Kunming weather in May

In May, Kunming sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 139 mm of rain across 15.1 wet days and about 13.2 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-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 29% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 54 min at the start of May to 13 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Kunming's 7th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kunming's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
1st warmest
Overnight low
16°
9th coldest
Rainfall
139 mm
15.1 wet days
Daylight
13 h 12 min
6:29 AM – 7:42 PM
Cloud cover
61%
7th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
5.67 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Kunming is capital of Yunnan province, China.

Air quality
High
PM2.5 29.9 µg/m³ · 2018
Density
183/km²
people per km²

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 Kunming reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12414
22414
32415
42415
52415
62415
72415
82415
92415
102415
112415
122415
132415
142415
152416
162416
172416
182416
192416
202416
212416
222416
232416
242416
252416
262416
272416
282416
292416
302417
312417

Kunming weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 1st-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan15° / 355.4110.65.1
Feb17° / 305.30.511.16.5
Mar21° / 10°426.70.311.87.3
Apr24° / 13°699.4012.67.2
May24° / 16°13915.1013.26.2
Jun24° / 17°27823.8013.54.4
Jul24° / 18°27426.6013.44.1
Aug24° / 17°23824.9012.94.4
Sep22° / 16°16520.3012.24.8
Oct20° / 13°11316.2011.45.4
Nov17° / 346.30.110.86.2
Dec15° / 244.50.710.55.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16337
26337
36337
46238
56238
66139
76040
85941
95842
105743
115644
125545
135347
145248
155149
165050
174852
184753
194555
204555
214357
224159
234060
243961
253862
263664
273565
283268
293268
303169
312971

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Kunming gets around 139 mm of rain over 15.1 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 48% and peaks near 67% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
136
237
337
437
537
637
737
838
938
1039
1139
1240
1341
1443
1544
1646
1747
1849
1951
2053
2155
2256
2358
2459
2561
2662
2763
2864
2965
3066
3167

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 58% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19190
290100
389110
488120
586140
685150
783170
882180
980200
1077221
1175241
1273261
1370282
1468302
1565323
1662344
1759365
1855387
1952408
20484210
21454311
22424513
23384616
24354718
25324820
26294922
27264925
28244927
29224929
30204832
31184734

Wind in May

Winds average 12 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712calm
1812calm
1912calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min at the start of May to 13 h 24 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 6:39 AM to 6:24 AM, and sunset from 7:34 PM to 7:49 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.96:397:34
212.96:387:35
313.06:377:35
413.06:367:36
513.06:367:36
613.06:357:37
713.06:347:37
813.16:347:38
913.16:337:38
1013.16:327:39
1113.16:327:39
1213.16:317:40
1313.26:317:40
1413.26:307:41
1513.26:297:41
1613.26:297:42
1713.26:287:42
1813.26:287:43
1913.36:287:43
2013.36:277:44
2113.36:277:44
2213.36:267:45
2313.36:267:45
2413.36:267:46
2513.46:257:46
2613.46:257:47
2713.46:257:47
2813.46:247:48
2913.46:247:48
3013.46:247:49
3113.46:247:49

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.67 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.11 kWh/m² to a high of 6.21 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 5.67 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.1Intense
36.1Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.0Intense
86.0Intense
96.0Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
125.9Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.3Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Kunming

In seasonPeak

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

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

Kunming's monsoon runs May–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 Kunming?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
5.3
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Kunming for sightseeing.

What to pack for Kunming in May

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

In May, Kunming sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 16°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 15 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Kunming in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kunming peaks around July 12 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 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 12UV 13Dec 21UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb8Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep10Extreme
Oct9Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec6High

Air quality in Kunming 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 Kunming is worst in March — around 35 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Kunming's WHO annual average of 29.9 µg/m³.

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMar 2235 µg/m³Jun 1824 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan29Moderate
Feb30Moderate
Mar35Moderate
Apr34Moderate
May28Moderate
Jun24Moderate
Jul26Moderate
Aug29Moderate
Sep31Moderate
Oct31Moderate
Nov32Moderate
Dec30Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Kunming?

Kunming sits at 25.0°N, 102.7°E, 1,895 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Dali, 259 km away.

SapaHà GiangThị Trấn Phố LuMường Lay

Topography around Kunming

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kunming has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 56 m around an average of 1,899 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 665 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,814 m.

The land around Kunming is covered by artificial surfaces (88%) within 3 km, trees (42%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 16 km, and trees (59%) and cropland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
56 m
16 km
665 m
80 km
1,814 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Dali 259 km · Lai Châu 303 km · Lào Cai 311 km · Sapa 321 km · Lijiang 322 km · Hà Giang 337 km · Thị Trấn Phố Lu 337 km · Mường Lay 341 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 Kunming (25.0389°, 102.7183°, elevation 1,895 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). 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).