Qingdao weather in May

In May, Qingdao sees average daytime highs of 16°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 71 mm of rain across 5.9 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 14°C in the first days to 18°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Qingdao's 9th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Qingdao's year-round climate.

Daytime high
16°
6th warmest
Overnight low
14°
7th coldest
Rainfall
71 mm
5.9 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
4:58 AM – 6:52 PM
Cloud cover
55%
9th clearest
Wind
19 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

Qingdao is prefecture-level city in Shandong, China.

Air quality
Very high
PM2.5 37.3 µg/m³ · 2018
Density
636/km²
people per km²
Founded
1898

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 14°C in the first days to 18°C by the end.

A typical May day in Qingdao reaches about 16°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 18°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 5°C warmer than April and about 4°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11411
21412
31412
41412
51412
61412
71513
81513
91513
101513
111513
121513
131614
141614
151614
161614
171614
181614
191715
201715
211715
221715
231715
241715
251716
261816
271816
281816
291816
301816
311817

How May really feels in Qingdao

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.

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

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Qingdao 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 daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 132.819.80.0
Feb / 203.5110.60.0
Mar / 284.70.311.71.0
Apr11° / 445.50.112.93.1
May16° / 14°715.9013.95.5
Jun20° / 19°805.9014.46.9
Jul25° / 23°15810.5014.26.7
Aug26° / 25°16311.2013.46.5
Sep24° / 22°856.1012.27.6
Oct19° / 16°445011.17.0
Nov13° / 10°3950.110.14.1
Dec / 203.60.69.60.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 48%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15545
25446
35446
45347
55347
65347
75248
85149
95149
105149
115149
125149
135149
145248
155248
165248
175248
185248
195347
205347
215347
225248
235248
245248
255248
265248
275149
285149
295149
305149
315149

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Qingdao gets around 71 mm of rain over 5.9 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 20% and peaks near 22% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
122
222
322
422
522
622
722
822
921
1021
1121
1221
1321
1420
1520
1620
1720
1820
1919
2019
2119
2218
2318
2418
2517
2617
2717
2817
2916
3016
3116

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 61% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
197300
296400
396400
495500
594600
693700
791900
8901000
9881200
10861400
11841600
12801910
13772210
14742510
15702910
16663310
17623620
18584020
19534430
20494740
21455050
22415270
23365680
243357100
252958130
262560150
272260180
281959220
291658260
301456300
311252351

Wind in May

Winds average 19 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 17 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
120light breeze
220light breeze
320light breeze
420light breeze
520light breeze
620light breeze
720light 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
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:12 AM to 4:48 AM, and sunset from 6:39 PM to 7:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:126:39
213.55:116:40
313.55:106:41
413.55:096:42
513.65:086:43
613.65:076:43
713.65:066:44
813.75:056:45
913.75:046:46
1013.75:036:47
1113.85:026:48
1213.85:016:49
1313.85:006:49
1413.94:596:50
1513.94:586:51
1613.94:586:52
1713.94:576:53
1814.04:566:54
1914.04:556:54
2014.04:556:55
2114.04:546:56
2214.14:536:57
2314.14:536:57
2414.14:526:58
2514.14:516:59
2614.14:517:00
2714.24:507:00
2814.24:507:01
2914.24:497:02
3014.24:497:03
3114.24:487:03

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.05 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.4 kWh/m² to a high of 6.05 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 6.05 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
106.0Bright
116.0Bright
126.0Bright
136.0Bright
146.0Intense
156.0Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Qingdao

In seasonPeak

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

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

Qingdao's rainy season runs June–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Qingdao?

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

5.5
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.9
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Qingdao for sightseeing.

What to pack for Qingdao in May

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

In May, Qingdao sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 14°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer. About 6 days see rain.

sun protectiona warm layer

Sea temperature near Qingdao in May

The nearest coast averages about 14°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 21 km away) is warmest in August at about 26°C and coldest in February near 5°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 23 to Oct 22 — about 4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan7Bracing
Feb5Bracing
Mar6Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May14Bracing
Jun19Cool
Jul24Refreshing
Aug26Warm
Sep24Warm
Oct21Refreshing
Nov16Cool
Dec11Bracing

UV index in Qingdao 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 Qingdao peaks around July 19 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateModerateHighVery highModerateJul 19UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5High
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun7Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Qingdao 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 Qingdao is worst in March — around 52 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.3× the cleanest month (September, 23 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Qingdao's WHO annual average of 37.3 µg/m³.

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModeratePoorMar 1652 µg/m³Sep 1023 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan48Poor
Feb48Poor
Mar52Poor
Apr48Poor
May41Poor
Jun31Moderate
Jul28Moderate
Aug24Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct30Moderate
Nov34Moderate
Dec41Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Qingdao?

Qingdao sits at 36.1°N, 120.4°E, 16 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Jinan, 310 km away.

JinanDalianTianjinNanjingChangyŏnKwail-ŭpOngjinT’aet’an-ŭp

Topography around Qingdao

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Qingdao has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 168 m around an average of 25 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 401 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,092 m.

The land around Qingdao is covered by artificial surfaces (59%) and water (28%) within 3 km, water (65%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 16 km, and water (46%) and cropland (35%) within 80 km.

3 km
168 m
16 km
401 m
80 km
1,092 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Jinan 310 km · Dalian 334 km · Tianjin 443 km · Nanjing 469 km · Changyŏn 483 km · Kwail-ŭp 488 km · Ongjin 489 km · T’aet’an-ŭp 491 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 Qingdao (36.0649°, 120.3804°, elevation 16 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).