In my ignorance I thought that landing limitations are decided by the airlines, not ATC or any other ground authorities.
Airline manufacturers create recommended limits, and airlines then use these to create their own limitations. There are airports where winds well within those limits create an atmosphere that results in unmanageable flight conditions due to turbulence and windshear. These airfields have discovered what these winds are based on experience and have then created their own local restrictions to improve safety.
havingnoperated into Funchal, and suffered a battering with winds within limits, in my opinion, the present limits MUST remain.