Male weather in May

In May, Male sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 27°C, with 227 mm of rain across 23.9 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% 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 Male's 9th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Male's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
27°
10th coldest
Rainfall
227 mm
23.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
5:57 AM – 6:08 PM
Cloud cover
76%
9th clearest
Wind
21 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
5.28 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Male is capital of the Maldives.

Air quality
Good
PM10 20 µg/m³ · 2011
Density
17,878/km²
people per km²
Founded
~500 CE

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 29°C through the month.

A typical May day in Male reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 27°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

24°26°28°30°32°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12927
22927
32927
42927
52927
62927
72927
82927
92927
102927
112927
122927
132927
142927
152927
162927
172927
182927
192927
202927
212927
222827
232827
242827
252827
262827
272827
282827
292827
302827
312827

How May really feels in Male

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.

Male weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 2nd-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 26°7910.211.86.5
Feb28° / 27°366.511.96.9
Mar28° / 27°488.3126.3
Apr29° / 27°11015.912.14.9
May29° / 27°22723.912.23.8
Jun28° / 27°12517.612.24.5
Jul28° / 27°14017.612.24.6
Aug28° / 26°14115.812.15.2
Sep28° / 26°17618.7124.9
Oct28° / 26°19220.811.94.8
Nov27° / 26°22120.811.84.7
Dec27° / 26°20518.211.85.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 71%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14357
24357
34258
44159
54060
63862
73862
83763
93565
103466
113367
123169
133169
143070
152971
162872
172773
182674
192575
202575
212377
222377
232278
242278
252179
262179
272179
282179
292179
302179
312080

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Male gets around 227 mm of rain over 23.9 wet days in May, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 76% and peaks near 80% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
166
267
368
469
570
671
772
873
974
1075
1176
1277
1377
1477
1578
1678
1779
1879
1980
2080
2180
2280
2380
2480
2579
2679
2778
2877
2976
3075
3174

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 87% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
12080
22080
31981
41882
51783
61783
71684
81585
91486
101486
111387
121288
131288
141189
151189
161189
171090
181090
191090
201090
211090
221090
231090
241090
251090
261189
271189
281288
291288
301387
311387

Wind in May

Winds average 21 km/h in May, the windiest month of the year.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 23 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
217light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1020light breeze
1120light breeze
1220breezy
1320breezy
1420breezy
1521breezy
1621breezy
1721breezy
1821breezy
1921breezy
2022breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2322breezy
2422breezy
2522breezy
2622breezy
2722breezy
2822breezy
2923breezy
3023breezy
3123breezy

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 5:59 AM to 5:57 AM, and sunset from 6:07 PM to 6:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.15:596:07
212.15:596:07
312.25:586:07
412.25:586:07
512.25:586:07
612.25:586:07
712.25:586:07
812.25:576:07
912.25:576:07
1012.25:576:07
1112.25:576:08
1212.25:576:08
1312.25:576:08
1412.25:576:08
1512.25:576:08
1612.25:576:08
1712.25:566:08
1812.25:566:08
1912.25:566:08
2012.25:566:08
2112.25:566:08
2212.25:566:09
2312.25:566:09
2412.25:566:09
2512.25:566:09
2612.25:566:09
2712.25:566:09
2812.25:566:09
2912.25:576:10
3012.25:576:10
3112.25:576:10

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.28 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.14 kWh/m² to a high of 6.6 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 5.28 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.2Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.1Bright
235.1Bright
245.1Bright
255.1Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Male

In seasonPeak

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

Male 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 Male?

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

3.8
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
4.8
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Male.

What to pack for Male in May

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

In May, Male sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 27°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection and a windbreaker. About 24 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Male 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 14 km away) is warmest in April 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
Jan28Tropical
Feb28Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Male 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 Male peaks around September 19 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 13 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeSep 19UV 14Jan 13UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Very high
Feb14Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Male 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 Male is worst in January — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.7× the cleanest month (November, 10 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJan 2216 µg/m³Nov 1310 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan16Moderate
Feb16Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr12Good
May15Moderate
Jun12Moderate
Jul11Good
Aug11Good
Sep12Good
Oct10Good
Nov10Good
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Male?

Male sits at 4.2°N, 73.5°E, 8 m above sea level, in Maldives. The nearest listed city is Kulhudhuffushi, 276 km away.

Topography around Male

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Male has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 13 m around an average of 0 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 13 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 12 m.

The land around Male is covered by water (89%) within 3 km, water (99%) within 16 km, and water (100%) within 80 km.

3 km
13 m
16 km
13 m
80 km
12 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Kulhudhuffushi 276 km · Fuvahmulah 498 km · Alappuzha 668 km · Kochi 709 km · Ambalangoda 760 km · Bentota 761 km · Beruwala 761 km · Thaikattussery 761 km

Maldives travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G / J / K / L
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 51% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$14,615
2025
Happiness
5.2 / 10
World Happiness, 2020
Homicide rate
0.6
per 100k, 2019
Road deaths
1.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank

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 Male (4.1752°, 73.5092°, 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).