Central Coast weather in May

In May, Central Coast sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 70 mm of rain across 9.1 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 18°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 42 min at the start of May to 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Central Coast's 4th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Central Coast's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
9th warmest
Overnight low
13°
5th coldest
Rainfall
70 mm
9.1 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
7:42 AM – 5:59 PM
Cloud cover
44%
4th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
2.96 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.5
out of 10
Air quality
Moderate
PM2.5 10.5 µg/m³ · 2019

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 20°C in the first days to 18°C by the end.

A typical May day in Central Coast reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 22°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12114
22014
32014
42014
52014
62013
72013
82013
92013
102013
112013
122013
131913
141913
151913
161913
171912
181912
191912
201912
211912
221912
231912
241912
251812
261812
271812
281812
291812
301812
311812

Central Coast weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 19°7810.5146.7
Feb25° / 20°10111.113.26.5
Mar24° / 18°891212.36.8
Apr22° / 15°7710.211.26.8
May19° / 13°709.110.36.5
Jun17° / 11°869.69.85.7
Jul17° / 497.2105.9
Aug18° / 10°496.510.86.7
Sep20° / 12°516.811.87.1
Oct22° / 14°628.512.87.0
Nov23° / 16°811013.76.8
Dec25° / 18°7010.314.27.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16337
26337
36436
46436
56436
66535
76535
86634
96634
106634
116733
126733
136733
146733
156634
166634
176634
186733
196634
206634
216634
226634
236535
246535
256436
266436
276337
286337
296238
306238
316139

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Central Coast gets around 70 mm of rain over 9.1 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 30% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
330
430
530
629
729
829
928
1028
1128
1228
1328
1429
1529
1629
1730
1830
1930
2031
2131
2231
2331
2431
2532
2632
2732
2833
2933
3033
3134

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 75% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1553213
2573112
3593011
4602911
5622810
664279
766268
867258
969247
1071236
1172226
1273225
1374215
1475214
1575214
1677203
1777203
1878193
1979183
2080182
2181172
2282162
2382162
2483152
2584151
2684151
2784151
2884151
2985141
3085141
3185141

Wind in May

Winds average 13 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 42 min at the start of May to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 7:31 AM to 7:53 AM, and sunset from 6:12 PM to 5:51 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.77:316:12
210.77:326:11
310.67:336:10
410.67:336:09
510.67:346:08
610.57:356:07
710.57:366:06
810.57:366:06
910.57:376:05
1010.47:386:04
1110.47:396:03
1210.47:396:02
1310.47:406:01
1410.37:416:01
1510.37:426:00
1610.37:425:59
1710.37:435:58
1810.27:445:58
1910.27:455:57
2010.27:455:56
2110.27:465:56
2210.17:475:55
2310.17:485:55
2410.17:485:54
2510.17:495:54
2610.17:505:53
2710.07:505:53
2810.07:515:52
2910.07:525:52
3010.07:525:51
3110.07:535:51

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.96 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.46 kWh/m² to a high of 6.49 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 2.96 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.3Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.2Moderate
53.2Moderate
63.2Moderate
73.2Moderate
83.1Moderate
93.1Moderate
103.1Moderate
113.1Moderate
123.0Moderate
133.0Moderate
143.0Moderate
153.0Moderate
163.0Moderate
172.9Moderate
182.9Moderate
192.9Moderate
202.9Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Central Coast

In seasonPeak

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

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

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

Is May a good time to visit Central Coast?

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

6.5
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
2.9
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Central Coast for sightseeing.

What to pack for Central Coast in May

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

In May, Central Coast sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near Central Coast in May

The nearest coast averages about 21°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 22 km away) is warmest in February at about 23°C and coldest in August near 18°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Nov 16 to Jun 4 — about 6.6 months when the water holds above 20°C.

16°18°20°22°24°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan23Refreshing
Feb23Refreshing
Mar23Refreshing
Apr22Refreshing
May21Refreshing
Jun20Cool
Jul19Cool
Aug18Cool
Sep18Cool
Oct19Cool
Nov20Refreshing
Dec21Refreshing

UV index in Central Coast in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Central Coast peaks around January 16 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 16UV 12Jun 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun2Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct8Very high
Nov10Very high
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Central Coast 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 Central Coast is worst in December — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (June, 7 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Central Coast's WHO annual average of 10.5 µg/m³.

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateDec 1416 µg/m³Jun 167 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Moderate
Feb9Good
Mar9Good
Apr8Good
May8Good
Jun7Good
Jul8Good
Aug10Good
Sep14Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov14Moderate
Dec17Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Central Coast?

Central Coast sits at 33.4°S, 151.4°E, 15 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Umina Beach, 12 km away.

Topography around Central Coast

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Central Coast has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 215 m around an average of 46 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 331 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 819 m.

The land around Central Coast is covered by trees (66%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 3 km, trees (54%) and water (33%) within 16 km, and trees (53%) and water (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
215 m
16 km
331 m
80 km
819 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswaterwetlandmangroves
May weather nearby: Umina Beach 12 km · Pittwater 27 km · Dee Why 37 km · Saint Ives 39 km · Hornsby 39 km · Wahroonga 40 km · Manly 42 km · Cherrybrook 44 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 Central Coast (-33.4298°, 151.3714°, elevation 15 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).