Gladstone weather in May

In May, Gladstone sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 40 mm of rain across 4.5 wet days and about 10.9 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 58% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 06 min at the start of May to 10 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Gladstone's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gladstone's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
8th warmest
Overnight low
17°
5th coldest
Rainfall
40 mm
4.5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:26 AM – 5:17 PM
Cloud cover
40%
6th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.07 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.2
out of 10

Gladstone is city in Queensland, Australia.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 7.1 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 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical May day in Gladstone reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 7°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.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12519
22518
32518
42518
52518
62518
72518
82418
92418
102417
112417
122417
132417
142417
152417
162417
172417
182417
192417
202417
212417
222316
232316
242316
252316
262316
272316
282316
292316
302316
312316

Gladstone 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
Jan29° / 24°11411.913.35.6
Feb29° / 24°13112.312.85.4
Mar28° / 22°838.512.26.7
Apr26° / 20°515.211.57.7
May24° / 17°404.510.98.2
Jun22° / 15°363.810.68.1
Jul21° / 13°293.110.78.2
Aug22° / 14°232.811.28.5
Sep24° / 17°213.211.98.7
Oct25° / 19°415.312.68.1
Nov27° / 22°406.313.27.4
Dec28° / 23°969.813.46.5

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% 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 26%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27327
37327
47327
57327
67327
77426
87426
97426
107525
117525
127525
137525
147624
157624
167624
177624
187624
197624
207624
217624
227525
237525
247525
257426
267426
277426
287426
297327
307327
317327

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Gladstone gets around 40 mm of rain over 4.5 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 15% and peaks near 18% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
118
218
317
417
516
616
715
815
915
1014
1114
1214
1314
1414
1515
1615
1715
1815
1915
2015
2114
2214
2314
2414
2514
2614
2714
2814
2913
3013
3113

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the humid band about 43% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 17% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
171442315
281543294
391643284
491743264
5101844244
6111944233
7112045213
8122145203
9122145192
10132246182
11132246171
12142346161
13152346161
14152445151
15162445150
16172544140
17172544140
18182643130
19192643130
20192642120
21202742120
22212741110
23212741110
24222840100
2523284090
2624284090
2724284080
2825283980
2925283980
3026283970
3126283970

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 14 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
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light 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 11 h 06 min at the start of May to 10 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 30 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:18 AM to 6:33 AM, and sunset from 5:26 PM to 5:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.16:185:26
211.16:195:25
311.16:195:24
411.16:205:24
511.06:205:23
611.06:215:22
711.06:215:22
811.06:225:21
911.06:225:21
1011.06:235:20
1110.96:235:19
1210.96:245:19
1310.96:245:18
1410.96:255:18
1510.96:255:17
1610.96:265:17
1710.86:265:16
1810.86:275:16
1910.86:275:15
2010.86:285:15
2110.86:285:15
2210.86:295:14
2310.76:295:14
2410.76:305:14
2510.76:305:13
2610.76:315:13
2710.76:315:13
2810.76:325:12
2910.76:325:12
3010.76:325:12
3110.66:335:12

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.07 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.62 kWh/m² to a high of 6.94 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 4.07 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.3Bright
74.3Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.0Bright
174.0Bright
184.0Bright
194.0Moderate
204.0Moderate
214.0Moderate
223.9Moderate
233.9Moderate
243.9Moderate
253.9Moderate
263.9Moderate
273.8Moderate
283.8Moderate
293.8Moderate
303.8Moderate
313.8Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Gladstone

In seasonPeak

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

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

Gladstone'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 Gladstone?

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

8.2
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
6.8
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Gladstone for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Gladstone in May

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

In May, Gladstone sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 17°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 5 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Gladstone in May

The nearest coast averages about 23°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in February at about 28°C and coldest in August near 20°C.

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

20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr25Warm
May23Refreshing
Jun21Refreshing
Jul20Refreshing
Aug20Refreshing
Sep22Refreshing
Oct23Refreshing
Nov25Warm
Dec27Warm

UV index in Gladstone in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Gladstone peaks around February 11 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 5 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeFeb 11UV 15Jun 20UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr10Very high
May7High
Jun5High
Jul6High
Aug7Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Gladstone 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 Gladstone is worst in November — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (June, 4 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Gladstone's WHO annual average of 7.1 µg/m³.

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodNov 1616 µg/m³Jun 184 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb6Good
Mar6Good
Apr5Good
May4Good
Jun4Good
Jul4Good
Aug6Good
Sep9Good
Oct9Good
Nov17Moderate
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Gladstone?

Gladstone sits at 23.8°S, 151.3°E, 21 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Rockhampton, 93 km away.

MaryboroughGympieNoosaSunshine CoastMaroochydore

Topography around Gladstone

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Gladstone has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 124 m around an average of 12 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 326 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 955 m.

The land around Gladstone is covered by water (32%) and artificial surfaces (28%) within 3 km, trees (43%) and water (36%) within 16 km, and water (43%) and trees (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
124 m
16 km
326 m
80 km
955 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
May weather nearby: Rockhampton 93 km · Bundaberg 158 km · Hervey Bay 221 km · Maryborough 238 km · Gympie 296 km · Noosa 338 km · Sunshine Coast 362 km · Maroochydore 363 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 Gladstone (-23.8485°, 151.2577°, elevation 21 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).