Sydney weather in May

In May, Sydney sees average daytime highs of 11°C and overnight lows near 4°C, with 86 mm of precipitation across 11.7 wet days and about 14.7 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 8°C in the first days to 13°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Sydney's 5th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sydney's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11°
6th warmest
Overnight low
7th coldest
Precipitation
86 mm
11.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 48 min
4:34 AM – 7:20 PM
Cloud cover
67%
5th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.32 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.4
out of 10

Sydney is community in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 5.6 µg/m³ · 2015
Density
3,601/km²
people per km²
Founded
1785

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 8°C in the first days to 13°C by the end.

A typical May day in Sydney reaches about 11°C in the afternoon and slips back to 4°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 6°C and 16°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 5°C warmer than April and about 5°C cooler than June.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
182
282
392
492
593
693
793
893
9103
10103
11103
12104
13104
14104
15104
16114
17114
18114
19115
20115
21115
22125
23125
24125
25126
26126
27126
28126
29136
30136
31137

How May really feels in Sydney

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 13 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
13
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Sydney weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-1° / -7°11812.9118.80.0
Feb-2° / -9°11111.29.7100.0
Mar / -5°10812.48.311.60.0
Apr / -1°10612.34.913.30.4
May11° / 8611.70.514.72.4
Jun16° / 10°8911015.54.8
Jul21° / 15°8510.5015.26.3
Aug22° / 16°8910.90146.4
Sep18° / 12°10410.5012.35.6
Oct12° / 13112.30.210.73.1
Nov / 12412.72.49.20.9
Dec / -2°13914.19.58.50.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 63%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13367
23466
33466
43466
53466
63664
73664
83763
93763
103763
113763
123664
133664
143664
153565
163565
173664
183664
193664
203664
213763
223862
233862
243961
253961
264060
274060
284159
294060
304060
314060

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Sydney gets around 86 mm of rain and snow over 11.7 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 38% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1407
2406
3406
4405
5405
6404
7394
8394
9393
10383
11383
12383
13383
14372
15372
16372
17372
18371
19371
20371
21371
22371
23371
24380
25380
26390
27390
28390
29400
30400
31400

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
17991
18991
19991
20991
21982
22982
23982
24982
25982
26973
27973
28973
29973
30973
31973

Wind in May

Winds average 16 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 72 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:55 AM to 4:20 AM, and sunset from 7:00 PM to 7:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.14:557:00
214.14:547:02
314.24:527:03
414.24:517:04
514.34:497:06
614.34:487:07
714.44:467:08
814.44:457:10
914.54:437:11
1014.54:427:12
1114.54:417:13
1214.64:397:15
1314.64:387:16
1414.74:377:17
1514.74:367:18
1614.84:347:20
1714.84:337:21
1814.84:327:22
1914.94:317:23
2014.94:307:24
2114.94:297:25
2215.04:287:27
2315.04:277:28
2415.04:267:29
2515.14:257:30
2615.14:247:31
2715.14:237:32
2815.24:227:33
2915.24:227:34
3015.24:217:35
3115.34:207:36

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.32 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.96 kWh/m² to a high of 5.7 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.32 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.9Bright
24.9Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
55.0Bright
65.0Bright
75.1Bright
85.1Bright
95.1Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.6Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Sydney?

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

2.4
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sydney.

What to pack for Sydney in May

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

In May, Sydney sees daytime highs around 11°C and nights near 4°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Sydney in May

The nearest coast averages about 4°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 27 km away) is warmest in August at about 19°C and coldest in March near -0°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan1Bracing
Feb0Bracing
Mar0Bracing
Apr1Bracing
May4Bracing
Jun9Bracing
Jul16Cool
Aug19Cool
Sep16Cool
Oct12Bracing
Nov8Bracing
Dec4Bracing

UV index in Sydney 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 Sydney peaks around June 18 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 18UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Sydney?

Sydney sits at 46.1°N, 60.2°W, 6 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is Glace Bay, 19 km away.

Topography around Sydney

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sydney has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 90 m around an average of 31 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 200 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 535 m.

The land around Sydney is covered by trees (34%), grassland (26%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 3 km, trees (66%) within 16 km, and water (53%) and trees (43%) within 80 km.

3 km
90 m
16 km
200 m
80 km
535 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Glace Bay 19 km · New Glasgow 201 km · Charlottetown 227 km · Cole Harbour 304 km · Woodlawn 307 km · Dartmouth 311 km · Lower Sackville 312 km · Downtown Halifax 312 km

Canada travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 83% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$55,698
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 53%none 35%Muslim 5%Hindu 2%

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 Sydney (46.1351°, -60.1831°, elevation 6 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).