Kingston weather in May
In May, Kingston sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 102 mm of rain across 14.5 wet days and about 12.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of May to 13 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Kingston's 9th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kingston's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 28°
- 6th warmest
- Overnight low
- 24°
- 7th coldest
- Rainfall
- 102 mm
- 14.5 wet days
- Daylight
- 12 h 48 min
- 5:38 AM – 6:29 PM
- Cloud cover
- 58%
- 9th clearest
- Wind
- 13 km/h
- 3rd windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.36 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.8
- out of 10
Kingston is capital of Jamaica.
- Air quality
- Elevated
- PM10 45.5 µg/m³ · 2015
- Density
- 42,623/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1692
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.
A typical May day in Kingston reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| Avg low (°C) | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | 23 |
| 2 | 28 | 23 |
| 3 | 28 | 23 |
| 4 | 28 | 23 |
| 5 | 28 | 23 |
| 6 | 28 | 24 |
| 7 | 28 | 24 |
| 8 | 28 | 24 |
| 9 | 28 | 24 |
| 10 | 28 | 24 |
| 11 | 28 | 24 |
| 12 | 28 | 24 |
| 13 | 28 | 24 |
| 14 | 28 | 24 |
| 15 | 28 | 24 |
| 16 | 28 | 24 |
| 17 | 28 | 24 |
| 18 | 28 | 24 |
| 19 | 28 | 24 |
| 20 | 28 | 24 |
| 21 | 28 | 24 |
| 22 | 28 | 24 |
| 23 | 28 | 24 |
| 24 | 28 | 24 |
| 25 | 28 | 24 |
| 26 | 28 | 24 |
| 27 | 28 | 24 |
| 28 | 28 | 24 |
| 29 | 28 | 24 |
| 30 | 28 | 24 |
| 31 | 28 | 24 |
How May really feels in Kingston
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.
May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Kingston weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 22° | 26 | 7.5 | 11 | 7.5 |
| Feb | 26° / 22° | 21 | 7 | 11.4 | 7.5 |
| Mar | 26° / 22° | 33 | 7.9 | 11.9 | 7.3 |
| Apr | 27° / 23° | 36 | 9 | 12.4 | 6.9 |
| May | 28° / 24° | 102 | 14.5 | 12.8 | 5.8 |
| Jun | 29° / 25° | 72 | 11.5 | 13.1 | 5.4 |
| Jul | 29° / 25° | 53 | 9.9 | 13 | 5.5 |
| Aug | 29° / 25° | 82 | 13.8 | 12.6 | 4.9 |
| Sep | 29° / 25° | 124 | 18 | 12.1 | 4.4 |
| Oct | 28° / 24° | 144 | 21 | 11.6 | 4.5 |
| Nov | 27° / 24° | 79 | 13.2 | 11.2 | 6.0 |
| Dec | 27° / 23° | 41 | 9.3 | 10.9 | 7.0 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 76 | 75 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 69 | 68 | 66 | 63 | 61 | 59 | 57 | 55 | 52 | 50 | 49 | 47 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| Cloudier (%) | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 48 | 50 | 51 | 53 | 54 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 76 | 24 |
| 2 | 75 | 25 |
| 3 | 75 | 25 |
| 4 | 74 | 26 |
| 5 | 73 | 27 |
| 6 | 72 | 28 |
| 7 | 71 | 29 |
| 8 | 69 | 31 |
| 9 | 68 | 32 |
| 10 | 66 | 34 |
| 11 | 63 | 37 |
| 12 | 61 | 39 |
| 13 | 59 | 41 |
| 14 | 57 | 43 |
| 15 | 55 | 45 |
| 16 | 52 | 48 |
| 17 | 50 | 50 |
| 18 | 49 | 51 |
| 19 | 47 | 53 |
| 20 | 46 | 54 |
| 21 | 44 | 56 |
| 22 | 43 | 57 |
| 23 | 42 | 58 |
| 24 | 41 | 59 |
| 25 | 41 | 59 |
| 26 | 41 | 59 |
| 27 | 41 | 59 |
| 28 | 41 | 59 |
| 29 | 40 | 60 |
| 30 | 40 | 60 |
| 31 | 40 | 60 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Kingston gets around 102 mm of rain over 14.5 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 46% and peaks near 54% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 33 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 51 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 33 |
| 2 | 34 |
| 3 | 34 |
| 4 | 35 |
| 5 | 36 |
| 6 | 37 |
| 7 | 38 |
| 8 | 39 |
| 9 | 40 |
| 10 | 41 |
| 11 | 42 |
| 12 | 43 |
