9
  • 2BakeriesPortugal median: 2
  • 0Gyms & fitness studiosPortugal median: 1
  • 1SchoolsPortugal median: 2
  • 1Doctors & clinicsPortugal median: 1

Nature & surroundings

Town-level · WorldCover, Copernicus DEM, Natura 2000, OpenStreetMap
Parks within 1.2 km 0Portugal median: 0
Nearest sea beach 27 kmPraia de Cepães
Distance to the coast 27 kmStraight line from the town centre
Tree cover within 1.2 km 31%Portugal town median: 29%
Terrain FlatAverage slope 3%; 296 m between the lowest and highest land within 5 km
Protected nature 17 kmPeneda / Gerês (Natura 2000)

People & community

Modelled · EU Census 2021 grid
Population 5,363Town figure from GeoNames
Population change since 2013 +14%Municipality of Braga · Portugal +7% (official estimates)
Age structure
Merelim
Median town in Portugal

Under 1515 to 6465 and over

International residents

Share of residentsMerelimMedian town in Portugal
Born in another EU country1.5%1.6%
Born outside the EU3.3%5.5%
Moved here from abroad in the past year1.3%1.1%

4.8% of residents were born abroad, against 7.1% in the median town in Portugal (2021 census). From the 1 km census grid cells within 1.5 km of the centre (6,636 residents counted).

Environment & natural hazards

  • EarthquakesNone since 1900No earthquakes of magnitude 5 or larger recorded within 100 km since 1900.Town-level · USGS earthquake catalog
  • Air quality10.0 µg/m³Average fine particles (PM2.5) at the centre in 2023. The WHO guideline for the yearly average is 5 µg/m³.Modelled · EEA
  • Wildfire7 of 10 yearsYears with a fire of 30 ha or more within 10 km of the centre, 2016-2025; 2,035 ha burnt by those fires.Town-level · EFFIS

Places like Merelim

Matched on climate, amenities, nearest and access

Measures used: Average January high, Average July high, Days above 35°C a year in the last ten years, Days with rain a year, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk, Distance to the nearest train station and Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights. A match of 100% would mean the same values on every one.

Common questions about Merelim

What is the weather like in Merelim through the year?

January averages a high of 13°C and a low of 5°C; July averages 26°C and 16°C. There are about 132 days with rain a year. These are averages for 1991-2020.

How many very hot days does Merelim get?

Merelim averaged 1.5 days a year above 35°C in 2016-2025, against 0.5 a year in 1991-2000.

Does it freeze in Merelim?

Merelim averaged 4 frost days a year (below 0°C) in 2016-2025.

What is within walking distance of the centre of Merelim?

Within 1.2 km of the centre there are 1 grocery store, 1 pharmacy, 1 doctor or clinic and 4 cafés. In a straight line, the nearest train station is 4.9 km away, the nearest bus station is 1.5 km away, the nearest hospital is 3.1 km away, the nearest beach is 27 km away and the nearest coastline is 27 km away.

What is the nearest airport to Merelim?

Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO), 42 km from the centre in a straight line.

How much daylight does Merelim get in winter?

9 h 10 min on 21 December, against 15 h 12 min on 21 June.

How much does a home cost in Merelim?

The median rent was €7.69/m² a month (2024, new leases), about €540 for 70 m². Homes sold for €2,199/m² (2026 Q2, median of the last 12 months), about €154,000 for 70 m². These are figures for the municipality of Braga as a whole.

Who is Merelim a good fit for?

By the published rules: people who dislike heat (26°C July highs and 2 days a year above 35°C).

Sources & methodology

Every value comes from one of the open datasets below and is computed the same way for every town. Each section names how precise its values are: town-level, modelled or regional. Distances are straight lines from the town centre, and amenities are counted within 1.2 km of it. Read the full methodology.

"Who Merelim suits" lines come from fixed rules applied to every town in the same way. A rule only uses values that are modelled or better, and each line shows the numbers that triggered it. How the rules work.

DatasetUsed forVersionLicence
Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (30 m elevation)Elevationglo30_s120Copernicus DEM licence (free for any use, with attribution)
PM2.5, European air quality data (EEA, interpolated 1 km map)Air qualitypm25_2023CC BY 4.0
Burnt areas (European Forest Fire Information System, EFFIS)Wildfires2016-2025CC BY 4.0
ERA5-Land reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Data Store)Climatepoints_1991-2025CC BY 4.0
ESA WorldCover 2021 (10 m land cover)Land coverv200_2021CC BY 4.0
EU Census 2021 population grid (Eurostat)Census gridV3Free reuse with acknowledgement (European Commission reuse policy)
Nights spent in short-stay accommodation booked through online platforms (Eurostat tour_ce_omn12)Crowds2026-11-01CC BY 4.0
Price level indices (Eurostat prc_ppp_ind)Price level2026-11-01CC BY 4.0
GeoNamesPlace names and populations2026-10-31CC BY 4.0
INE Portugal (local statistics on rents, house prices, crime and population)Rents, house prices, crime and population2026-11-01CC BY 4.0
Natura 2000 protected sites (EEA, end 2024)Protected areasend2024CC BY 4.0
OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik extracts)Stations, hospitals, beaches, coastline2026-10-31ODbL 1.0
OurAirportsAirports2026-10-31Public domain
Overture Maps placesAmenities2026-10-21.0CDLA-Permissive-2.0
TEMIS UV index climatology (KNMI / ESA)UV indexv2.0_clim_2004-2020Free use with credit; TEMIS asks to be told how the data is used
USGS earthquake catalog (ComCat)Earthquakes2026-10-31Public domain