Mar del Plata weather in May

In May, Mar del Plata sees average daytime highs of 15°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 49 mm of rain across 6.8 wet days and about 10 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 14°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 24 min at the start of May to 9 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Mar del Plata's 11th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mar del Plata's year-round climate.

Daytime high
15°
8th warmest
Overnight low
11°
6th coldest
Rainfall
49 mm
6.8 wet days
Daylight
10 hours
7:48 AM – 5:45 PM
Cloud cover
61%
11th clearest
Wind
19 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
2.38 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.0
out of 10

Mar del Plata is city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.

Density
7,465/km²
people per km²
Founded
1874

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 14°C by the end.

A typical May day in Mar del Plata reaches about 15°C in the afternoon and slips back to 11°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 12°C and 19°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C cooler than April and about 3°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11712
21712
31712
41712
51712
61711
71611
81611
91611
101611
111611
121611
131611
141611
151611
161511
171511
181510
191510
201510
211510
221510
231510
241510
251410
261410
271410
28149
29149
30149
31149

Mar del Plata weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 17°778.314.37.4
Feb23° / 17°767.513.57.3
Mar21° / 16°728.112.37.0
Apr19° / 13°778.6116.3
May15° / 11°496.8105.0
Jun13° / 606.99.43.7
Jul11° / 5479.63.1
Aug12° / 60710.53.6
Sep14° / 607.511.74.1
Oct16° / 10°809135.1
Nov19° / 13°779.314.16.3
Dec22° / 15°69814.67.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 55%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34852
44852
54654
64654
74654
84654
94654
104654
114654
124555
134654
144654
154555
164555
174555
184555
194456
204456
214357
224357
234357
244357
254357
264357
274357
284357
294357
304456
314456

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Mar del Plata gets around 49 mm of rain over 6.8 wet days in May, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 22% and peaks near 24% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
124
223
323
422
522
621
721
821
921
1021
1121
1221
1321
1422
1522
1622
1722
1823
1923
2023
2123
2223
2323
2423
2523
2623
2722
2822
2922
3022
3121

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 84% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
176204
276204
377194
477194
578184
678184
778184
880173
980173
1081163
1181163
1282153
1382153
1482153
1584142
1684142
1784142
1885132
1985132
2086122
2187121
2288111
2389101
2489101
259091
269181
279181
289370
299370
309460
319550

Wind in May

Winds average 19 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 20 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
120light breeze
219light breeze
319light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2119light breeze
2219light breeze
2319light breeze
2420light breeze
2520light breeze
2620light breeze
2720light breeze
2820light breeze
2920light breeze
3020breezy
3120breezy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 24 min at the start of May to 9 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 7:34 AM to 8:00 AM, and sunset from 6:01 PM to 5:35 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.47:346:01
210.47:356:00
310.47:365:58
410.37:375:57
510.37:385:56
610.37:395:55
710.27:405:54
810.27:415:53
910.27:425:52
1010.17:425:51
1110.17:435:50
1210.17:445:49
1310.07:455:48
1410.07:465:47
1510.07:475:46
1610.07:485:45
179.97:495:44
189.97:505:43
199.97:515:43
209.87:515:42
219.87:525:41
229.87:535:40
239.87:545:40
249.77:555:39
259.77:565:38
269.77:565:38
279.77:575:37
289.67:585:37
299.67:595:36
309.67:595:36
319.68:005:35

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.38 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.92 kWh/m² to a high of 7.61 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 2.38 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.9Moderate
22.8Moderate
32.8Moderate
42.8Moderate
52.7Moderate
62.7Moderate
72.7Moderate
82.6Moderate
92.6Moderate
102.6Moderate
112.5Moderate
122.5Moderate
132.5Moderate
142.4Moderate
152.4Moderate
162.4Moderate
172.4Moderate
182.3Moderate
192.3Moderate
202.3Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.2Moderate
232.2Moderate
242.2Moderate
252.1Moderate
262.1Moderate
272.1Moderate
282.1Moderate
292.1Moderate
302.1Moderate
312.0Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Mar del Plata?

Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.0
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.5
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Mar del Plata for sightseeing.

What to pack for Mar del Plata in May

From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In May, Mar del Plata sees daytime highs around 15°C and nights near 11°C. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layer

Sea temperature near Mar del Plata in May

The nearest coast averages about 15°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 15 km away) is warmest in February at about 20°C and coldest in August near 10°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jan 29 to Mar 10 — about 1.3 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Cool
Feb20Refreshing
Mar20Cool
Apr18Cool
May15Cool
Jun13Bracing
Jul11Bracing
Aug10Bracing
Sep11Bracing
Oct13Bracing
Nov15Bracing
Dec17Cool

UV index in Mar del Plata in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mar del Plata peaks around December 22 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateVery highExtremeDec 22UV 12Jun 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar8Very high
Apr5High
May3Moderate
Jun2Low
Jul2Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep5Moderate
Oct7Very high
Nov10Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Mar del Plata?

Mar del Plata sits at 38.0°S, 57.6°W, 14 m above sea level, in Argentina. The nearest listed city is Santa Clara del Mar, 19 km away.

Topography around Mar del Plata

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mar del Plata.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mar del Plata has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 51 m around an average of 17 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 125 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 386 m.

The land around Mar del Plata is covered by artificial surfaces (70%) within 3 km, water (45%) and cropland (23%) within 16 km, and water (35%), cropland (31%) and grassland (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
51 m
16 km
125 m
80 km
386 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Santa Clara del Mar 19 km · Miramar 39 km · Balcarce 64 km · Villa Gesell 97 km · Pinamar 116 km · General Juan Madariaga 117 km · Necochea 120 km · Ayacucho 125 km

Argentina travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / I
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 46% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$14,898
2025
Happiness
6.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.5
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 575
Religion
Roman Catholic 63%none 19%Evangelical 15%Jehovah's Witness and Church of Jesus Christ 1%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Mar del Plata (-38.0004°, -57.5562°, elevation 14 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).