Rio de Janeiro weather in May
In May, Rio de Janeiro sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 76 mm of rain across 11.3 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs ease over the month, from about 27°C in the first days to 25°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% 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 Rio de Janeiro's 4th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rio de Janeiro's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 26°
- 8th warmest
- Overnight low
- 20°
- 5th coldest
- Rainfall
- 76 mm
- 11.3 wet days
- Daylight
- 10 h 54 min
- 7:22 AM – 6:16 PM
- Cloud cover
- 50%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 10 km/h
- 7th windiest
- Solar energy
- 3.6 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 6.7
- out of 10
- Air quality
- Moderate
- PM2.5 11.4 µg/m³ · 2015
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Highs ease over the month, from about 27°C in the first days to 25°C by the end.
A typical May day in Rio de Janeiro reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and on par with June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Avg low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | 21 |
| 2 | 27 | 21 |
| 3 | 27 | 21 |
| 4 | 27 | 21 |
| 5 | 26 | 21 |
| 6 | 26 | 21 |
| 7 | 26 | 21 |
| 8 | 26 | 21 |
| 9 | 26 | 21 |
| 10 | 26 | 20 |
| 11 | 26 | 20 |
| 12 | 26 | 20 |
| 13 | 26 | 20 |
| 14 | 26 | 20 |
| 15 | 26 | 20 |
| 16 | 26 | 20 |
| 17 | 26 | 20 |
| 18 | 26 | 20 |
| 19 | 25 | 20 |
| 20 | 25 | 20 |
| 21 | 25 | 20 |
| 22 | 25 | 20 |
| 23 | 25 | 20 |
| 24 | 25 | 20 |
| 25 | 25 | 20 |
| 26 | 25 | 20 |
| 27 | 25 | 20 |
| 28 | 25 | 19 |
| 29 | 25 | 19 |
| 30 | 25 | 19 |
| 31 | 25 | 19 |
How May really feels in Rio de Janeiro
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Rio de Janeiro weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30° / 24° | 171 | 16.4 | 13.2 | 4.3 |
| Feb | 30° / 24° | 114 | 13.1 | 12.8 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 29° / 24° | 145 | 16.6 | 12.2 | 4.7 |
| Apr | 28° / 22° | 88 | 12 | 11.5 | 6.0 |
| May | 26° / 20° | 76 | 11.3 | 10.9 | 6.7 |
| Jun | 25° / 19° | 48 | 7.3 | 10.6 | 7.5 |
| Jul | 25° / 18° | 51 | 7.8 | 10.7 | 7.5 |
| Aug | 25° / 19° | 41 | 7.5 | 11.2 | 7.5 |
| Sep | 26° / 20° | 75 | 10.4 | 11.9 | 6.8 |
| Oct | 26° / 21° | 92 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 6.2 |
| Nov | 27° / 22° | 139 | 16 | 13.1 | 5.4 |
| Dec | 29° / 23° | 151 | 16.4 | 13.4 | 4.8 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% 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 38%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 64 | 63 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 63 |
| Cloudier (%) | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 37 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 66 | 34 |
| 2 | 66 | 34 |
| 3 | 66 | 34 |
| 4 | 66 | 34 |
| 5 | 65 | 35 |
| 6 | 64 | 36 |
| 7 | 64 | 36 |
| 8 | 63 | 37 |
| 9 | 63 | 37 |
| 10 | 62 | 38 |
| 11 | 62 | 38 |
| 12 | 60 | 40 |
| 13 | 60 | 40 |
| 14 | 60 | 40 |
| 15 | 60 | 40 |
| 16 | 59 | 41 |
| 17 | 59 | 41 |
| 18 | 59 | 41 |
| 19 | 59 | 41 |
| 20 | 60 | 40 |
| 21 | 60 | 40 |
| 22 | 60 | 40 |
| 23 | 60 | 40 |
| 24 | 61 | 39 |
| 25 | 61 | 39 |
| 26 | 61 | 39 |
| 27 | 61 | 39 |
| 28 | 62 | 38 |
| 29 | 62 | 38 |
| 30 | 62 | 38 |
| 31 | 63 | 37 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Rio de Janeiro gets around 76 mm of rain over 11.3 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 37% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 37 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 37 |
| 2 | 37 |
| 3 | 38 |
| 4 | 38 |
| 5 | 38 |
| 6 | 38 |
| 7 | 39 |
| 8 | 39 |
| 9 | 39 |
| 10 | 39 |
| 11 | 39 |
| 12 | 39 |
| 13 | 39 |
| 14 | 38 |
| 15 | 38 |
| 16 | 38 |
| 17 | 37 |
| 18 | 37 |
| 19 | 36 |
| 20 | 36 |
| 21 | 36 |
| 22 | 35 |
| 23 | 35 |
| 24 | 35 |
| 25 | 34 |
| 26 | 34 |
| 27 | 34 |
| 28 | 33 |
| 29 | 33 |
| 30 | 33 |
| 31 | 32 |
Humidity in May
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 49% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 64% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Comfortable (%) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