| 13 | 44 |
| 14 | 45 |
| 15 | 46 |
| 16 | 47 |
| 17 | 48 |
| 18 | 49 |
| 19 | 50 |
| 20 | 51 |
| 21 | 52 |
| 22 | 52 |
| 23 | 53 |
| 24 | 53 |
| 25 | 54 |
| 26 | 54 |
| 27 | 54 |
| 28 | 53 |
| 29 | 53 |
| 30 | 52 |
| 31 | 51 |
Humidity in May
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 90% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 97 | 98 | 97 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 99 | 98 | 98 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 21 | 78 | 0 |
| 2 | 1 | 20 | 79 | 0 |
| 3 | 1 | 19 | 80 | 0 |
| 4 | 1 | 18 | 81 | 0 |
| 5 | 1 | 17 | 82 | 0 |
| 6 | 1 | 17 | 82 | 0 |
| 7 | 1 | 16 | 83 | 0 |
| 8 | 1 | 16 | 83 | 0 |
| 9 | 1 | 15 | 84 | 0 |
| 10 | 1 | 15 | 84 | 0 |
| 11 | 0 | 14 | 86 | 0 |
| 12 | 0 | 13 | 87 | 0 |
| 13 | 0 | 12 | 88 | 0 |
| 14 | 0 | 11 | 89 | 0 |
| 15 | 0 | 10 | 90 | 0 |
| 16 | 0 | 9 | 91 | 0 |
| 17 | 0 | 8 | 92 | 0 |
| 18 | 0 | 7 | 93 | 0 |
| 19 | 0 | 6 | 94 | 0 |
| 20 | 0 | 5 | 95 | 0 |
| 21 | 0 | 4 | 96 | 0 |
| 22 | 0 | 3 | 97 | 0 |
| 23 | 0 | 3 | 97 | 0 |
| 24 | 0 | 2 | 98 | 0 |
| 25 | 0 | 2 | 97 | 1 |
| 26 | 0 | 1 | 98 | 1 |
| 27 | 0 | 1 | 98 | 1 |
| 28 | 0 | 1 | 98 | 1 |
| 29 | 0 | 0 | 99 | 1 |
| 30 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 2 |
| 31 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 2 |
Wind in May
Winds average 13 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Feels | calm | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | calm |
| 2 | 12 | light breeze |
| 3 | 12 | light breeze |
| 4 | 12 | light breeze |
| 5 | 12 | light breeze |
| 6 | 12 | light breeze |
| 7 | 12 | light breeze |
| 8 | 12 | light breeze |
| 9 | 12 | light breeze |
| 10 | 12 | light breeze |
| 11 | 12 | light breeze |
| 12 | 12 | light breeze |
| 13 | 13 | light breeze |
| 14 | 13 | light breeze |
| 15 | 13 | light breeze |
| 16 | 13 | light breeze |
| 17 | 13 | light breeze |
| 18 | 13 | light breeze |
| 19 | 13 | light breeze |
| 20 | 13 | light breeze |
| 21 | 13 | light breeze |
| 22 | 13 | light breeze |
| 23 | 13 | light breeze |
| 24 | 13 | light breeze |
| 25 | 13 | light breeze |
| 26 | 14 | light breeze |
| 27 | 14 | light breeze |
| 28 | 14 | light breeze |
| 29 | 14 | light breeze |
| 30 | 14 | light breeze |
| 31 | 14 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min at the start of May to 13 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:45 AM to 5:35 AM, and sunset from 6:24 PM to 6:34 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.6 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:45 | 5:45 | 5:44 | 5:43 | 5:43 | 5:42 | 5:42 | 5:41 | 5:41 | 5:40 | 5:40 | 5:40 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:38 | 5:38 | 5:38 | 5:37 | 5:37 | 5:37 | 5:37 | 5:36 | 5:36 | 5:36 | 5:36 | 5:36 | 5:35 | 5:35 | 5:35 | 5:35 | 5:35 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:31 | 6:31 | 6:31 | 6:32 | 6:32 | 6:32 | 6:33 | 6:33 | 6:34 | 6:34 | 6:34 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.6 | 5:45 | 6:24 |
| 2 | 12.7 | 5:45 | 6:24 |
| 3 | 12.7 | 5:44 | 6:24 |
| 4 | 12.7 | 5:43 | 6:25 |
| 5 | 12.7 | 5:43 | 6:25 |
| 6 | 12.7 | 5:42 | 6:25 |
| 7 | 12.7 | 5:42 | 6:26 |
| 8 | 12.7 | 5:41 | 6:26 |
| 9 | 12.8 | 5:41 | 6:26 |
| 10 | 12.8 | 5:40 | 6:27 |
| 11 | 12.8 | 5:40 | 6:27 |
| 12 | 12.8 | 5:40 | 6:27 |
| 13 | 12.8 | 5:39 | 6:28 |
| 14 | 12.8 | 5:39 | 6:28 |
| 15 | 12.8 | 5:38 | 6:28 |
| 16 | 12.8 | 5:38 | 6:29 |
| 17 | 12.9 | 5:38 | 6:29 |
| 18 | 12.9 | 5:37 | 6:29 |
| 19 | 12.9 | 5:37 | 6:30 |
| 20 | 12.9 | 5:37 | 6:30 |
| 21 | 12.9 | 5:37 | 6:31 |
| 22 | 12.9 | 5:36 | 6:31 |
| 23 | 12.9 | 5:36 | 6:31 |
| 24 | 12.9 | 5:36 | 6:32 |
| 25 | 12.9 | 5:36 | 6:32 |
