Langkawi weather in May

In May, Langkawi sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 27°C, with 213 mm of rain across 25.3 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of May to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Langkawi's 8th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Langkawi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
5th warmest
Overnight low
27°
11th coldest
Rainfall
213 mm
25.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
7:08 AM – 7:25 PM
Cloud cover
84%
8th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.56 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.1
out of 10

Langkawi is village in Malaysia.

Founded
1914

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 30°C through the month.

A typical May day in Langkawi reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 27°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

25°28°30°33°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13026
23026
33026
43026
53026
63026
73026
83027
93027
103027
113027
123027
133027
143027
153027
163027
173027
183027
193027
203027
213027
223027
233027
243027
253027
263027
273027
283027
293027
303027
313027

How May really feels in Langkawi

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
heat index over the day's high
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.

Langkawi 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 26°467.911.74.8
Feb31° / 26°427.411.84.5
Mar31° / 26°10915.4123.9
Apr30° / 26°17123.412.13.2
May30° / 27°21325.312.33.1
Jun30° / 27°16821.512.43.4
Jul30° / 26°1812212.33.6
Aug29° / 26°21423.112.23.5
Sep29° / 26°23125123.3
Oct29° / 26°30628.411.93.1
Nov29° / 26°23825.111.73.3
Dec29° / 26°12115.411.64.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 88%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11684
21684
31684
41486
51486
61486
71486
81486
91486
101486
111387
121387
131288
141288
151189
161189
171090
181090
191090
201090
211090
221090
231090
241090
251090
261090
271090
28991
29991
301189
311189

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Langkawi gets around 213 mm of rain over 25.3 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 82% and peaks near 86% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
186
286
386
486
586
686
785
885
984
1083
1183
1282
1381
1481
1580
1680
1780
1879
1979
2079
2179
2279
2379
2479
2579
2680
2780
2880
2980
3080
3180

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 95% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1595
2595
3496
4496
5397
6397
7397
8397
9397
10397
11397
12397
13397
14397
15397
16397
17496
18496
19496
20595
21595
22595
23694
24694
25694
26694
27793
28793
29793
30793
31793

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 12 min at the start of May to 12 h 18 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 7:11 AM to 7:08 AM, and sunset from 7:24 PM to 7:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.27:117:24
212.27:117:24
312.27:117:24
412.27:107:24
512.27:107:25
612.27:107:25
712.27:107:25
812.37:107:25
912.37:097:25
1012.37:097:25
1112.37:097:25
1212.37:097:25
1312.37:097:25
1412.37:097:25
1512.37:087:25
1612.37:087:25
1712.37:087:26
1812.37:087:26
1912.37:087:26
2012.37:087:26
2112.37:087:26
2212.37:087:26
2312.37:087:27
2412.37:087:27
2512.37:087:27
2612.37:087:27
2712.37:087:27
2812.37:087:28
2912.37:087:28
3012.37:087:28
3112.37:087:28

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.56 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.86 kWh/m² to a high of 6.43 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 5.56 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.6Bright
105.6Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.6Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.4Bright
305.4Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Langkawi

In seasonPeak

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

Langkawi sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.

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

Is May a good time to visit Langkawi?

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

3.1
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Langkawi.

What to pack for Langkawi in May

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

In May, Langkawi sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 27°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 25 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Langkawi in May

The nearest coast averages about 31°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 31°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
Jan28Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar30Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May31Tropical
Jun31Tropical
Jul30Tropical
Aug30Tropical
Sep30Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Langkawi in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

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 Langkawi peaks around February 19 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near November 21 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 19UV 14Nov 21UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov10Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Langkawi 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 Langkawi is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateJul 1517 µg/m³Nov 1712 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr16Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov12Moderate
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Langkawi?

Langkawi sits at 6.3°N, 99.8°E, 11 m above sea level, in Malaysia. The nearest listed city is Kampung Baru Ulu Melaka, 7.0 km away.

Topography around Langkawi

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Langkawi has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 452 m around an average of 57 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 874 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 874 m.

The land around Langkawi is covered by trees (52%) and water (28%) within 3 km, water (53%) and trees (35%) within 16 km, and water (63%) and trees (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
452 m
16 km
874 m
80 km
874 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
May weather nearby: Kampung Baru Ulu Melaka 7.0 km · Satun 41 km · Kangar 41 km · Kampung Hutan Arau 50 km · Padang Besar 51 km · Kuala Kedah 56 km · Anak Bukit 61 km · Alor Setar 62 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 Langkawi (6.3265°, 99.8432°, elevation 11 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).