Kuantan weather in May

In May, Kuantan sees average daytime highs of 32°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 195 mm of rain across 26.1 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 06 min at the start of May to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Kuantan's 6th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kuantan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
32°
1st warmest
Overnight low
25°
12th coldest
Rainfall
195 mm
26.1 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:58 AM – 7:08 PM
Cloud cover
78%
6th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.51 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.5
out of 10

Kuantan is state capital of Pahang, Malaysia.

Air quality
Good
PM10 27.2 µg/m³ · 2014
Founded
1851

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°C through the month.

A typical May day in Kuantan reaches about 32°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13225
23225
33225
43225
53225
63225
73225
83225
93225
103225
113225
123225
133225
143225
153225
163225
173225
183225
193225
203225
213225
223225
233225
243225
253225
263225
273225
283225
293225
303225
313225

How May really feels in Kuantan

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.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
31
31 feel dangerously hot (≥ 39°C)
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Kuantan weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 1st-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 24°19319.511.84.2
Feb30° / 24°8313.511.94.4
Mar31° / 24°14318.6123.6
Apr32° / 25°1562312.12.8
May32° / 25°19526.112.22.5
Jun32° / 25°16923.412.22.8
Jul31° / 24°16423.212.23.0
Aug31° / 24°19024.912.12.9
Sep31° / 24°21424.3122.8
Oct31° / 24°28827.611.92.7
Nov30° / 24°33128.711.82.8
Dec29° / 24°3452511.83.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% 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 80%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12179
22179
31981
41981
51981
61882
71882
81882
91882
101882
111882
121882
131882
141882
151882
161882
171981
182080
192080
202080
212080
222179
232278
242377
252377
262278
272278
282278
292179
302179
312179

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Kuantan gets around 195 mm of rain over 26.1 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 84% and peaks near 85% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
184
284
385
485
585
685
785
885
985
1085
1185
1285
1385
1484
1584
1684
1784
1884
1984
2084
2184
2284
2384
2483
2583
2683
2783
2883
2983
3083
3183

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the miserable band about 96% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1793
2694
3595
4595
5496
6496
7397
8397
9397
10397
11397
12397
13298
14298
15298
16298
17298
18298
19397
20397
21397
22397
23397
24496
25496
26595
27595
28595
29694
30694
31694

Wind in May

Winds average 6 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 06 min at the start of May to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 7:00 AM to 6:58 AM, and sunset from 7:08 PM to 7:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.17:007:08
212.17:007:08
312.17:007:08
412.16:597:08
512.16:597:08
612.16:597:08
712.16:597:08
812.26:597:08
912.26:587:08
1012.26:587:08
1112.26:587:08
1212.26:587:08
1312.26:587:08
1412.26:587:08
1512.26:587:08
1612.26:587:08
1712.26:587:08
1812.26:587:08
1912.26:587:08
2012.26:587:09
2112.26:587:09
2212.26:587:09
2312.26:587:09
2412.26:587:09
2512.26:587:09
2612.26:587:09
2712.26:587:09
2812.26:587:10
2912.26:587:10
3012.26:587:10
3112.26:587:10

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.51 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.07 kWh/m² to a high of 5.92 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 5.51 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.6Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.4Bright
295.4Bright
305.4Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Kuantan

In seasonPeak

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

Kuantan 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 Kuantan?

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

2.5
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
4.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kuantan.

What to pack for Kuantan in May

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

In May, Kuantan sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 26 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Kuantan in May

The nearest coast averages about 30°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 May at about 30°C and coldest in January near 28°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Kuantan in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kuantan peaks around February 21 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 10 (extreme).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 21UV 14Jun 23UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Kuantan 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 Kuantan is worst in September — around 31 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (January, 14 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateSep 1630 µg/m³Jan 1714 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan14Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug26Moderate
Sep31Moderate
Oct26Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Kuantan?

Kuantan sits at 3.8°N, 103.3°E, 12 m above sea level, in Malaysia. The nearest listed city is Pekan, 37 km away.

Topography around Kuantan

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kuantan has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 283 m around an average of 16 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 375 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,454 m.

The land around Kuantan is covered by artificial surfaces (51%) and trees (21%) within 3 km, trees (41%) and water (39%) within 16 km, and trees (63%) and water (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
283 m
16 km
375 m
80 km
1,454 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
May weather nearby: Pekan 37 km · Cukai 50 km · FELDA Chini 64 km · Maran 66 km · Kertih 80 km · Kampung Perak 82 km · Paka 93 km · Jerantut 108 km

Malaysia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 32% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$13,125
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
95%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
22.5
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 581
Religion
Muslim 64%Buddhist 19%Christian 9%Hindu 6%

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 Kuantan (3.8077°, 103.326°, 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).