| 26 | 12.9 | 5:36 | 6:32 |
| 27 | 13.0 | 5:35 | 6:33 |
| 28 | 13.0 | 5:35 | 6:33 |
| 29 | 13.0 | 5:35 | 6:34 |
| 30 | 13.0 | 5:35 | 6:34 |
| 31 | 13.0 | 5:35 | 6:34 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.36 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.47 kWh/m² to a high of 6.74 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.36 kWh/m² falls in the middle.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.3 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.3 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Kingston
In May, Kingston sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Kingston sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Kingston's rainy season runs August–November, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is May a good time to visit Kingston?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Kingston for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Kingston in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Kingston sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 15 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Kingston 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 16 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 27°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 27 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 28 | Warm |
| May | 28 | Tropical |
| Jun | 28 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Tropical |
UV index in Kingston in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kingston peaks around April 19 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 7 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 13 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | Very high |
Air quality in Kingston in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Kingston is worst in June — around 32 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 19 | 32 | 31 | 25 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 8 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Good |
| Feb | 10 | Good |
| Mar | 10 | Good |
| Apr | 12 | Good |
| May | 19 | Moderate |
| Jun | 32 | Moderate |
| Jul | 31 | Moderate |
| Aug | 25 | Moderate |
| Sep | 17 | Moderate |
| Oct | 14 | Moderate |
| Nov | 9 | Good |
| Dec | 8 | Good |
Where is Kingston?
Kingston sits at 18.0°N, 76.8°W, 65 m above sea level, in Jamaica. The nearest listed city is New Kingston, 2.0 km away.
Topography around Kingston
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Kingston.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Kingston has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 235 m around an average of 57 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,522 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,229 m.
The land around Kingston is covered by artificial surfaces (83%) within 3 km, trees (49%) and water (30%) within 16 km, and water (61%) and trees (33%) within 80 km.
Jamaica travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 110 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 60% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $8,003
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.3 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 49.4
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 15.1
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- Religion
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 Kingston (17.997°, -76.7936°, elevation 65 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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. 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).