Sète weather in May

In May, Sète sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 58 mm of rain across 6.9 wet days and about 14.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 18°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Sète's 7th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sète's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
5th warmest
Overnight low
14°
7th coldest
Rainfall
58 mm
6.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 30 min
5:27 AM – 7:56 PM
Cloud cover
50%
7th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.41 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 18°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical May day in Sète reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 22°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C warmer than April and about 4°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11712
21812
31812
41812
51813
61813
71813
81813
91813
101813
111913
121913
131913
141914
151914
161914
171914
182014
192014
202014
212014
222014
232015
242015
252115
262115
272115
282115
292115
302115
312116

Sète weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan11° / 828.79.22.9
Feb12° / 506.210.23.3
Mar14° / 566.611.64.5
Apr16° / 10°708.213.25.4
May19° / 14°586.914.56.7
Jun23° / 17°304.515.28.0
Jul26° / 20°162.814.98.4
Aug26° / 20°314.713.88.0
Sep23° / 17°1086.812.37.6
Oct19° / 14°14111.710.85.9
Nov15° / 10°12411.59.54.3
Dec12° / 789.28.83.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% 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 42%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25248
35248
45248
55347
65347
75347
85446
95446
105446
115545
125644
135743
145743
155941
166040
176040
186139
196139
206238
216238
226238
236238
246238
256238
266139
276040
286040
296040
305941
315941

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Sète gets around 58 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
329
428
528
628
727
827
927
1027
1127
1226
1326
1426
1525
1624
1724
1823
1922
2021
2120
2219
2319
2418
2518
2618
2718
2818
2918
3018
3119

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 63% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
185150
283170
382180
480200
579210
677230
776240
873261
971281
1070291
1169301
1267321
1366331
1464342
1563352
1661363
1761363
1859374
1958375
2056386
2155387
2254388
23523810
24523711
25503713
26493714
27483616
28473518
29463519
30453421
31443322

Wind in May

Winds average 15 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light 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
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 54 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 60 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:46 AM to 5:14 AM, and sunset from 7:39 PM to 8:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.95:467:39
213.95:447:40
314.05:437:41
414.05:427:43
514.15:407:44
614.15:397:45
714.15:377:46
814.25:367:47
914.25:357:48
1014.35:347:50
1114.35:327:51
1214.35:317:52
1314.45:307:53
1414.45:297:54
1514.55:287:55
1614.55:277:56
1714.55:267:57
1814.65:257:58
1914.65:247:59
2014.65:238:01
2114.75:228:02
2214.75:218:03
2314.75:208:04
2414.85:198:05
2514.85:188:06
2614.85:188:07
2714.85:178:07
2814.95:168:08
2914.95:158:09
3014.95:158:10
3114.95:148:11

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.41 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.54 kWh/m² to a high of 7.14 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.41 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
46.0Bright
56.0Bright
66.0Intense
76.0Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.3Intense
136.3Intense
146.3Intense
156.4Intense
166.4Intense
176.5Intense
186.5Intense
196.5Intense
206.6Intense
216.6Intense
226.6Intense
236.7Intense
246.7Intense
256.7Intense
266.7Intense
276.7Intense
286.7Intense
296.7Intense
306.7Intense
316.8Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Sète

In seasonPeak

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

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

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

Is May a good time to visit Sète?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
3.1
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Sète for sightseeing.

What to pack for Sète in May

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

In May, Sète sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 14°C. Pack sun protection. About 7 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Sète 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 offshore is warmest in August at about 22°C and coldest in February near 12°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 28 to Sep 17 — about 2.7 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan12Bracing
Feb12Bracing
Mar12Bracing
Apr14Bracing
May16Cool
Jun19Cool
Jul21Refreshing
Aug22Refreshing
Sep20Refreshing
Oct18Cool
Nov16Cool
Dec14Bracing

UV index in Sète 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 Sète peaks around July 16 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 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 16UV 9Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Sète?

Sète sits at 43.4°N, 3.7°E, 5 m above sea level, in France. The nearest listed city is Frontignan, 7.0 km away.

Topography around Sète

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sète has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 177 m around an average of 9 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 305 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,560 m.

The land around Sète is covered by water (58%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 3 km, water (59%) within 16 km, and trees (34%) and water (33%) within 80 km.

3 km
177 m
16 km
305 m
80 km
1,560 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Frontignan 7.0 km · Agde 20 km · Lattes 25 km · Montpellier 27 km · Castelnau-le-Lez 31 km · Mauguio 35 km · Béziers 39 km · Lunel 47 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 Sète (43.4028°, 3.6928°, elevation 5 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).