Wollongong weather in May

In May, Wollongong sees average daytime highs of 18°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 98 mm of rain across 9.9 wet days and about 10.2 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 19°C in the first days to 17°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 36 min at the start of May to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Wollongong's 4th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wollongong's year-round climate.

Daytime high
18°
8th warmest
Overnight low
15°
6th coldest
Rainfall
98 mm
9.9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
7:46 AM – 5:59 PM
Cloud cover
43%
4th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
2.92 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
out of 10

Wollongong is city in New South Wales, Australia.

Density
410/km²
people per km²
Founded
1834

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 19°C in the first days to 17°C by the end.

A typical May day in Wollongong reaches about 18°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°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)
11916
21916
31916
41916
51916
61916
71916
81916
91916
101916
111816
121816
131816
141816
151815
161815
171815
181815
191815
201815
211815
221815
231815
241815
251815
261815
271715
281715
291715
301715
311714

Wollongong 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
Jan23° / 20°8410.7146.7
Feb23° / 20°11612.313.36.4
Mar22° / 19°11013.812.36.3
Apr20° / 18°9511.611.26.3
May18° / 15°989.910.26.1
Jun16° / 14°12310.59.75.3
Jul16° / 12°668.19.95.4
Aug16° / 13°636.710.75.8
Sep17° / 14°597.611.86.2
Oct19° / 15°739.712.96.3
Nov20° / 17°8510.613.86.2
Dec21° / 19°7211.414.36.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% 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 34%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16535
26634
36634
46634
56634
66832
76832
86832
96832
106931
116931
126931
136832
146832
156832
166832
176832
186733
196733
206634
216634
226634
236535
246634
256535
266535
276436
286436
296337
306337
316238

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Wollongong gets around 98 mm of rain over 9.9 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 34% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
136
236
335
434
534
633
733
832
932
1032
1132
1232
1332
1432
1533
1633
1733
1834
1934
2034
2134
2234
2334
2434
2534
2635
2735
2836
2936
3036
3137

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 66% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1493417
2513316
3523315
4533314
5563212
6573211
7583210
860319
961318
1062317
1163307
1264306
1365305
1465305
1566295
1667294
1768284
1868284
1970273
2070273
2171263
2272253
2372253
2474242
2575232
2676222
2776222
2877212
2978211
3079201
3180191

Wind in May

Winds average 20 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 21 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
119light breeze
219light breeze
319light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1019light breeze
1120light breeze
1220light breeze
1320light breeze
1420light breeze
1520light breeze
1620light breeze
1720light breeze
1820light breeze
1920light breeze
2020light breeze
2120light breeze
2220light breeze
2320light breeze
2420breezy
2520breezy
2620breezy
2720breezy
2820breezy
2920breezy
3020breezy
3121breezy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 36 min at the start of May to 9 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 7:34 AM to 7:57 AM, and sunset from 6:13 PM to 5:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.67:346:13
210.67:356:12
310.67:366:11
410.57:376:10
510.57:386:09
610.57:386:08
710.57:396:07
810.47:406:06
910.47:416:05
1010.47:426:04
1110.37:426:03
1210.37:436:02
1310.37:446:01
1410.37:456:00
1510.27:466:00
1610.27:465:59
1710.27:475:58
1810.27:485:57
1910.17:495:57
2010.17:495:56
2110.17:505:55
2210.17:515:55
2310.07:525:54
2410.07:525:54
2510.07:535:53
2610.07:545:53
2710.07:545:52
289.97:555:52
299.97:565:51
309.97:565:51
319.97:575:50

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.92 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.37 kWh/m² to a high of 6.8 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 2.92 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.3Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.2Moderate
53.2Moderate
63.2Moderate
73.1Moderate
83.1Moderate
93.1Moderate
103.1Moderate
113.0Moderate
123.0Moderate
133.0Moderate
143.0Moderate
152.9Moderate
162.9Moderate
172.9Moderate
182.9Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.6Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Wollongong

In seasonPeak

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

Wollongong 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 Wollongong?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
2.1
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Wollongong for sightseeing.

What to pack for Wollongong in May

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

In May, Wollongong sees daytime highs around 18°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near Wollongong 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 18 to Jun 4 — about 6.5 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
Nov20Cool
Dec21Refreshing

UV index in Wollongong in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Wollongong peaks around January 1 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 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 highModerateVery highExtremeJan 1UV 12Jun 18UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May3Moderate
Jun2Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep5High
Oct8Very high
Nov10Very high
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Wollongong 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 Wollongong is worst in December — around 32 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.8× the cleanest month (June, 7 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateDec 1830 µg/m³Jun 227 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb8Good
Mar8Good
Apr9Good
May8Good
Jun7Good
Jul7Good
Aug8Good
Sep11Good
Oct10Good
Nov11Good
Dec32Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Wollongong?

Wollongong sits at 34.4°S, 150.9°E, 29 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Wollongong city centre, 0.0 km away.

Topography around Wollongong

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Wollongong has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 140 m around an average of 16 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 578 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,069 m.

The land around Wollongong is covered by water (33%), artificial surfaces (32%) and trees (27%) within 3 km, water (50%) and trees (36%) within 16 km, and trees (48%) and water (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
140 m
16 km
578 m
80 km
1,069 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Wollongong city centre 0.0 km · Engadine 41 km · Cronulla 47 km · Miranda 47 km · Casula 52 km · Prestons 54 km · Hurstville 54 km · Kogarah 55 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 Wollongong (-34.424°, 150.8935°, elevation 29 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).