Montego Bay weather in May
In May, Montego Bay sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 220 mm of rain across 23.9 wet days and about 12.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 42 min at the start of May to 13 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Montego Bay's 7th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Montego Bay's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 29°
- 5th warmest
- Overnight low
- 24°
- 7th coldest
- Rainfall
- 220 mm
- 23.9 wet days
- Daylight
- 12 h 54 min
- 5:42 AM – 6:34 PM
- Cloud cover
- 58%
- 7th clearest
- Wind
- 10 km/h
- 9th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.44 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 3.8
- out of 10
Montego Bay is capital of Saint James Parish, Jamaica.
- Founded
- 1980
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.
A typical May day in Montego Bay reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 1°C cooler than 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) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Avg low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | 24 |
| 2 | 29 | 24 |
| 3 | 29 | 24 |
| 4 | 29 | 24 |
| 5 | 29 | 24 |
| 6 | 29 | 24 |
| 7 | 29 | 24 |
| 8 | 29 | 24 |
| 9 | 29 | 24 |
| 10 | 29 | 24 |
| 11 | 29 | 24 |
| 12 | 29 | 24 |
| 13 | 29 | 24 |
| 14 | 29 | 24 |
| 15 | 29 | 24 |
| 16 | 29 | 24 |
| 17 | 29 | 24 |
| 18 | 29 | 24 |
| 19 | 29 | 24 |
| 20 | 29 | 24 |
| 21 | 29 | 25 |
| 22 | 29 | 25 |
| 23 | 29 | 25 |
| 24 | 30 | 25 |
| 25 | 30 | 25 |
| 26 | 30 | 25 |
| 27 | 30 | 25 |
| 28 | 30 | 25 |
| 29 | 30 | 25 |
| 30 | 30 | 25 |
| 31 | 30 | 25 |
How May really feels in Montego Bay
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Montego Bay 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.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27° / 22° | 44 | 11.4 | 11 | 6.6 |
| Feb | 28° / 22° | 40 | 11.3 | 11.4 | 6.5 |
| Mar | 28° / 23° | 58 | 12.7 | 11.9 | 6.1 |
| Apr | 29° / 23° | 93 | 16.3 | 12.4 | 4.9 |
| May | 29° / 24° | 220 | 23.9 | 12.9 | 3.8 |
| Jun | 30° / 25° | 148 | 21.8 | 13.1 | 3.5 |
| Jul | 30° / 25° | 138 | 23.4 | 13 | 3.4 |
| Aug | 31° / 25° | 171 | 26.2 | 12.6 | 3.1 |
| Sep | 30° / 25° | 206 | 25.9 | 12.1 | 3.1 |
| Oct | 29° / 25° | 183 | 24.7 | 11.6 | 3.6 |
| Nov | 28° / 24° | 91 | 16.4 | 11.1 | 5.2 |
| Dec | 28° / 23° | 50 | 11.4 | 10.9 | 6.5 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 25% 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 (%) | 74 | 74 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 69 | 68 | 65 | 64 | 61 | 59 | 57 | 55 | 53 | 52 | 49 | 49 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 37 |
| Cloudier (%) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 35 | 36 | 39 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 47 | 48 | 51 | 51 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 59 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 63 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 74 | 26 |
| 2 | 74 | 26 |
| 3 | 73 | 27 |
| 4 | 73 | 27 |
| 5 | 72 | 28 |
| 6 | 71 | 29 |
| 7 | 71 | 29 |
| 8 | 69 | 31 |
| 9 | 68 | 32 |
| 10 | 65 | 35 |
| 11 | 64 | 36 |
| 12 | 61 | 39 |
| 13 | 59 | 41 |
| 14 | 57 | 43 |
| 15 | 55 | 45 |
| 16 | 53 | 47 |
| 17 | 52 | 48 |
| 18 | 49 | 51 |
| 19 | 49 | 51 |
| 20 | 46 | 54 |
| 21 | 45 | 55 |
| 22 | 44 | 56 |
| 23 | 43 | 57 |
| 24 | 41 | 59 |
| 25 | 40 | 60 |
| 26 | 40 | 60 |
| 27 | 40 | 60 |
| 28 | 39 | 61 |
| 29 | 39 | 61 |
| 30 | 38 | 62 |
| 31 | 37 | 63 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Montego Bay gets around 220 mm of rain over 23.9 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 rain averages around 76% and peaks near 81% 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 (%) | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 80 | 80 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 67 |
