Kos weather in May

In May, Kos sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 16 mm of rain across 3.1 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 9th-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 74% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Kos's 5th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kos's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
6th warmest
Overnight low
18°
7th coldest
Rainfall
16 mm
3.1 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:08 AM – 7:06 PM
Cloud cover
25%
5th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
7.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10

Kos is city on the homonymous island in Aegean Sea, Greece.

Density
286/km²
people per km²

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 18°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical May day in Kos reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°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)
11817
21817
31817
41917
51917
61917
71917
81917
91918
101918
111918
121918
132018
142018
152018
162018
172018
182019
192019
202019
212019
222119
232119
242119
252119
262119
272120
282120
292120
302120
312220

Kos weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan14° / 12°17312.39.84.1
Feb14° / 12°12611.510.64.0
Mar15° / 13°788.311.75.0
Apr17° / 15°395.812.96.3
May20° / 18°163.113.98.0
Jun24° / 22°20.414.59.5
Jul26° / 24°00.114.39.6
Aug26° / 24°0013.49.4
Sep24° / 23°161.812.39.3
Oct22° / 20°624.9118.0
Nov19° / 17°1208.9106.5
Dec16° / 14°19012.89.54.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 16%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18020
28020
38020
48020
58020
68119
78119
88119
98218
108317
118317
128317
138416
148416
158416
168515
178515
188515
198614
208614
218614
228614
238614
248713
258713
268812
278812
288812
298812
309010
319010

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Kos gets around 16 mm of rain over 3.1 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 9% and peaks near 11% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
110
210
310
410
510
611
711
811
911
1011
1111
1211
1310
1410
1510
1610
1710
1810
199
209
219
229
239
248
258
268
277
287
296
306
315

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the humid band about 45% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 6% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13447181
23248201
32949211
42749231
52449251
62249281
72149301
81948321
91847341
101746361
111645381
121543402
131442432
141340452
151239473
161137493
171036504
18934525
19832555
20831556
21729577
22727588
23726589
246246010
256236011
266226012
275216014
285196115
295186017
304176019
314165921

Wind in May

Winds average 20 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 21 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
121breezy
221breezy
320breezy
420breezy
520breezy
620breezy
720breezy
820breezy
920breezy
1020breezy
1120breezy
1220breezy
1320light breeze
1420light breeze
1520light breeze
1620light breeze
1720light breeze
1820light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2119light breeze
2219light breeze
2319light breeze
2419light breeze
2519light breeze
2619light breeze
2720light breeze
2820light breeze
2920light breeze
3020light breeze
3120light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:23 AM to 4:59 AM, and sunset from 6:53 PM to 7:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:236:53
213.55:226:54
313.65:216:55
413.65:206:56
513.65:196:56
613.75:186:57
713.75:176:58
813.75:166:59
913.85:157:00
1013.85:147:01
1113.85:137:02
1213.85:127:03
1313.95:117:03
1413.95:107:04
1513.95:097:05
1614.05:087:06
1714.05:077:07
1814.05:077:08
1914.05:067:09
2014.15:057:09
2114.15:047:10
2214.15:047:11
2314.15:037:12
2414.25:027:13
2514.25:027:13
2614.25:017:14
2714.25:017:15
2814.35:007:16
2914.35:007:16
3014.34:597:17
3114.34:597:18

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.16 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.2 kWh/m² to a high of 7.91 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.16 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.8Intense
26.8Intense
36.8Intense
46.8Intense
56.9Intense
66.9Intense
76.9Intense
87.0Intense
97.0Intense
107.0Intense
117.0Intense
127.1Intense
137.1Intense
147.1Intense
157.2Intense
167.2Intense
177.2Intense
187.2Intense
197.3Intense
207.3Intense
217.3Intense
227.3Intense
237.4Intense
247.4Intense
257.4Intense
267.4Intense
277.5Intense
287.5Intense
297.5Intense
307.5Intense
317.6Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Kos

In seasonPeak

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

Kos's rainy season runs November–February, 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 Kos?

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

8.0
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
4.1
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Kos in May

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

In May, Kos sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 18°C. Pack sun protection. About 3 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Kos in May

The nearest coast averages about 19°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 25°C and coldest in March near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 23 to Nov 28 — about 6.2 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr17Cool
May19Cool
Jun22Refreshing
Jul24Refreshing
Aug25Warm
Sep24Warm
Oct23Refreshing
Nov21Refreshing
Dec19Cool

UV index in Kos in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kos peaks around June 22 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highModerateJun 22UV 9Jan 10UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Kos?

Kos sits at 36.9°N, 27.3°E, 10 m above sea level, in Greece. The nearest listed city is Turgutreis, 14 km away.

DidimMilasMarmarisYatağanSökeRhodes

Topography around Kos

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kos has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 196 m around an average of 22 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 830 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,389 m.

The land around Kos is covered by water (37%) and grassland (23%) within 3 km, water (74%) within 16 km, and water (74%) within 80 km.

3 km
196 m
16 km
830 m
80 km
1,389 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Turgutreis 14 km · Bodrum 20 km · Didim 55 km · Milas 64 km · Marmaris 88 km · Yatağan 91 km · Söke 96 km · Rhodes 98 km

Greece travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 60% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$26,948
2025
Happiness
5.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
8.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 592
Religion
other 3%Muslim 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 Kos (36.8929°, 27.2877°, elevation 10 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).