Cancun weather in May
In May, Cancun sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 75 mm of rain across 9.5 wet days and about 13 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of May to 13 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Cancun's 4th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cancun's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 27°
- 6th warmest
- Overnight low
- 26°
- 8th coldest
- Rainfall
- 75 mm
- 9.5 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 hours
- 5:13 AM – 6:14 PM
- Cloud cover
- 42%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 22 km/h
- 7th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.4 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 6.8
- out of 10
Cancun is municipal seat of Juárez, State of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
- Founded
- 1970
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.
A typical May day in Cancun reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 1°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C warmer than April and on par with June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| Avg low (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | 26 |
| 2 | 27 | 26 |
| 3 | 27 | 26 |
| 4 | 27 | 26 |
| 5 | 27 | 26 |
| 6 | 27 | 26 |
| 7 | 27 | 26 |
| 8 | 27 | 26 |
| 9 | 27 | 26 |
| 10 | 27 | 26 |
| 11 | 27 | 26 |
| 12 | 27 | 26 |
| 13 | 27 | 26 |
| 14 | 27 | 26 |
| 15 | 27 | 26 |
| 16 | 27 | 26 |
| 17 | 27 | 26 |
| 18 | 27 | 26 |
| 19 | 27 | 26 |
| 20 | 27 | 26 |
| 21 | 27 | 26 |
| 22 | 27 | 26 |
| 23 | 27 | 26 |
| 24 | 27 | 26 |
| 25 | 27 | 26 |
| 26 | 27 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 26 |
| 28 | 28 | 26 |
| 29 | 28 | 26 |
| 30 | 28 | 26 |
| 31 | 28 | 26 |
How May really feels in Cancun
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.
May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Cancun weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25° / 24° | 67 | 10.7 | 10.9 | 7.0 |
| Feb | 25° / 24° | 33 | 6.6 | 11.3 | 7.7 |
| Mar | 26° / 24° | 25 | 5 | 11.9 | 8.0 |
| Apr | 26° / 25° | 26 | 4.9 | 12.5 | 7.8 |
| May | 27° / 26° | 75 | 9.5 | 13 | 6.8 |
| Jun | 28° / 27° | 133 | 15.4 | 13.3 | 5.5 |
| Jul | 28° / 27° | 65 | 11.1 | 13.2 | 5.8 |
| Aug | 29° / 27° | 88 | 14.6 | 12.7 | 5.3 |
| Sep | 28° / 27° | 162 | 20.3 | 12.1 | 4.4 |
| Oct | 28° / 26° | 190 | 19.2 | 11.5 | 5.2 |
| Nov | 27° / 25° | 90 | 11.8 | 11 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 26° / 24° | 61 | 11.4 | 10.7 | 6.8 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 29%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 66 | 65 | 63 | 61 | 60 | 58 | 56 | 55 | 54 |
| Cloudier (%) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 79 | 21 |
| 2 | 79 | 21 |
| 3 | 79 | 21 |
| 4 | 79 | 21 |
| 5 | 79 | 21 |
| 6 | 79 | 21 |
| 7 | 79 | 21 |
| 8 | 79 | 21 |
| 9 | 78 | 22 |
| 10 | 77 | 23 |
| 11 | 77 | 23 |
| 12 | 77 | 23 |
| 13 | 76 | 24 |
| 14 | 75 | 25 |
| 15 | 74 | 26 |
| 16 | 74 | 26 |
| 17 | 73 | 27 |
| 18 | 72 | 28 |
| 19 | 71 | 29 |
| 20 | 70 | 30 |
| 21 | 69 | 31 |
| 22 | 68 | 32 |
| 23 | 66 | 34 |
| 24 | 65 | 35 |
| 25 | 63 | 37 |
| 26 | 61 | 39 |
| 27 | 60 | 40 |
| 28 | 58 | 42 |
| 29 | 56 | 44 |
| 30 | 55 | 45 |
| 31 | 54 | 46 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Cancun gets around 75 mm of rain over 9.5 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 32% and peaks near 48% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 20 |
| 2 | 20 |
| 3 | 20 |
| 4 | 20 |
| 5 | 20 |
| 6 | 21 |
| 7 | 21 |
| 8 | 22 |
| 9 | 23 |
| 10 | 24 |
| 11 | 25 |
| 12 | 26 |
| 13 | 27 |
| 14 | 29 |
| 15 | 30 |
| 16 | 31 |
| 17 | 32 |
| 18 | 34 |
| 19 | 35 |
| 20 | 36 |
| 21 | 37 |
| 22 | 38 |
| 23 | 39 |
| 24 | 41 |
| 25 | 42 |
| 26 | 43 |
| 27 | 44 |
| 28 | 45 |
| 29 | 46 |
| 30 | 47 |
| 31 | 48 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 60% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 98% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortable (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Oppressive (%) | 59 | 60 | 59 | 59 | 61 | 61 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 62 | 61 | 60 | 59 | 57 | 57 | 55 | 53 | 52 | 51 | 49 | 47 |
