Perpignan weather in May

In May, Perpignan sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 50 mm of rain across 6.9 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 24°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 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Perpignan's 8th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Perpignan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
5th warmest
Overnight low
13°
8th coldest
Rainfall
50 mm
6.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
5:32 AM – 7:58 PM
Cloud cover
53%
8th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
6.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.2
out of 10

Perpignan is French commune in Pyrénées-Orientales, Occitania.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 9.7 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
1,626/km²
people per km²
Founded
~927 CE

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 20°C in the first days to 24°C by the end.

A typical May day in Perpignan reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 4°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12011
22012
32012
42012
52012
62012
72012
82112
92112
102113
112113
122113
132113
142113
152213
162213
172213
182214
192214
202214
212314
222314
232314
242314
252315
262315
272415
282415
292415
302415
312415

Perpignan weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan12° / 586.89.23.4
Feb13° / 435.210.34.0
Mar16° / 506.511.65.4
Apr18° / 10°628.313.16.3
May22° / 13°506.914.47.2
Jun26° / 17°264.715.17.6
Jul29° / 20°193.614.86.7
Aug29° / 20°304.713.76.5
Sep25° / 16°555.912.37.6
Oct21° / 13°877.910.86.8
Nov16° / 677.29.65.2
Dec12° / 566.28.93.7

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 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 46%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34852
44852
54852
64852
74852
84951
94951
105050
115149
125248
135347
145347
155446
165545
175743
185743
195842
205941
215941
226040
236040
246040
255941
265842
275842
285743
295743
305644
315644

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Perpignan gets around 50 mm of rain over 6.9 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 23% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
229
328
428
527
627
726
826
925
1025
1125
1224
1324
1423
1523
1622
1722
1821
1921
2020
2120
2220
2320
2419
2519
2619
2720
2820
2920
3020
3121

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 69% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
188120
287130
386140
484160
582171
681181
779201
878211
976231
1075241
1174251
1272271
1370282
1470282
1569292
1668302
1767303
1867303
1965314
2064315
2164315
2263316
2362317
2460328
25583210
26573211
27563212
28553213
29553114
30543115
31533116

Wind in May

Winds average 15 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 66 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:50 AM to 5:20 AM, and sunset from 7:41 PM to 8:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:507:41
213.95:497:42
313.95:487:43
414.05:467:44
514.05:457:45
614.05:447:47
714.15:427:48
814.15:417:49
914.25:407:50
1014.25:397:51
1114.25:377:52
1214.35:367:53
1314.35:357:54
1414.45:347:55
1514.45:337:56
1614.45:327:58
1714.55:317:59
1814.55:308:00
1914.55:298:01
2014.65:288:02
2114.65:278:03
2214.65:268:04
2314.75:258:05
2414.75:248:06
2514.75:248:07
2614.75:238:08
2714.85:228:08
2814.85:218:09
2914.85:218:10
3014.85:208:11
3114.95:208:12

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.16 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.63 kWh/m² to a high of 6.7 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.16 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
116.0Bright
126.0Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.3Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.4Intense
226.4Intense
236.4Intense
246.4Intense
256.4Intense
266.4Intense
276.4Intense
286.4Intense
296.4Intense
306.4Intense
316.5Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Perpignan?

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

7.2
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Perpignan for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Perpignan in May

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

In May, Perpignan sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 13°C. Pack sun protection. About 7 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Perpignan in May

The nearest coast averages about 16°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 20 km away) is warmest in August at about 22°C and coldest in February near 12°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 30 to Sep 20 — about 2.7 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan13Bracing
Feb12Bracing
Mar13Bracing
Apr14Bracing
May16Cool
Jun19Cool
Jul21Refreshing
Aug22Refreshing
Sep20Refreshing
Oct18Cool
Nov16Cool
Dec14Bracing

UV index in Perpignan 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 Perpignan peaks around July 14 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 14UV 9Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Perpignan?

Perpignan sits at 42.7°N, 2.9°E, 43 m above sea level, in France. The nearest listed city is Figueres, 48 km away.

Topography around Perpignan

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Perpignan has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 77 m around an average of 37 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 487 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,892 m.

The land around Perpignan is covered by artificial surfaces (59%) within 3 km, grassland (22%) and shrubs (20%) within 16 km, and trees (44%) and water (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
77 m
16 km
487 m
80 km
2,892 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Figueres 48 km · Roses 54 km · Narbonne 55 km · Banyoles 65 km · Olot 66 km · Carcassonne 73 km · Béziers 76 km · Girona 80 km

France travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / E
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 77% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$48,986
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 539
Religion
Roman Catholic 47%none 33%Muslim 4%Protestant 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 Perpignan (42.6976°, 2.8954°, elevation 43 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).