Matsue weather in May

In May, Matsue sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 120 mm of rain across 9.9 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 20°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% 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 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Matsue's 4th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Matsue's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
6th warmest
Overnight low
15°
7th coldest
Rainfall
120 mm
9.9 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
5:08 AM – 7:00 PM
Cloud cover
59%
4th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.78 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 20°C by the end.

A typical May day in Matsue reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 21°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11714
21714
31714
41814
51814
61814
71814
81814
91815
101815
111815
121815
131815
141915
151915
161915
171916
181916
191916
201916
211916
221916
232016
242016
252017
262017
272017
282017
292017
302017
312017

How May really feels in Matsue

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.

Matsue weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 17722.45.49.91.0
Feb / 13217.34.310.71.2
Mar11° / 134151.211.72.4
Apr15° / 11°10810.8012.94.5
May19° / 15°1209.9013.86.1
Jun22° / 20°14511.3014.46.2
Jul26° / 24°18413.3014.26.0
Aug28° / 25°12311.4013.36.2
Sep25° / 22°18413.3012.26.2
Oct20° / 17°11511.1011.16.2
Nov16° / 12°12014.6010.14.3
Dec11° / 18220.739.62.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24852
34852
44852
54852
64852
74753
84654
94654
104555
114555
124555
134555
144555
154555
164654
174654
184654
194654
204654
214753
224654
234654
244654
254654
264654
274654
284456
294456
304456
314357

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Matsue gets around 120 mm of rain over 9.9 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 31% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
331
431
532
632
732
832
933
1033
1133
1233
1333
1433
1533
1633
1732
1832
1932
2031
2131
2231
2331
2430
2530
2630
2730
2830
2930
3030
3130

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 42% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1712630
2702730
3682840
4663040
5643150
6623350
7613450
8593560
9573670
10553870
11533980
12524080
13504190
144842100
154543110
164344120
174145130
183846150
193647160
203448171
213249191
222949211
232749221
242549241
252349271
262148292
271947312
281846342
291644363
301543394
311441414

Wind in May

Winds average 17 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1317light breeze
1417light breeze
1517light breeze
1617light breeze
1717light breeze
1817light breeze
1917light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 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 6:47 PM to 7:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:236:47
213.45:216:48
313.55:206:49
413.55:196:50
513.55:186:51
613.65:176:52
713.65:166:53
813.65:156:53
913.75:146:54
1013.75:136:55
1113.75:126:56
1213.85:116:57
1313.85:116:58
1413.85:106:58
1513.85:096:59
1613.95:087:00
1713.95:077:01
1813.95:077:02
1913.95:067:02
2014.05:057:03
2114.05:057:04
2214.05:047:05
2314.05:037:05
2414.15:037:06
2514.15:027:07
2614.15:027:08
2714.15:017:08
2814.15:017:09
2914.25:007:10
3014.25:007:10
3114.24:597:11

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.78 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.99 kWh/m² to a high of 5.78 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.78 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
235.9Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
275.9Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Matsue

In seasonPeak

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

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

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

Is May a good time to visit Matsue?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.5
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Matsue for sightseeing.

What to pack for Matsue in May

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

In May, Matsue sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Matsue 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 17 km away) is warmest in August at about 27°C and coldest in February near 13°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 12 to Nov 12 — about 5.1 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan14Bracing
Feb13Bracing
Mar13Bracing
Apr14Bracing
May17Cool
Jun21Refreshing
Jul24Refreshing
Aug27Warm
Sep25Warm
Oct22Refreshing
Nov20Cool
Dec17Cool

UV index in Matsue 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 Matsue peaks around July 18 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 2 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highModerateJul 18UV 10Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Matsue 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 Matsue is worst in April — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (October, 10 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodApr 1222 µg/m³Oct 1310 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan14Moderate
Feb16Moderate
Mar21Moderate
Apr22Moderate
May20Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul13Moderate
Aug12Good
Sep11Good
Oct10Good
Nov12Good
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Matsue?

Matsue sits at 35.5°N, 133.1°E, 8 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Sakaiminato, 17 km away.

Topography around Matsue

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Matsue has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 243 m around an average of 24 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 583 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,689 m.

The land around Matsue is covered by artificial surfaces (36%) and trees (35%) within 3 km, trees (48%) and water (40%) within 16 km, and water (50%) and trees (46%) within 80 km.

3 km
243 m
16 km
583 m
80 km
1,689 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Sakaiminato 17 km · Yasugichō 19 km · Hiratachō 22 km · Yonago 26 km · Izumo 29 km · Unnan 30 km · Mikuriya 41 km · Yabase 57 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 Matsue (35.4833°, 133.05°, elevation 8 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).