| Humid (%) | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| Muggy (%) | 46 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 48 |
| Oppressive (%) | 33 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 46 | 33 |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 47 | 30 |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 48 | 28 |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 48 | 27 |
| 5 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 49 | 25 |
| 6 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 49 | 23 |
| 7 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 50 | 22 |
| 8 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 50 | 21 |
| 9 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 50 | 20 |
| 10 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 50 | 19 |
| 11 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 50 | 18 |
| 12 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 50 | 17 |
| 13 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 50 | 16 |
| 14 | 0 | 5 | 30 | 50 | 15 |
| 15 | 0 | 5 | 31 | 50 | 14 |
| 16 | 0 | 5 | 31 | 51 | 13 |
| 17 | 0 | 6 | 32 | 50 | 13 |
| 18 | 0 | 6 | 32 | 50 | 12 |
| 19 | 0 | 6 | 33 | 50 | 11 |
| 20 | 0 | 6 | 33 | 49 | 11 |
| 21 | 0 | 7 | 34 | 49 | 10 |
| 22 | 0 | 7 | 34 | 49 | 10 |
| 23 | 0 | 8 | 34 | 49 | 9 |
| 24 | 0 | 8 | 34 | 49 | 9 |
| 25 | 0 | 8 | 35 | 48 | 8 |
| 26 | 0 | 9 | 35 | 48 | 8 |
| 27 | 0 | 9 | 35 | 48 | 7 |
| 28 | 0 | 10 | 35 | 48 | 7 |
| 29 | 1 | 10 | 35 | 47 | 7 |
| 30 | 1 | 11 | 35 | 47 | 6 |
| 31 | 1 | 11 | 35 | 48 | 6 |
Wind in May
Winds average 10 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | calm |
| 2 | 10 | calm |
| 3 | 10 | calm |
| 4 | 10 | calm |
| 5 | 10 | calm |
| 6 | 10 | calm |
| 7 | 10 | calm |
| 8 | 10 | calm |
| 9 | 10 | calm |
| 10 | 10 | calm |
| 11 | 10 | calm |
| 12 | 10 | calm |
| 13 | 10 | calm |
| 14 | 10 | calm |
| 15 | 10 | calm |
| 16 | 10 | calm |
| 17 | 10 | calm |
| 18 | 10 | calm |
| 19 | 10 | calm |
| 20 | 10 | calm |
| 21 | 10 | calm |
| 22 | 10 | calm |
| 23 | 10 | calm |
| 24 | 10 | calm |
| 25 | 10 | calm |
| 26 | 10 | calm |
| 27 | 10 | calm |
| 28 | 10 | calm |
| 29 | 10 | calm |
| 30 | 10 | calm |
| 31 | 10 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
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 7:15 AM to 7:29 AM, and sunset from 6:25 PM to 6:11 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.2 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:15 | 7:15 | 7:16 | 7:16 | 7:17 | 7:17 | 7:18 | 7:18 | 7:19 | 7:19 | 7:20 | 7:20 | 7:20 | 7:21 | 7:21 | 7:22 | 7:22 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:25 | 7:25 | 7:26 | 7:26 | 7:27 | 7:27 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:29 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:25 | 6:24 | 6:23 | 6:23 | 6:22 | 6:21 | 6:21 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:18 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:11 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.2 | 7:15 | 6:25 |
| 2 | 11.1 | 7:15 | 6:24 |
| 3 | 11.1 | 7:16 | 6:23 |
| 4 | 11.1 | 7:16 | 6:23 |
| 5 | 11.1 | 7:17 | 6:22 |
| 6 | 11.1 | 7:17 | 6:21 |
| 7 | 11.1 | 7:18 | 6:21 |
| 8 | 11.0 | 7:18 | 6:20 |
| 9 | 11.0 | 7:19 | 6:20 |
| 10 | 11.0 | 7:19 | 6:19 |
| 11 | 11.0 | 7:20 | 6:19 |
| 12 | 11.0 | 7:20 | 6:18 |
| 13 | 10.9 | 7:20 | 6:17 |
| 14 | 10.9 | 7:21 | 6:17 |
| 15 | 10.9 | 7:21 | 6:16 |
| 16 | 10.9 | 7:22 | 6:16 |
| 17 | 10.9 | 7:22 | 6:16 |
| 18 | 10.9 | 7:23 | 6:15 |
| 19 | 10.9 | 7:23 | 6:15 |
| 20 | 10.8 | 7:24 | 6:14 |
| 21 | 10.8 | 7:24 | 6:14 |
| 22 | 10.8 | 7:25 | 6:14 |
| 23 | 10.8 | 7:25 | 6:13 |
| 24 | 10.8 | 7:26 | 6:13 |
| 25 | 10.8 | 7:26 | 6:13 |
| 26 | 10.8 | 7:27 | 6:12 |
| 27 | 10.8 | 7:27 | 6:12 |
| 28 | 10.7 | 7:28 | 6:12 |
| 29 | 10.7 | 7:28 | 6:12 |
| 30 | 10.7 | 7:28 | 6:12 |
| 31 | 10.7 | 7:29 | 6:11 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.6 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.35 kWh/m² to a high of 6.1 kWh/m² in February across the year — May's 3.6 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.0 | Bright |
| 2 | 4.0 | Bright |
