Kuching weather in May

In May, Kuching sees average daytime highs of 32°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 245 mm of rain across 26.4 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 9th-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 6% 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 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Kuching's 3rd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kuching's year-round climate.

Daytime high
32°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
24°
12th coldest
Rainfall
245 mm
26.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
6:33 AM – 6:37 PM
Cloud cover
80%
3rd clearest
Wind
4 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.04 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.6
out of 10

Kuching is capital of Sarawak, Malaysia.

Air quality
Good
PM10 26.1 µg/m³ · 2014
Founded
1827

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 Kuching reaches about 32°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°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)
13124
23124
33124
43124
53124
63124
73224
83224
93224
103224
113224
123224
133224
143224
153224
163224
173224
183224
193224
203224
213224
223224
233224
243224
253224
263224
273224
283224
293124
303124
313124

How May really feels in Kuching

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.

Kuching weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 2nd-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 23°42328.911.92.8
Feb30° / 23°31124.911.92.9
Mar31° / 23°27628.2122.6
Apr31° / 24°27527.6122.4
May32° / 24°24526.412.12.6
Jun31° / 23°19122.112.12.9
Jul32° / 23°18120.912.13.1
Aug32° / 23°20022.212.12.9
Sep31° / 23°25725122.6
Oct31° / 23°32829122.5
Nov30° / 23°36129.411.92.4
Dec30° / 23°42329.411.92.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% 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 83%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11189
21189
31189
41288
51288
61387
71387
81486
91486
101486
111684
121684
131882
141882
151981
161981
172080
182080
192179
202179
212179
222179
232179
242179
252179
262179
272080
282080
291981
301882
311882

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Kuching gets around 245 mm of rain over 26.4 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 85% and peaks near 91% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
191
290
390
489
589
688
787
887
986
1085
1185
1284
1384
1483
1583
1683
1783
1883
1983
2084
2184
2284
2384
2484
2584
2684
2784
2884
2984
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 90% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1793
2793
3793
4892
5892
6892
7991
8991
9991
101090
111090
121090
131090
141090
151090
161090
171090
181090
191090
201090
211189
221189
231189
241189
251189
261189
271288
281288
291288
301288
311288

Wind in May

Winds average 4 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

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

Days grow by about 0 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:34 AM to 6:34 AM, and sunset from 6:37 PM to 6:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.16:346:37
212.16:346:37
312.16:346:37
412.16:346:37
512.16:346:37
612.16:346:37
712.16:336:37
812.16:336:37
912.16:336:37
1012.16:336:37
1112.16:336:37
1212.16:336:37
1312.16:336:37
1412.16:336:37
1512.16:336:37
1612.16:336:37
1712.16:336:37
1812.16:336:37
1912.16:336:37
2012.16:336:37
2112.16:336:37
2212.16:336:37
2312.16:336:37
2412.16:336:38
2512.16:336:38
2612.16:336:38
2712.16:336:38
2812.16:336:38
2912.16:336:38
3012.16:336:38
3112.16:346:39

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.04 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.21 kWh/m² to a high of 5.32 kWh/m² in August across the year — May's 5.04 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.1Bright
35.1Bright
45.0Bright
55.0Bright
65.0Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
95.0Bright
105.0Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.1Bright
145.1Bright
155.1Bright
165.1Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.1Bright
205.1Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
245.0Bright
255.0Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
304.9Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Kuching?

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

2.6
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
4.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kuching.

What to pack for Kuching in May

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

In May, Kuching sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 26 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Kuching 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 at the nearest coast (about 33 km away) is warmest in June at about 30°C and coldest in February 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
Jan28Tropical
Feb28Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul30Tropical
Aug30Tropical
Sep30Tropical
Oct30Tropical
Nov30Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Kuching 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 Kuching peaks around February 17 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 13 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 17UV 15Jul 13UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Kuching 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 Kuching is worst in August — around 36 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.2× the cleanest month (January, 11 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateAug 2336 µg/m³Jan 1611 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb12Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug36Poor
Sep36Poor
Oct21Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec12Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Kuching?

Kuching sits at 1.6°N, 110.3°E, 8 m above sea level, in Malaysia. The nearest listed city is Siburan, 22 km away.

Topography around Kuching

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kuching has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 50 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 921 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,649 m.

The land around Kuching is covered by artificial surfaces (54%) and trees (30%) within 3 km, trees (48%) and mangroves (21%) within 16 km, and trees (62%) and water (34%) within 80 km.

3 km
50 m
16 km
921 m
80 km
1,649 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
May weather nearby: Siburan 22 km · Bau 25 km · Simunjan 50 km · Serian 50 km · Lundu 55 km · Tebedu 58 km · Saratok 113 km · Kota Sambas 117 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 Kuching (1.55°, 110.3333°, 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. 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).