| 2 | 68 |
| 3 | 69 |
| 4 | 70 |
| 5 | 70 |
| 6 | 71 |
| 7 | 71 |
| 8 | 72 |
| 9 | 73 |
| 10 | 73 |
| 11 | 74 |
| 12 | 74 |
| 13 | 75 |
| 14 | 75 |
| 15 | 76 |
| 16 | 77 |
| 17 | 77 |
| 18 | 78 |
| 19 | 78 |
| 20 | 79 |
| 21 | 80 |
| 22 | 80 |
| 23 | 81 |
| 24 | 81 |
| 25 | 81 |
| 26 | 81 |
| 27 | 81 |
| 28 | 81 |
| 29 | 81 |
| 30 | 80 |
| 31 | 80 |
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 86% 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 87 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 88 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 80 | 79 | 78 | 76 |
| Miserable (%) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 24 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 9 | 87 | 3 |
| 2 | 1 | 8 | 87 | 4 |
| 3 | 1 | 7 | 88 | 4 |
| 4 | 1 | 7 | 88 | 4 |
| 5 | 1 | 6 | 89 | 4 |
| 6 | 0 | 6 | 90 | 4 |
| 7 | 0 | 6 | 89 | 5 |
| 8 | 0 | 5 | 90 | 5 |
| 9 | 0 | 5 | 90 | 5 |
| 10 | 0 | 5 | 89 | 6 |
| 11 | 0 | 5 | 89 | 6 |
| 12 | 0 | 4 | 89 | 7 |
| 13 | 0 | 4 | 89 | 7 |
| 14 | 0 | 4 | 88 | 8 |
| 15 | 0 | 3 | 89 | 8 |
| 16 | 0 | 3 | 88 | 9 |
| 17 | 0 | 3 | 87 | 10 |
| 18 | 0 | 3 | 87 | 10 |
| 19 | 0 | 2 | 87 | 11 |
| 20 | 0 | 2 | 86 | 12 |
| 21 | 0 | 2 | 85 | 13 |
| 22 | 0 | 1 | 85 | 14 |
| 23 | 0 | 1 | 84 | 15 |
| 24 | 0 | 1 | 83 | 16 |
| 25 | 0 | 1 | 82 | 17 |
| 26 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 18 |
| 27 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 19 |
| 28 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 20 |
| 29 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 21 |
| 30 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 22 |
| 31 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 24 |
Wind in May
Winds average 10 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 11 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) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | calm |
| 2 | 10 | calm |
| 3 | 10 | calm |
| 4 | 10 | calm |
| 5 | 10 | calm |
| 6 | 10 | calm |
| 7 | 10 | calm |
| 8 | 11 | calm |
| 9 | 11 | calm |
| 10 | 11 | calm |
| 11 | 10 | calm |
| 12 | 10 | calm |
| 13 | 10 | calm |
| 14 | 10 | calm |
| 15 | 10 | calm |
| 16 | 10 | calm |
| 17 | 10 | calm |
| 18 | 10 | calm |
| 19 | 10 | calm |
| 20 | 10 | calm |
| 21 | 10 | calm |
| 22 | 10 | calm |
| 23 | 10 | calm |
| 24 | 10 | calm |
| 25 | 10 | calm |
| 26 | 10 | calm |
| 27 | 10 | calm |
| 28 | 10 | calm |
| 29 | 10 | calm |
| 30 | 10 | calm |
| 31 | 10 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 42 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 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:49 AM to 5:39 AM, and sunset from 6:29 PM to 6:40 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) | 12.7 | 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 | 12.9 | 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 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:49 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:47 | 5:47 | 5:46 | 5:46 | 5:45 | 5:45 | 5:44 | 5:44 | 5:43 | 5:43 | 5:43 | 5:42 | 5:42 | 5:42 | 5:41 | 5:41 | 5:41 | 5:40 | 5:40 | 5:40 | 5:40 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:39 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 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 | 6:35 | 6:35 | 6:35 | 6:36 | 6:36 | 6:37 | 6:37 | 6:37 | 6:38 | 6:38 | 6:38 | 6:39 | 6:39 | 6:40 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.7 | 5:49 | 6:29 |
| 2 | 12.7 | 5:48 | 6:29 |
| 3 | 12.7 | 5:48 | 6:29 |
| 4 | 12.7 | 5:47 | 6:30 |
| 5 | 12.7 | 5:47 | 6:30 |
| 6 | 12.7 | 5:46 | 6:30 |
| 7 | 12.7 | 5:46 | 6:31 |
| 8 | 12.8 | 5:45 | 6:31 |
| 9 | 12.8 | 5:45 | 6:31 |
| 10 | 12.8 | 5:44 | 6:32 |
| 11 | 12.8 | 5:44 | 6:32 |