| 3 | 4.0 | Moderate |
| 4 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 5 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 6 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 7 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 8 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 9 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 10 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 11 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 12 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 13 | 3.6 | Moderate |
| 14 | 3.6 | Moderate |
| 15 | 3.6 | Moderate |
| 16 | 3.5 | Moderate |
| 17 | 3.5 | Moderate |
| 18 | 3.5 | Moderate |
| 19 | 3.5 | Moderate |
| 20 | 3.5 | Moderate |
| 21 | 3.4 | Moderate |
| 22 | 3.4 | Moderate |
| 23 | 3.4 | Moderate |
| 24 | 3.4 | Moderate |
| 25 | 3.4 | Moderate |
| 26 | 3.4 | Moderate |
| 27 | 3.4 | Moderate |
| 28 | 3.4 | Moderate |
| 29 | 3.3 | Moderate |
| 30 | 3.3 | Moderate |
| 31 | 3.3 | Moderate |
Is May a good time to visit Rio de Janeiro?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Rio de Janeiro for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Rio de Janeiro in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Rio de Janeiro sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 20°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Rio de Janeiro 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 25 km away) is warmest in March at about 25°C and coldest in August near 21°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | Warm |
| Feb | 25 | Warm |
| Mar | 25 | Warm |
| Apr | 25 | Warm |
| May | 24 | Refreshing |
| Jun | 23 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 22 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 21 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 21 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 22 | Refreshing |
| Nov | 23 | Refreshing |
| Dec | 24 | Warm |
UV index in Rio de Janeiro in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rio de Janeiro peaks around January 13 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 13 at about 5 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 14 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High | Moderate | Very high | High | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | Extreme |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 9 | Very high |
| May | 6 | High |
| Jun | 6 | High |
| Jul | 5 | Moderate |
| Aug | 8 | Very high |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Air quality in Rio de Janeiro in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Rio de Janeiro is worst in June — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.0× the cleanest month (February, 8 µg/m³).
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Rio de Janeiro's WHO annual average of 11.4 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Good |
| Feb | 8 | Good |
| Mar | 9 | Good |
| Apr | 9 | Good |
| May | 13 | Moderate |
| Jun | 17 | Moderate |
| Jul | 16 | Moderate |
| Aug | 13 | Moderate |
| Sep | 14 | Moderate |
| Oct | 11 | Good |
| Nov | 9 | Good |
| Dec | 9 | Good |
Where is Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro sits at 22.9°S, 43.2°W, 12 m above sea level, in Brazil. The nearest listed city is Santa Teresa, 1.0 km away.
Topography around Rio de Janeiro
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Rio de Janeiro.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Rio de Janeiro has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 259 m around an average of 18 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 971 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,252 m.
The land around Rio de Janeiro is covered by artificial surfaces (45%) and water (42%) within 3 km, water (47%), artificial surfaces (26%) and trees (23%) within 16 km, and trees (37%) and water (35%) within 80 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
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 Rio de Janeiro (-22.9064°, -43.1822°, elevation 12 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. 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).