Mackay weather in May

In May, Mackay sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 54 mm of rain across 10.6 wet days and about 11 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 51% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 12 min at the start of May to 10 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Mackay's 8th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mackay's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
8th warmest
Overnight low
19°
5th coldest
Rainfall
54 mm
10.6 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:30 AM – 5:29 PM
Cloud cover
44%
8th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
3.96 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Mackay is city in Queensland, Australia.

Air quality
Good
PM10 24.1 µg/m³ · 2019
Founded
1875

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 Mackay reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 4°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)
12521
22521
32521
42421
52420
62420
72420
82420
92420
102420
112420
122420
132420
142420
152419
162419
172419
182419
192319
202319
212319
222319
232319
242319
252319
262319
272318
282318
292318
302318
312318

Mackay 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°21415.813.15.5
Feb28° / 25°22417.212.75.0
Mar27° / 24°17115.212.15.8
Apr26° / 22°891311.56.5
May24° / 19°5410.6117.1
Jun22° / 17°437.810.77.4
Jul21° / 16°324.310.87.8
Aug22° / 17°254.311.38.1
Sep23° / 19°163.511.98.6
Oct25° / 21°34612.58.1
Nov27° / 23°648.4137.3
Dec28° / 24°11711.613.36.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 28%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17129
27129
37129
47129
57129
67030
77030
87030
97129
107129
117129
127129
137129
147327
157327
167327
177327
187327
197327
207426
217426
227426
237426
247327
257327
267327
277327
287129
297129
307129
317129

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Mackay gets around 54 mm of rain over 10.6 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 35% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
138
239
339
438
538
638
737
837
937
1037
1137
1236
1336
1436
1536
1635
1734
1834
1933
2033
2133
2232
2332
2432
2532
2631
2731
2831
2931
3031
3131

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 40% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 36% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
147324810
24733469
35834458
45836447
56937426
66938416
761038405
871039394
971140394
1081140383
1181240373
1291241372
1391241362
14101341352
15101341351
16111341341
17111441331
18111441321
19121442311
20121542311
21131542301
22131542291
23141642271
24141643271
25151643260
26151643250
27161743240
28161743240
29171743230
30171743230
31181743220

Wind in May

Winds average 17 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1217light breeze
1317light breeze
1417light breeze
1517light breeze
1617light breeze
1717light breeze
1817light breeze
1917light breeze
2017light breeze
2117light breeze
2217light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2617light breeze
2717light breeze
2817light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 min at the start of May to 10 h 48 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 5:38 PM to 5:25 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.26:245:38
211.26:245:37
311.26:245:36
411.26:255:36
511.26:255:35
611.16:265:34
711.16:265:34
811.16:265:33
911.16:275:33
1011.16:275:32
1111.16:285:32
1211.16:285:31
1311.06:285:31
1411.06:295:30
1511.06:295:30
1611.06:305:29
1711.06:305:29
1811.06:315:29
1911.06:315:28
2010.96:315:28
2110.96:325:28
2210.96:325:27
2310.96:335:27
2410.96:335:27
2510.96:345:26
2610.96:345:26
2710.96:345:26
2810.86:355:26
2910.86:355:26
3010.86:365:25
3110.86:365:25

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.96 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.61 kWh/m² to a high of 6.65 kWh/m² in November across the year — May's 3.96 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.3Bright
34.2Bright
44.2Bright
54.2Bright
64.2Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.1Bright
104.0Bright
114.0Bright
124.0Bright
134.0Bright
144.0Moderate
154.0Moderate
164.0Moderate
173.9Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.9Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.9Moderate
223.9Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.8Moderate
253.8Moderate
263.8Moderate
273.8Moderate
283.8Moderate
293.7Moderate
303.7Moderate
313.7Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Mackay

In seasonPeak

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

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

Mackay'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 Mackay?

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
8th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Mackay in May

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

In May, Mackay sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 19°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Mackay in May

The nearest coast averages about 24°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 28°C and coldest in July near 21°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
Jan28Tropical
Feb28Tropical
Mar28Warm
Apr26Warm
May24Warm
Jun22Refreshing
Jul21Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep23Refreshing
Oct25Warm
Nov26Warm
Dec28Warm

UV index in Mackay 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 Mackay peaks around February 10 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 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 10UV 16Jun 23UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May8Very high
Jun7High
Jul7High
Aug8Very high
Sep10Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Mackay?

Mackay sits at 21.2°S, 149.2°E, 11 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Airlie Beach, 109 km away.

RockhamptonTownsvilleKirwanGladstoneBundabergHervey BayCairns

Topography around Mackay

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mackay has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 17 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 300 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,248 m.

The land around Mackay is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and grassland (23%) within 3 km, water (35%) within 16 km, and water (52%) and trees (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
17 m
16 km
300 m
80 km
1,248 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
May weather nearby: Airlie Beach 109 km · Rockhampton 283 km · Townsville 324 km · Kirwan 327 km · Gladstone 369 km · Bundaberg 526 km · Hervey Bay 589 km · Cairns 591 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 Mackay (-21.1534°, 149.1655°, elevation 11 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).