Bora Bora weather in May

In May, Bora Bora sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 106 mm of rain across 16.1 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% 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 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Bora Bora's 6th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bora Bora's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
5th warmest
Overnight low
26°
10th coldest
Rainfall
106 mm
16.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
6:26 AM – 5:40 PM
Cloud cover
49%
6th clearest
Wind
21 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
4.53 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.8
out of 10

Bora Bora is island in French Polynesia.

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 27°C through the month.

A typical May day in Bora Bora reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 1°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12726
22726
32726
42726
52726
62726
72726
82726
92726
102726
112726
122726
132726
142726
152726
162726
172726
182726
192726
202726
212726
222726
232726
242726
252726
262726
272726
282726
292726
302726
312726

Bora Bora 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
Jan27° / 26°27023.712.94.3
Feb28° / 26°23221.112.64.4
Mar28° / 26°17520.812.14.9
Apr28° / 26°13417.411.65.3
May27° / 26°10616.111.25.8
Jun27° / 25°7412116.5
Jul26° / 25°5510.811.16.9
Aug26° / 25°509.611.47.1
Sep26° / 25°5912.411.96.6
Oct26° / 25°10814.912.46.1
Nov27° / 25°14919.112.85.2
Dec27° / 26°28123.7134.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 34%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25347
35347
45446
55545
65545
75743
85842
95941
106139
116238
126436
136535
146733
156733
166931
176931
187030
197129
207129
217228
227228
237228
247228
257327
267327
277525
287525
297624
307624
317723

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Bora Bora gets around 106 mm of rain over 16.1 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 51% and peaks near 59% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
159
259
359
459
559
659
759
859
958
1058
1157
1256
1355
1453
1552
1651
1750
1849
1948
2047
2146
2245
2345
2444
2544
2643
2743
2842
2942
3041
3141

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 78% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1037720
2047719
3047719
4047818
5057718
6057718
7057718
8067717
9067717
10077617
11077617
12077716
13087715
14087715
15197614
16197713
17197812
181107712
191107811
201117810
21111799
22111808
23111817
24112807
25112816
26112825
27112825
28112834
29112834
30112834
31212824

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
120light breeze
220light breeze
320light breeze
420breezy
520breezy
620breezy
720breezy
820breezy
920breezy
1021breezy
1121breezy
1221breezy
1321breezy
1421breezy
1521breezy
1621breezy
1721breezy
1821breezy
1921breezy
2021breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2322breezy
2422breezy
2522breezy
2622breezy
2722breezy
2822breezy
2922breezy
3022breezy
3122breezy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of May to 11 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:22 AM to 6:31 AM, and sunset from 5:47 PM to 5:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.46:225:47
211.46:225:46
311.46:225:46
411.46:235:45
511.46:235:45
611.36:235:44
711.36:235:44
811.36:245:43
911.36:245:43
1011.36:245:42
1111.36:255:42
1211.36:255:42
1311.36:255:41
1411.36:265:41
1511.26:265:40
1611.26:265:40
1711.26:275:40
1811.26:275:40
1911.26:275:39
2011.26:285:39
2111.26:285:39
2211.26:285:39
2311.26:295:38
2411.26:295:38
2511.16:295:38
2611.16:305:38
2711.16:305:38
2811.16:305:38
2911.16:315:37
3011.16:315:37
3111.16:315:37

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.53 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.25 kWh/m² to a high of 6.54 kWh/m² in November across the year — May's 4.53 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.7Bright
34.7Bright
44.7Bright
54.7Bright
64.7Bright
74.6Bright
84.6Bright
94.6Bright
104.6Bright
114.6Bright
124.6Bright
134.6Bright
144.6Bright
154.6Bright
164.5Bright
174.5Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.5Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.4Bright
304.4Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Bora Bora

In seasonPeak

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

Bora Bora's rainy season runs November–April, 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 Bora Bora?

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

5.8
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Bora Bora for sightseeing.

What to pack for Bora Bora in May

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

In May, Bora Bora sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection and a windbreaker. About 16 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Bora Bora in May

The nearest coast averages about 28°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 18 km away) is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in August near 27°C.

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

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May28Tropical
Jun28Warm
Jul27Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep27Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Bora Bora 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 Bora Bora peaks around February 14 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 14UV 16Jun 17UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov15Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Bora Bora?

Bora Bora sits at 16.5°S, 151.7°W, 0 m above sea level, in French Polynesia. The nearest listed city is Moorea, 233 km away.

MooreaFaaaPapeetePunaauia

Topography around Bora Bora

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Bora Bora has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 542 m around an average of 47 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 542 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 937 m.

The land around Bora Bora is covered by water (50%) and trees (42%) within 3 km, water (97%) within 16 km, and water (97%) within 80 km.

3 km
542 m
16 km
542 m
80 km
937 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Moorea 233 km · Faaa 256 km · Papeete 258 km · Punaauia 260 km · Avarua 994 km · Alofi 1,945 km · Pago Pago 2,047 km · Apia 2,169 km

French Polynesia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / E / F
110 / 220 V · 50 / 60 Hz
GDP per capita
$22,440
2024
Safe drinking water
90%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.4
per 100k, 2009
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 54%Roman Catholic 30%other 10%no religion 6%

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 Bora Bora (-16.4996°, -151.7371°, elevation 0 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).