Broome weather in May

In May, Broome sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 18 mm of rain across 1.5 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 33°C in the first days to 30°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 72% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of May to 11 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Broome's 7th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Broome's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
8th warmest
Overnight low
22°
5th coldest
Rainfall
18 mm
1.5 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
6:13 AM – 5:22 PM
Cloud cover
27%
7th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.6
out of 10

Broome is town in Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Founded
1883

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 33°C in the first days to 30°C by the end.

A typical May day in Broome reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 3°C warmer than June.

15°20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13323
23323
33323
43323
53323
63323
73223
83222
93222
103222
113222
123222
133222
143122
153122
163122
173121
183121
193121
203121
213121
223121
233021
243021
253021
263021
273021
283021
293020
303020
313020

How May really feels in Broome

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 9 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
9
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Broome weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 27°16610.8133.8
Feb32° / 27°14411.912.63.7
Mar33° / 27°839.112.13.5
Apr34° / 25°182.411.63.9
May31° / 22°181.511.25.6
Jun29° / 19°120.610.97.3
Jul28° / 18°70.8117.8
Aug29° / 18°30.311.47.2
Sep31° / 21°00.111.96.0
Oct33° / 24°30.912.44.9
Nov33° / 26°82.112.84.3
Dec33° / 27°967.413.13.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 72% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 18%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18416
28416
38416
48416
58317
68317
78218
88218
98218
108119
118119
128119
138119
148020
158020
168020
178020
188119
198218
208218
218218
228317
238317
248317
258317
268416
278416
288416
298416
308416
318317

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Broome gets around 18 mm of rain over 1.5 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 5% and peaks near 6% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
12
22
32
43
53
63
73
84
94
105
115
125
136
146
156
166
176
186
196
206
216
226
236
245
255
265
274
284
294
304
313

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 47% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 23% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
136161518141
238161417131
340161416121
442161416111
544161415101
64616141591
74715141481
84815141481
94915141471
104915141471
114914151471
124914151471
134914151471
144914151571
154814151571
164714151671
174714151671
184614151671
194614151671
204615151671
214615151670
224715151670
234715151570
244815141570
254915141570
265015141470
275115141460
285215141360
295414141350
305514141250
315514141250

Wind in May

Winds average 15 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of May to 11 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:07 AM to 6:18 AM, and sunset from 5:29 PM to 5:19 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.46:075:29
211.36:085:28
311.36:085:28
411.36:085:27
511.36:095:27
611.36:095:26
711.36:095:26
811.36:105:25
911.26:105:25
1011.26:105:24
1111.26:115:24
1211.26:115:24
1311.26:115:23
1411.26:125:23
1511.26:125:22
1611.26:135:22
1711.16:135:22
1811.16:135:21
1911.16:145:21
2011.16:145:21
2111.16:145:21
2211.16:155:20
2311.16:155:20
2411.16:155:20
2511.16:165:20
2611.16:165:19
2711.06:175:19
2811.06:175:19
2911.06:175:19
3011.06:185:19
3111.06:185:19

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.05 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.63 kWh/m² to a high of 7.61 kWh/m² in November across the year — May's 5.05 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.2Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.1Bright
135.1Bright
145.1Bright
155.0Bright
165.0Bright
175.0Bright
185.0Bright
194.9Bright
204.9Bright
214.9Bright
224.9Bright
234.9Bright
244.8Bright
254.8Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Broome

In seasonPeak

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

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

Broome's rainy season runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Broome?

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

5.6
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
8.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Broome for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Broome in May

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

In May, Broome sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Broome in May

The nearest coast averages about 28°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 March at about 30°C and coldest in August near 24°C.

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

22°24°26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan30Tropical
Feb30Tropical
Mar30Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May28Warm
Jun25Warm
Jul24Warm
Aug24Refreshing
Sep25Warm
Oct28Warm
Nov29Tropical
Dec30Tropical

UV index in Broome in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Broome peaks around January 24 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 24UV 15Jun 17UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr10Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec15Extreme

Air quality in Broome 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 Broome is worst in May — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (March, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodMay 1815 µg/m³Mar 166 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb9Good
Mar6Good
Apr9Good
May15Moderate
Jun11Good
Jul11Good
Aug11Good
Sep8Good
Oct12Good
Nov13Moderate
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Broome?

Broome sits at 18.0°S, 122.2°E, 0 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Port Hedland, 463 km away.

Port HedlandKarrathaKupangSoeWaingapuKefamenanuTambolakaSuai

Topography around Broome

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Broome has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 24 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 60 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 247 m.

The land around Broome is covered by water (28%), artificial surfaces (21%) and mangroves (20%) within 3 km, water (63%) within 16 km, and water (32%), shrubs (27%) and grassland (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
24 m
16 km
60 m
80 km
247 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
May weather nearby: Port Hedland 463 km · Karratha 645 km · Kupang 878 km · Soe 927 km · Waingapu 947 km · Kefamenanu 976 km · Tambolaka 1,002 km · Suai 1,015 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 Broome (-17.9554°, 122.2392°, 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).