Suva weather in May

In May, Suva sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 132 mm of rain across 17.3 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of May to 11 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Suva's 4th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Suva's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
6th warmest
Overnight low
25°
7th coldest
Rainfall
132 mm
17.3 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
7:28 AM – 6:37 PM
Cloud cover
65%
4th clearest
Wind
21 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

Suva is capital city of Fiji.

Density
38/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 26°C through the month.

A typical May day in Suva reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 1°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12725
22725
32725
42725
52625
62625
72625
82625
92625
102625
112625
122625
132625
142625
152625
162625
172625
182625
192625
202625
212625
222625
232625
242625
252625
262625
272625
282625
292625
302625
312625

Suva weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 26°24023.1134.5
Feb28° / 26°19122.112.64.2
Mar28° / 26°21825.512.14.1
Apr27° / 26°20722.111.64.6
May26° / 25°13217.311.25.5
Jun25° / 24°11514.210.96.0
Jul25° / 23°7812.7116.4
Aug24° / 23°11213.711.46.3
Sep24° / 23°11214.411.96.1
Oct25° / 24°14617.612.45.6
Nov26° / 25°13017.612.95.4
Dec27° / 25°20222.513.14.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 57%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14357
24456
34456
44456
54456
64555
74555
84555
94555
104456
114456
124555
134555
144456
154456
164456
174456
184456
194357
204258
214258
224258
234258
244258
254159
264159
274159
283961
293961
303961
313862

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Suva gets around 132 mm of rain over 17.3 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 56% and peaks near 66% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
166
265
365
464
563
662
761
860
959
1058
1157
1256
1355
1454
1553
1653
1752
1851
1951
2050
2150
2250
2350
2451
2551
2652
2752
2853
2953
3054
3154

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 51% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 88% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
10621658
20622657
30723637
40724627
50726616
60827596
70828595
80829585
90830575
100932554
110933544
1201034524
1301035523
1411136503
1511137493
1611238472
1711338462
1811338462
1911439452
2011439442
2111539431
2211539431
2311639431
2411639431
2511639431
2611638431
2711638441
2811637451
2911637451
3011636461
3111635471

Wind in May

Winds average 21 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 20 km/h on the calmest days to 22 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
121breezy
221breezy
321breezy
420breezy
520breezy
620breezy
720breezy
820breezy
920breezy
1020breezy
1120breezy
1221breezy
1321breezy
1421breezy
1521breezy
1621breezy
1721breezy
1821breezy
1921breezy
2021breezy
2121breezy
2221breezy
2321breezy
2421breezy
2521breezy
2621breezy
2721breezy
2822breezy
2922breezy
3022breezy
3122breezy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of May to 11 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 7:23 AM to 7:34 AM, and sunset from 6:44 PM to 6:34 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.47:236:44
211.37:236:43
311.37:246:43
411.37:246:42
511.37:246:42
611.37:256:41
711.37:256:41
811.37:256:40
911.27:266:40
1011.27:266:39
1111.27:266:39
1211.27:276:39
1311.27:276:38
1411.27:276:38
1511.27:286:37
1611.27:286:37
1711.17:286:37
1811.17:296:36
1911.17:296:36
2011.17:306:36
2111.17:306:36
2211.17:306:35
2311.17:316:35
2411.17:316:35
2511.17:316:35
2611.07:326:34
2711.07:326:34
2811.07:336:34
2911.07:336:34
3011.07:336:34
3111.07:346:34

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.47 kWh/m² to a high of 6.35 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 3.93 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.2Bright
34.2Bright
44.1Bright
54.1Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.1Bright
104.0Bright
114.0Bright
124.0Bright
134.0Moderate
144.0Moderate
154.0Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.9Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.9Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.8Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.7Moderate
273.7Moderate
283.6Moderate
293.6Moderate
303.6Moderate
313.6Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Suva

In seasonPeak

None of Suva's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Suva sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Cyclone
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Suva?

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
5.3
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Suva for sightseeing.

What to pack for Suva in May

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

In May, Suva sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 25°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and a windbreaker. About 17 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothesa windbreaker

Sea temperature near Suva in May

The nearest coast averages about 27°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in February at about 29°C and coldest in August near 25°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr28Tropical
May27Warm
Jun26Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug25Warm
Sep25Warm
Oct26Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec28Warm

UV index in Suva in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Suva peaks around February 13 at about 17 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 13 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 13UV 17Jul 13UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb17Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep13Extreme
Oct15Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Suva?

Suva sits at 18.1°S, 178.4°E, in Fiji. The nearest listed city is Lami, 3.0 km away.

LevukaSigatokaNadiLautokaLabasa

Topography around Suva

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Suva has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 104 m around an average of 14 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 532 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,286 m.

The land around Suva is covered by water (48%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 3 km, water (52%) and trees (35%) within 16 km, and water (63%) and trees (33%) within 80 km.

3 km
104 m
16 km
532 m
80 km
1,286 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
May weather nearby: Lami 3.0 km · Nasinu 12 km · Levuka 95 km · Sigatoka 97 km · Nadi 113 km · Lautoka 118 km · Labasa 214 km · Nuku‘alofa 746 km

Fiji travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,642
2025
Safe drinking water
42%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.1
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
13.5
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 45%Hindu 28%other Christian 10%Roman Catholic 9%

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 Suva (-18.1368°, 178.4253°), 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).