Airlie Beach weather in May

In May, Airlie Beach sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 50 mm of rain across 10.5 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 18 min at the start of May to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Airlie Beach's 8th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Airlie Beach's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
8th warmest
Overnight low
21°
5th coldest
Rainfall
50 mm
10.5 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:30 AM – 5:33 PM
Cloud cover
45%
8th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
4.26 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Airlie Beach is town in Queensland, Australia.

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 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical May day in Airlie Beach reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12522
22522
32522
42522
52522
62422
72421
82421
92421
102421
112421
122421
132421
142421
152421
162421
172421
182421
192420
202320
212320
222320
232320
242320
252320
262320
272320
282320
292320
302320
312320

How May really feels in Airlie Beach

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Airlie Beach weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 25°20117.613.15.2
Feb28° / 25°23318.412.74.7
Mar27° / 25°19117.612.15.4
Apr26° / 23°8613.911.56.4
May24° / 21°5010.511.17.1
Jun22° / 19°387.610.87.4
Jul21° / 18°284.410.97.8
Aug22° / 18°314.611.38.0
Sep23° / 20°133.611.98.5
Oct25° / 22°316.112.58.0
Nov27° / 24°598.4137.2
Dec28° / 25°10811.913.26.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 32%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17129
27030
36931
46931
56931
66733
76733
86733
96733
106634
116634
126634
136634
146634
156733
166733
176733
186733
196832
206931
216931
226931
236931
246931
256931
267030
277030
287030
297030
307030
317030

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Airlie Beach gets around 50 mm of rain over 10.5 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 34% and peaks near 41% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
140
240
340
441
540
640
740
840
940
1040
1140
1239
1338
1438
1537
1636
1734
1833
1932
2032
2131
2230
2329
2428
2528
2627
2727
2827
2927
3027
3128

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 51% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 57% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
113166020
214176018
314195917
414206015
524215914
625235812
725245811
826255710
92627569
102628568
112729557
123729556
133730546
143831535
153831535
163932524
174932514
1841033503
1941033493
2041034493
2151134483
2251135472
2361135462
2461235452
2571235442
2671236432
2781336422
2881336412
2991337402
3091337392
31101337382

Wind in May

Winds average 20 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 21 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
121breezy
221breezy
321breezy
421breezy
521breezy
620breezy
720breezy
820breezy
920breezy
1020breezy
1120breezy
1220light breeze
1320light breeze
1420light breeze
1520light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2119light breeze
2219light breeze
2319light breeze
2419light breeze
2519light breeze
2619light breeze
2719light breeze
2819light breeze
2919light breeze
3019light breeze
3119light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min at the start of May to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:24 AM to 6:36 AM, and sunset from 5:40 PM to 5:29 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.36:245:40
211.36:255:40
311.26:255:39
411.26:255:39
511.26:265:38
611.26:265:37
711.26:275:37
811.26:275:36
911.16:275:36
1011.16:285:35
1111.16:285:35
1211.16:295:34
1311.16:295:34
1411.16:295:33
1511.16:305:33
1611.06:305:33
1711.06:315:32
1811.06:315:32
1911.06:315:32
2011.06:325:31
2111.06:325:31
2211.06:335:31
2311.06:335:30
2410.96:335:30
2510.96:345:30
2610.96:345:30
2710.96:355:29
2810.96:355:29
2910.96:365:29
3010.96:365:29
3110.96:365:29

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.26 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.86 kWh/m² to a high of 6.98 kWh/m² in November across the year — May's 4.26 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.6Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.5Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.2Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.1Bright
274.1Bright
284.0Bright
294.0Bright
304.0Bright
314.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Airlie Beach

In seasonPeak

None of Airlie Beach's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Airlie Beach sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Airlie Beach's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Cyclone
Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Airlie Beach?

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

7.1
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
5.8
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Airlie Beach for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Airlie Beach in May

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

In May, Airlie Beach sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 21°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Airlie Beach in May

The nearest coast averages about 25°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 18 km away) is warmest in February at about 29°C and coldest in August near 22°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar28Tropical
Apr27Warm
May25Warm
Jun23Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug22Refreshing
Sep24Refreshing
Oct25Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec28Warm

UV index in Airlie Beach in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Airlie Beach peaks around February 9 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 7 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeFeb 9UV 16Jun 22UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May8Very high
Jun7High
Jul7High
Aug8Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Airlie Beach in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Airlie Beach is worst in November — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.6× the cleanest month (July, 4 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodNov 1614 µg/m³Jul 134 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb6Good
Mar6Good
Apr5Good
May5Good
Jun5Good
Jul4Good
Aug5Good
Sep6Good
Oct8Good
Nov15Moderate
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Airlie Beach?

Airlie Beach sits at 20.3°S, 148.7°E, 0 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Mackay, 109 km away.

KirwanRockhamptonGladstoneCairnsPort DouglasBundaberg

Topography around Airlie Beach

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Airlie Beach.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Airlie Beach has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 436 m around an average of 50 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 657 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,146 m.

The land around Airlie Beach is covered by water (52%) and trees (36%) within 3 km, trees (46%) and water (46%) within 16 km, and water (58%) and trees (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
436 m
16 km
657 m
80 km
1,146 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
May weather nearby: Mackay 109 km · Townsville 229 km · Kirwan 234 km · Rockhampton 392 km · Gladstone 477 km · Cairns 485 km · Port Douglas 543 km · Bundaberg 633 km

Australia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 90% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$65,130
2025
Happiness
6.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
4.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
none 38%Roman Catholic 20%Protestant 18%other Christian 4%

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 Airlie Beach (-20.2675°, 148.7147°, elevation 0 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).