Guangzhou weather in May

In May, Guangzhou sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 290 mm of rain across 21 wet days and about 13.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 29°C in the first days to 31°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of May to 13 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Guangzhou's 11th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Guangzhou's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
5th warmest
Overnight low
24°
8th coldest
Rainfall
290 mm
21 wet days
Daylight
13 h 06 min
5:50 AM – 6:57 PM
Cloud cover
80%
11th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.21 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.5
out of 10

Guangzhou is capital city of Guangdong Province, China.

Air quality
Very high
PM2.5 36.4 µg/m³ · 2018
Density
2,221/km²
people per km²
Founded
~214 BCE

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 29°C in the first days to 31°C by the end.

A typical May day in Guangzhou reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C warmer than April and about 2°C cooler than June.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12923
22923
32923
42923
52923
62923
72923
83024
93024
103024
113024
123024
133024
143024
153024
163024
173024
183024
193024
203025
213125
223125
233125
243125
253125
263125
273125
283125
293125
303125
313125

How May really feels in Guangzhou

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 28 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
28
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Guangzhou weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan19° / 12°416.410.76.6
Feb20° / 13°558.911.26.1
Mar23° / 17°11714.311.85.8
Apr27° / 21°19716.512.55.1
May30° / 24°2902113.13.5
Jun32° / 26°33622.713.42.6
Jul33° / 27°22921.813.32.4
Aug33° / 27°26522.112.82.5
Sep32° / 25°17715.812.13.6
Oct29° / 22°586.411.56.1
Nov25° / 18°355.310.97.7
Dec21° / 13°374.710.67.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% 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 79%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12080
22080
32080
42179
52179
62278
72278
82278
92278
102377
112377
122377
132377
142278
152377
162377
172278
182179
192179
202080
211981
221981
231882
241981
251981
261981
271981
281981
291981
301882
311882

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Guangzhou gets around 290 mm of rain over 21 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 68% and peaks near 71% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
164
264
364
464
565
665
765
865
965
1066
1166
1266
1367
1467
1567
1668
1768
1868
1969
2069
2169
2270
2370
2470
2570
2670
2770
2870
2970
3071
3171

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the miserable band about 43% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 92% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1413204618
2313194519
3312194521
4212194522
5211184524
6211184425
7210174427
8110174329
919164231
1019164132
1118164034
1218164036
1317153938
1417153839
1516153741
1616153643
1715143545
1805143447
1905143348
2004143151
2104133053
2204132954
2304132855
2404122856
2503122758
2603112660
2703112660
2803102562
2902102464
300292465
310282367

Wind in May

Winds average 10 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of May to 13 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 30 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:59 AM to 5:45 AM, and sunset from 6:50 PM to 7:04 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:596:50
212.95:586:50
312.95:576:50
412.95:576:51
512.95:566:51
612.95:556:52
713.05:556:52
813.05:546:53
913.05:546:53
1013.05:536:54
1113.05:526:54
1213.05:526:55
1313.15:516:55
1413.15:516:56
1513.15:506:56
1613.15:506:57
1713.15:506:57
1813.15:496:57
1913.25:496:58
2013.25:486:58
2113.25:486:59
2213.25:486:59
2313.25:477:00
2413.25:477:00
2513.25:477:01
2613.25:467:01
2713.35:467:02
2813.35:467:02
2913.35:467:03
3013.35:457:03
3113.35:457:04

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.21 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.95 kWh/m² to a high of 5.07 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 4.21 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Bright
24.0Bright
34.1Bright
44.1Bright
54.1Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.2Bright
174.2Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.3Bright
224.3Bright
234.3Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Guangzhou

In seasonPeak

In May, Guangzhou sits inside its pacific typhoon and monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Guangzhou sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Guangzhou's monsoon runs April–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Pacific typhoon
Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Guangzhou?

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

3.5
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
4.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Guangzhou.

What to pack for Guangzhou in May

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

In May, Guangzhou sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 21 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Guangzhou in May

The nearest coast averages about 26°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 67 km away) is warmest in August at about 29°C and coldest in February near 18°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Mar 21 to Dec 17 — about 8.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan18Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar20Cool
Apr22Refreshing
May26Warm
Jun28Warm
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep28Tropical
Oct27Warm
Nov23Refreshing
Dec20Refreshing

UV index in Guangzhou in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Guangzhou peaks around July 16 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 6 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighJul 16UV 12Jan 12UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb7High
Mar8Very high
Apr8Very high
May10Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct8Very high
Nov7High
Dec6High

Air quality in Guangzhou 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 Guangzhou is worst in January — around 47 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.0× the cleanest month (July, 24 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Guangzhou's WHO annual average of 36.4 µg/m³.

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModeratePoorJan 2147 µg/m³Jul 1124 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan47Poor
Feb45Poor
Mar42Poor
Apr37Poor
May31Moderate
Jun25Moderate
Jul24Moderate
Aug29Moderate
Sep39Poor
Oct37Poor
Nov42Poor
Dec39Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Guangzhou?

Guangzhou sits at 23.1°N, 113.3°E, 15 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Zhuhai, 99 km away.

Topography around Guangzhou

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Guangzhou has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 64 m around an average of 12 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 371 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,285 m.

The land around Guangzhou is covered by artificial surfaces (79%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (65%) and trees (21%) within 16 km, and trees (49%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
64 m
16 km
371 m
80 km
1,285 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Zhuhai 99 km · Shenzhen 105 km · Macau 106 km · Ha Tsuen 106 km · Tin Shui Wai 106 km · 107 km · Ping Shan 108 km · Yeung Uk Tsuen 108 km

China travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / I
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 47% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$13,862
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.5
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
17.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 464
Religion
unaffiliated 52%folk religion 22%Buddhist 18%Christian 5%

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 Guangzhou (23.1167°, 113.25°, elevation 15 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).