Tarbes weather in May

In May, Tarbes sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 166 mm of precipitation across 16.6 wet days and about 14.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% 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 Tarbes's 12th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Tarbes's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
5th warmest
Overnight low
10°
8th coldest
Precipitation
166 mm
16.6 wet days
Daylight
14 h 30 min
5:42 AM – 8:10 PM
Cloud cover
67%
12th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.37 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10
Air quality
Excellent
PM10 14 µg/m³ · 2019

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 17°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical May day in Tarbes reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 13°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1178
2178
3178
4179
5189
6189
7189
8189
9189
10189
11189
121910
131910
141910
151910
161910
171910
181910
191910
202010
212010
222011
232011
242011
252011
262011
272011
282111
292111
302112
312112

How May really feels in Tarbes

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.

Tarbes weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan10° / 10413.42.39.22.0
Feb11° / 9212.2310.22.4
Mar14° / 10313.61.411.63.7
Apr16° / 14615.90.313.24.1
May19° / 10°16616.60.114.55.1
Jun22° / 13°13114.1015.16.0
Jul24° / 15°11012.3014.96.7
Aug25° / 15°11113013.86.6
Sep22° / 12°10112.1012.36.3
Oct18° / 12813.80.110.85.4
Nov13° / 13714.30.79.53.2
Dec10° / 10112.918.92.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 66%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13169
23169
33169
43169
53169
63169
73169
83169
93169
103268
113268
123268
133268
143268
153367
163367
173466
183466
193565
203565
213763
223763
233763
243763
253763
263862
273862
283862
293763
303763
313862

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Tarbes gets around 166 mm of rain and snow over 16.6 wet days in May, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 54% and peaks near 59% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
159
259
359
459
559
659
759
858
958
1058
1157
1257
1356
1455
1555
1654
1753
1852
1951
2051
2150
2250
2349
2449
2548
2648
2748
2848
2949
3049
3150

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 80% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19640
29550
39361
49361
59271
69181
79091
889101
988111
1088111
1187121
1286131
1386131
1485141
1584151
1684151
1782162
1881172
1980182
2079192
2177203
2275223
2373234
2471254
2569265
2667285
2765296
2864306
2962317
3061327
3160328

Wind in May

Winds average 7 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

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 6:01 AM to 5:29 AM, and sunset from 7:53 PM to 8:25 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.96:017:53
213.95:597:54
314.05:587:56
414.05:567:57
514.05:557:58
614.15:547:59
714.15:528:00
814.25:518:01
914.25:508:02
1014.35:498:04
1114.35:478:05
1214.35:468:06
1314.45:458:07
1414.45:448:08
1514.45:438:09
1614.55:428:10
1714.55:418:11
1814.55:408:12
1914.65:398:13
2014.65:388:15
2114.65:378:16
2214.75:368:17
2314.75:358:18
2414.75:348:19
2514.85:338:20
2614.85:338:20
2714.85:328:21
2814.95:318:22
2914.95:308:23
3014.95:308:24
3114.95:298:25

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.37 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.47 kWh/m² to a high of 5.82 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.37 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
55.0Bright
65.1Bright
75.1Bright
85.1Bright
95.2Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.3Bright
145.3Bright
155.3Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.6Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Tarbes?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
2.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Tarbes for sightseeing.

What to pack for Tarbes in May

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

In May, Tarbes sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 10°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 17 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Tarbes 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 Tarbes peaks around July 15 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 15UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Tarbes 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 Tarbes is worst in March — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.7× the cleanest month (November, 9 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodMar 1515 µg/m³Nov 169 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May11Good
Jun12Good
Jul10Good
Aug10Good
Sep10Good
Oct10Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Tarbes?

Tarbes sits at 43.2°N, 0.1°E, 316 m above sea level, in France. The nearest listed city is Lourdes, 18 km away.

Topography around Tarbes

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Tarbes has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 60 m around an average of 309 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 501 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,290 m.

The land around Tarbes is covered by artificial surfaces (47%) and trees (20%) within 3 km, trees (37%), cropland (31%) and grassland (28%) within 16 km, and trees (40%), grassland (31%) and cropland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
60 m
16 km
501 m
80 km
3,290 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
May weather nearby: Lourdes 18 km · Pau 36 km · Auch 62 km · Mont-de-Marsan 86 km · Muret 104 km · Dax 105 km · Plaisance-du-Touch 106 km · Cugnaux 108 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 Tarbes (43.2341°, 0.0714°, elevation 316 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. 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).