| 12 | 12.8 | 5:43 | 6:32 |
| 13 | 12.8 | 5:43 | 6:33 |
| 14 | 12.8 | 5:43 | 6:33 |
| 15 | 12.9 | 5:42 | 6:34 |
| 16 | 12.9 | 5:42 | 6:34 |
| 17 | 12.9 | 5:42 | 6:34 |
| 18 | 12.9 | 5:41 | 6:35 |
| 19 | 12.9 | 5:41 | 6:35 |
| 20 | 12.9 | 5:41 | 6:35 |
| 21 | 12.9 | 5:40 | 6:36 |
| 22 | 12.9 | 5:40 | 6:36 |
| 23 | 12.9 | 5:40 | 6:37 |
| 24 | 13.0 | 5:40 | 6:37 |
| 25 | 13.0 | 5:39 | 6:37 |
| 26 | 13.0 | 5:39 | 6:38 |
| 27 | 13.0 | 5:39 | 6:38 |
| 28 | 13.0 | 5:39 | 6:38 |
| 29 | 13.0 | 5:39 | 6:39 |
| 30 | 13.0 | 5:39 | 6:39 |
| 31 | 13.0 | 5:39 | 6:40 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.44 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.43 kWh/m² to a high of 6.68 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 6.44 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 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 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 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.3 | 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 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.3 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Montego Bay
None of Montego Bay's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Montego Bay sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Is May a good time to visit Montego Bay?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Montego Bay.
What to pack for Montego Bay in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Montego Bay sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 24 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Montego Bay 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 September at about 30°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 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 27 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 28 | Warm |
| May | 28 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 30 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index in Montego Bay 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 Montego Bay peaks around April 16 at about 13 (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 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 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 | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | Very high |
Air quality in Montego Bay 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 Montego Bay is worst in June — around 32 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.3× the cleanest month (December, 7 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 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 32 | 30 | 23 | 16 | 13 | 8 | 7 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 10 | Good |
| Apr | 13 | Moderate |
| May | 18 | Moderate |
| Jun | 32 | Moderate |
| Jul | 30 | Moderate |
| Aug | 23 | Moderate |
| Sep | 16 | Moderate |
| Oct | 13 | Moderate |
| Nov | 8 | Good |
| Dec | 7 | Good |
Where is Montego Bay?
Montego Bay sits at 18.5°N, 77.9°W, 12 m above sea level, in Jamaica. The nearest listed city is Barrett Town, 13 km away.
Topography around Montego Bay
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Montego Bay.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Montego Bay has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 213 m around an average of 40 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 599 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 978 m.
The land around Montego Bay is covered by trees (31%), artificial surfaces (31%) and water (27%) within 3 km, trees (50%) and water (43%) within 16 km, and water (60%) and trees (32%) 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 Montego Bay (18.4712°, -77.9188°, elevation 12 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).