Newcastle weather in May

In May, Newcastle sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 94 mm of rain across 10.7 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 4th-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 Newcastle's 4th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Newcastle's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
8th warmest
Overnight low
16°
5th coldest
Rainfall
94 mm
10.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
7:40 AM – 5:58 PM
Cloud cover
43%
4th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
2.98 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Newcastle is city in New South Wales, Australia.

Density
1,942/km²
people per km²
Founded
1804

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 Newcastle reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 21°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12017
22017
32017
42017
52017
62017
72017
82016
92016
101916
111916
121916
131916
141916
151916
161916
171916
181916
191916
201916
211915
221915
231915
241815
251815
261815
271815
281815
291815
301815
311815

Newcastle weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan24° / 21°769.513.97.2
Feb24° / 21°979.813.27.0
Mar23° / 20°9811.712.36.8
Apr21° / 18°8711.211.26.6
May19° / 16°9410.710.36.2
Jun17° / 14°11311.69.95.5
Jul16° / 13°739105.6
Aug17° / 13°567.210.86.3
Sep19° / 15°536.611.86.9
Oct20° / 16°638.412.86.8
Nov21° / 18°819.613.76.6
Dec23° / 20°709.814.17.0

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 21% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 32%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26832
36832
46931
56931
67030
77030
87030
97129
107129
117129
127030
137030
147030
156931
166931
176931
186832
196832
206733
216733
226733
236733
246535
256535
266535
276436
286436
296337
306238
316139

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Newcastle gets around 94 mm of rain over 10.7 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 36% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
136
236
336
435
535
634
734
834
933
1033
1133
1233
1333
1434
1534
1634
1735
1835
1936
2036
2136
2237
2337
2438
2538
2639
2740
2841
2941
3042
3143

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 56% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13741221
23841201
34041191
44141171
54341161
64440151
74640140
84739130
94939120
105039110
115238100
12533890
13543790
14553780
15563680
16573580
17593470
18593470
19603370
20613270
21633160
22633160
23653050
24653050
25663040
26663040
27663040
28673030
29673030
30663130
31673120

Wind in May

Winds average 18 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 19 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2619light breeze
2719light breeze
2819light breeze
2919light breeze
3019light breeze
3119light 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 7:29 AM to 7:50 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)
110.77:296:12
210.77:296:10
310.77:306:09
410.67:316:09
510.67:326:08
610.67:326:07
710.57:336:06
810.57:346:05
910.57:356:04
1010.57:356:03
1110.47:366:02
1210.47:376:01
1310.47:386:01
1410.47:386:00
1510.37:395:59
1610.37:405:58
1710.37:415:58
1810.37:415:57
1910.27:425:56
2010.27:435:56
2110.27:435:55
2210.27:445:55
2310.27:455:54
2410.17:455:53
2510.17:465:53
2610.17:475:53
2710.17:475:52
2810.17:485:52
2910.07:495:51
3010.07:495:51
3110.07:505:51

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.98 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.46 kWh/m² to a high of 6.64 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 2.98 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.3Moderate
53.2Moderate
63.2Moderate
73.2Moderate
83.2Moderate
93.1Moderate
103.1Moderate
113.1Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.0Moderate
143.0Moderate
153.0Moderate
163.0Moderate
172.9Moderate
182.9Moderate
192.9Moderate
202.9Moderate
212.9Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.8Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Newcastle

In seasonPeak

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

Newcastle 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 Newcastle?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
2.7
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Newcastle for sightseeing.

What to pack for Newcastle in May

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

In May, Newcastle sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near Newcastle 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 offshore is warmest in February at about 23°C and coldest in August near 18°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Nov 13 to Jun 11 — about 6.9 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 Newcastle 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 Newcastle peaks around January 18 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 18UV 13Jun 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun2Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct8Very high
Nov10Very high
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Newcastle 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 Newcastle is worst in December — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.3× the cleanest month (June, 5 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateDec 1621 µg/m³Jun 205 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb7Good
Mar7Good
Apr6Good
May6Good
Jun5Good
Jul6Good
Aug7Good
Sep8Good
Oct8Good
Nov11Good
Dec23Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Newcastle?

Newcastle sits at 32.9°S, 151.8°E, 48 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Maitland, 30 km away.

Topography around Newcastle

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Newcastle has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 76 m around an average of 4 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 158 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 863 m.

The land around Newcastle is covered by water (61%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 3 km, water (53%) within 16 km, and trees (44%) and water (33%) within 80 km.

3 km
76 m
16 km
158 m
80 km
863 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
May weather nearby: Maitland 30 km · Cessnock 41 km · Central Coast 67 km · Umina Beach 79 km · Pittwater 93 km · Dee Why 102 km · Saint Ives 106 km · Hornsby 107 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 Newcastle (-32.9295°, 151.7801°, elevation 48 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).