Moorea weather in May

In May, Moorea sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 106 mm of rain across 13.1 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-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 44% 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 Moorea's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Moorea's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
5th warmest
Overnight low
25°
9th coldest
Rainfall
106 mm
13.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
6:20 AM – 5:31 PM
Cloud cover
50%
5th clearest
Wind
22 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
4.46 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

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 Moorea reaches about 27°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 26°C and 27°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
172725
182725
192725
202725
212725
222725
232725
242625
252625
262625
272625
282625
292625
302625
312625

Moorea 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
Jan27° / 25°23922.212.94.6
Feb27° / 26°22220.112.64.7
Mar27° / 26°17619.512.15.1
Apr27° / 26°13215.211.65.7
May27° / 25°10613.111.26.3
Jun26° / 25°689.3117.0
Jul25° / 24°478.811.17.4
Aug25° / 24°517.611.47.6
Sep25° / 24°588.411.97.3
Oct26° / 24°10411.812.46.7
Nov26° / 25°12915.912.85.7
Dec27° / 25°26322.3134.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25644
35743
45644
55743
65842
75842
85941
96040
106238
116238
126337
136436
146535
156535
166535
176634
186634
196733
206733
216832
226832
236832
246832
256931
267030
277129
287228
297327
307426
317525

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Moorea gets around 106 mm of rain over 13.1 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 42% and peaks near 50% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
150
250
350
450
549
649
749
848
947
1047
1146
1245
1344
1444
1543
1642
1741
1841
1940
2039
2139
2238
2337
2436
2536
2635
2734
2834
2933
3033
3132

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 82% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 98% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
118865
218865
319864
419864
519873
6110863
7110863
8211843
9211852
10211852
11212842
12212842
13213832
14213832
15214822
16214831
17215821
18315811
19316801
20316801
21317791
22317791
23318790
24318790
25318790
26319780
27319780
28319780
29320770
30320770
31420760

Wind in May

Winds average 22 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 21 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
421breezy
521breezy
621breezy
721breezy
821breezy
921breezy
1021breezy
1121breezy
1221breezy
1321breezy
1421breezy
1522breezy
1622breezy
1722breezy
1822breezy
1922breezy
2022breezy
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 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 6:15 AM to 6:26 AM, and sunset from 5:38 PM to 5:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.46:155:38
211.46:165:37
311.36:165:37
411.36:165:36
511.36:165:36
611.36:175:35
711.36:175:35
811.36:175:34
911.36:185:34
1011.36:185:33
1111.26:185:33
1211.26:195:32
1311.26:195:32
1411.26:195:32
1511.26:205:31
1611.26:205:31
1711.26:215:31
1811.26:215:30
1911.16:215:30
2011.16:225:30
2111.16:225:30
2211.16:225:29
2311.16:235:29
2411.16:235:29
2511.16:235:29
2611.16:245:28
2711.16:245:28
2811.16:255:28
2911.16:255:28
3011.06:255:28
3111.06:265:28

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.46 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.12 kWh/m² to a high of 6.61 kWh/m² in November across the year — May's 4.46 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.7Bright
24.7Bright
34.6Bright
44.6Bright
54.6Bright
64.6Bright
74.6Bright
84.6Bright
94.5Bright
104.5Bright
114.5Bright
124.5Bright
134.5Bright
144.5Bright
154.5Bright
164.5Bright
174.5Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.4Bright
254.4Bright
264.4Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Moorea

In seasonPeak

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

Moorea'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 Moorea?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
6.3
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Moorea for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Moorea in May

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

In May, Moorea sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 25°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and a windbreaker. About 13 days see rain.

light clothesrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Moorea 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 offshore is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in September near 26°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May28Tropical
Jun28Warm
Jul27Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Moorea 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 Moorea 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
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun7High
Jul8Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov15Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Moorea?

Moorea sits at 17.5°S, 149.8°W, 0 m above sea level, in French Polynesia. The nearest listed city is Faaa, 24 km away.

Topography around Moorea

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Moorea has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,176 m around an average of 251 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,176 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,792 m.

The land around Moorea is covered by trees (95%) within 3 km, water (84%) within 16 km, and water (91%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,176 m
16 km
1,176 m
80 km
1,792 m
treesgrasslandwater
May weather nearby: Faaa 24 km · Punaauia 27 km · Papeete 28 km · Bora Bora 233 km · Avarua 1,120 km · Alofi 2,127 km · Adamstown 2,205 km · Pago Pago 2,260 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 Moorea (-17.5328°, -149.828°, 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).