Dew

Dew is water vapour deposited in tiny droplets on the ground and on plants as a result of the cooling produced by radiation at night. It is seen in Funchal on certain clear, cold winter mornings, when the streets are sometimes as wet as if a fine drizzle had just fallen on them. It is in the mountainous region, however, and particularly in the valleys of the island’s interior, that dew is most abundant and noticeable. Despite what Mason wrote in his Treatise on the climate and meteorology of Madeira (see vol. I, p. 276 ff.), we can state without fear of contradiction that the amount of dew deposited in Funchal is notable on only very few days of the year.

Madeirans call dew sereno, reserving the word orvalho for fine drizzle. [TN: in standard Portuguese orvalho means dew.] The sereno is unknown in Funchal. (See Climate, I-273.)