Hiroshima weather in May

In May, Hiroshima sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 143 mm of rain across 10.3 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 21°C in the first days to 24°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Hiroshima's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hiroshima's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
5th warmest
Overnight low
13°
8th coldest
Rainfall
143 mm
10.3 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:13 AM – 7:00 PM
Cloud cover
63%
6th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.59 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Hiroshima is capital city of Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

Air quality
Moderate
PM2.5 11 µg/m³ · 2010
Density
1,327/km²
people per km²
Founded
1889

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 21°C in the first days to 24°C by the end.

A typical May day in Hiroshima reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 5°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12111
22111
32111
42111
52112
62112
72212
82212
92212
102212
112212
122213
132213
142213
152213
162313
172313
182313
192314
202314
212314
222314
232314
242314
252414
262415
272415
282415
292415
302415
312415

How May really feels in Hiroshima

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.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Hiroshima weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 559.45.3101.2
Feb / 669.7410.71.7
Mar13° / 11011.71.711.73.4
Apr18° / 12410.30.112.85.7
May23° / 13°14310.3013.86.6
Jun25° / 18°21514.3014.35.7
Jul29° / 22°25116.1014.14.6
Aug30° / 23°15714013.34.3
Sep27° / 19°18812.6012.25.9
Oct22° / 13°1098.3011.16.9
Nov16° / 718.10.110.25.1
Dec10° / 649.62.99.72.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 59%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24654
34654
44555
54456
64357
74357
84258
94258
104159
114159
124159
134159
144159
154159
164159
174060
184159
194159
204060
214060
224060
234060
244060
254060
263961
273961
283763
293763
303664
313565

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Hiroshima gets around 143 mm of rain over 10.3 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 33% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
331
431
532
632
733
833
933
1034
1134
1234
1334
1434
1534
1633
1733
1833
1933
2033
2133
2233
2333
2433
2533
2633
2733
2833
2933
3034
3134

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 66% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1811351
2811351
3801451
4791461
5781561
6781561
7761662
8761662
9741772
10741772
11731872
12731872
13721972
14712072
15712072
16702172
17682282
18672382
19652492
20642592
216226102
226027112
235928112
245729122
255530132
265331142
275033152
284834172
294535182
304236193
314037203

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:27 AM to 5:04 AM, and sunset from 6:48 PM to 7:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:276:48
213.45:266:49
313.45:246:50
413.55:236:51
513.55:226:51
613.55:216:52
713.55:206:53
813.65:206:54
913.65:196:55
1013.65:186:55
1113.75:176:56
1213.75:166:57
1313.75:156:58
1413.75:146:59
1513.85:146:59
1613.85:137:00
1713.85:127:01
1813.85:117:02
1913.95:117:02
2013.95:107:03
2113.95:097:04
2213.95:097:05
2314.05:087:05
2414.05:087:06
2514.05:077:07
2614.05:067:08
2714.05:067:08
2814.15:067:09
2914.15:057:10
3014.15:057:10
3114.15:047:11

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.59 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.18 kWh/m² to a high of 5.59 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.59 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Hiroshima

In seasonPeak

In May, Hiroshima sits inside its pacific typhoon and rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Hiroshima sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Hiroshima's rainy season runs April–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Pacific typhoon
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Hiroshima?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
4.8
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Hiroshima for sightseeing.

What to pack for Hiroshima in May

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

In May, Hiroshima sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Hiroshima in May

The nearest coast averages about 17°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 31 km away) is warmest in August at about 26°C and coldest in February near 13°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 13 to Nov 17 — about 5.2 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan15Bracing
Feb13Bracing
Mar13Bracing
Apr15Bracing
May17Cool
Jun20Refreshing
Jul24Warm
Aug26Warm
Sep25Warm
Oct23Refreshing
Nov20Refreshing
Dec17Cool

UV index in Hiroshima in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Hiroshima peaks around July 13 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highVery highModerateJul 13UV 10Dec 23UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Hiroshima in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Hiroshima is worst in April — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Hiroshima's WHO annual average of 11 µg/m³.

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 1316 µg/m³Oct 178 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb12Good
Mar15Moderate
Apr16Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun13Moderate
Jul10Good
Aug10Good
Sep9Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Hiroshima?

Hiroshima sits at 34.4°N, 132.4°E, 16 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Gion, 4.0 km away.

Topography around Hiroshima

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Hiroshima has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 342 m around an average of 30 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 978 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,327 m.

The land around Hiroshima is covered by artificial surfaces (68%) within 3 km, trees (54%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 16 km, and trees (64%) and water (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
342 m
16 km
978 m
80 km
1,327 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Gion 4.0 km · Fuchū 6.0 km · Kaitaichi 8.0 km · Hatsukaichi 12 km · Kumano 13 km · Miyajima 16 km · Etajima 18 km · Ōno-hara 21 km

Japan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
100 V · 50 / 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 65% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$35,951
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 446
Religion
Shintoism 49%Buddhism 46%other 4%Christianity 1%

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 Hiroshima (34.4°, 132.45°, elevation 16 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).