Arraial do Cabo weather in May

In May, Arraial do Cabo sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 58 mm of rain across 10.1 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 12 min at the start of May to 10 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Arraial do Cabo's 5th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Arraial do Cabo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
6th warmest
Overnight low
22°
6th coldest
Rainfall
58 mm
10.1 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
7:17 AM – 6:11 PM
Cloud cover
42%
5th clearest
Wind
19 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
3.89 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Arraial do Cabo is human settlement in Brazil.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month.

A typical May day in Arraial do Cabo reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 2°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 1°C cooler than April and on par with June.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12423
22423
32423
42423
52423
62423
72423
82423
92422
102422
112422
122422
132422
142422
152422
162422
172422
182422
192422
202322
212322
222322
232322
242322
252322
262322
272322
282322
292322
302322
312322

Arraial do Cabo weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 24°888.313.37.1
Feb26° / 24°52612.87.3
Mar26° / 24°1051112.26.7
Apr25° / 24°579.511.57.2
May24° / 22°5810.110.97.3
Jun23° / 21°346.410.67.8
Jul22° / 21°356.610.77.7
Aug22° / 21°286.111.27.7
Sep22° / 21°477.111.97.4
Oct23° / 21°547.712.57.2
Nov24° / 22°10110.613.16.7
Dec25° / 23°969.713.46.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% 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 30%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17525
27525
37525
47525
57426
67327
77327
87228
97129
107030
117030
126931
136832
146832
156733
166733
176634
186634
196634
206733
216733
226733
236832
246832
257030
267030
277129
287129
297129
307327
317327

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Arraial do Cabo gets around 58 mm of rain over 10.1 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 33% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
331
431
531
632
732
832
932
1032
1133
1233
1334
1434
1534
1634
1734
1835
1935
2034
2134
2234
2334
2434
2533
2633
2733
2832
2931
3031
3130

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 43% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 65% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1042036391
2042136371
3052237350
4052338340
5052438320
6062438310
7062539300
8062539290
9072639280
10072640270
11072740260
12072741250
13082741230
14082842220
15082843210
16082843200
17082844190
18082845180
19082846180
20092846170
21092847160
22092847150
23092848140
240102848140
250102848130
260112848130
270112748130
280122748130
290122748130
301122648130
311132648130

Wind in May

Winds average 19 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 20 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
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2119light breeze
2219light breeze
2319light breeze
2419light breeze
2520light breeze
2620light breeze
2720light breeze
2820light breeze
2920light breeze
3020light breeze
3120light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 min at the start of May to 10 h 42 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 7:10 AM to 7:24 AM, and sunset from 6:20 PM to 6:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.27:106:20
211.17:116:19
311.17:116:19
411.17:126:18
511.17:126:17
611.17:136:17
711.07:136:16
811.07:146:16
911.07:146:15
1011.07:156:14
1111.07:156:14
1211.07:166:13
1310.97:166:13
1410.97:166:12
1510.97:176:12
1610.97:176:11
1710.97:186:11
1810.97:186:10
1910.97:196:10
2010.87:196:10
2110.87:206:09
2210.87:206:09
2310.87:216:09
2410.87:216:08
2510.87:226:08
2610.87:226:08
2710.77:236:07
2810.77:236:07
2910.77:236:07
3010.77:246:07
3110.77:246:07

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.89 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.58 kWh/m² to a high of 6.65 kWh/m² in February across the year — May's 3.89 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.2Bright
74.2Bright
84.1Bright
94.1Bright
104.1Bright
114.0Bright
124.0Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.8Moderate
193.8Moderate
203.7Moderate
213.7Moderate
223.7Moderate
233.7Moderate
243.6Moderate
253.6Moderate
263.6Moderate
273.6Moderate
283.6Moderate
293.6Moderate
303.6Moderate
313.6Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Arraial do Cabo?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Arraial do Cabo for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Arraial do Cabo in May

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

In May, Arraial do Cabo sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 22°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Arraial do Cabo 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 19 km away) is warmest in March at about 25°C and coldest in September near 21°C.

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

20°22°24°26°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan24Warm
Feb24Warm
Mar25Warm
Apr25Warm
May24Refreshing
Jun23Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug22Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct22Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec24Refreshing

UV index in Arraial do Cabo 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 Arraial do Cabo peaks around January 15 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 12 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 highExtremeJan 15UV 14Jul 12UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr9Very high
May7High
Jun6High
Jul5High
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct11Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Arraial do Cabo?

Arraial do Cabo sits at 23.0°S, 42.0°W, 11 m above sea level, in Brazil. The nearest listed city is Cabo Frio, 9.0 km away.

Topography around Arraial do Cabo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Arraial do Cabo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 164 m around an average of 12 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 375 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,806 m.

The land around Arraial do Cabo is covered by water (59%) within 3 km, water (84%) within 16 km, and water (55%) and trees (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
164 m
16 km
375 m
80 km
1,806 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Cabo Frio 9.0 km · São Pedro da Aldeia 16 km · Iguaba Grande 25 km · Buzios 29 km · Araruama 34 km · Saquarema 46 km · Rio das Ostras 50 km · Silva Jardim 51 km

Brazil travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / N
127 / 220 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 46% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$10,713
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
89%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
19.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
16
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 482
Religion
Roman Catholic 57%Evangelical 27%none 9%other 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 Arraial do Cabo (-22.9661°, -42.0278°, 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. 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).