| Miserable (%) | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 39 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 47 | 49 | 52 |
| Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 59 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 60 | 25 |
| 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 59 | 26 |
| 4 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 59 | 26 |
| 5 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 61 | 26 |
| 6 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 61 | 26 |
| 7 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 63 | 25 |
| 8 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 63 | 25 |
| 9 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 63 | 25 |
| 10 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 63 | 25 |
| 11 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 63 | 25 |
| 12 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 64 | 25 |
| 13 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 65 | 25 |
| 14 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 65 | 25 |
| 15 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 64 | 26 |
| 16 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 65 | 26 |
| 17 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 65 | 27 |
| 18 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 64 | 29 |
| 19 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 63 | 30 |
| 20 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 62 | 31 |
| 21 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 61 | 33 |
| 22 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 60 | 34 |
| 23 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 59 | 36 |
| 24 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 57 | 38 |
| 25 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 57 | 39 |
| 26 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 55 | 41 |
| 27 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 53 | 43 |
| 28 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 52 | 45 |
| 29 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 51 | 47 |
| 30 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 49 |
| 31 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 47 | 52 |
Wind in May
Winds average 22 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 21 km/h on the calmest days to 23 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | breezy |
| 2 | 23 | breezy |
| 3 | 23 | breezy |
| 4 | 23 | breezy |
| 5 | 23 | breezy |
| 6 | 23 | breezy |
| 7 | 22 | breezy |
| 8 | 22 | breezy |
| 9 | 22 | breezy |
| 10 | 22 | breezy |
| 11 | 22 | breezy |
| 12 | 22 | breezy |
| 13 | 22 | breezy |
| 14 | 22 | breezy |
| 15 | 22 | breezy |
| 16 | 22 | breezy |
| 17 | 21 | breezy |
| 18 | 21 | breezy |
| 19 | 21 | breezy |
| 20 | 21 | breezy |
| 21 | 21 | breezy |
| 22 | 21 | breezy |
| 23 | 21 | breezy |
| 24 | 21 | breezy |
| 25 | 21 | breezy |
| 26 | 21 | breezy |
| 27 | 21 | breezy |
| 28 | 21 | breezy |
| 29 | 21 | breezy |
| 30 | 21 | breezy |
| 31 | 21 | breezy |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of May to 13 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:22 AM to 5:09 AM, and sunset from 6:08 PM to 6:20 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:22 | 5:21 | 5:20 | 5:20 | 5:19 | 5:18 | 5:18 | 5:17 | 5:17 | 5:16 | 5:16 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:12 | 5:12 | 5:12 | 5:11 | 5:11 | 5:11 | 5:10 | 5:10 | 5:10 | 5:10 | 5:10 | 5:09 | 5:09 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:08 | 6:08 | 6:08 | 6:09 | 6:09 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:20 | 6:20 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.8 | 5:22 | 6:08 |
| 2 | 12.8 | 5:21 | 6:08 |
| 3 | 12.8 | 5:20 | 6:08 |
| 4 | 12.8 | 5:20 | 6:09 |
| 5 | 12.8 | 5:19 | 6:09 |
| 6 | 12.9 | 5:18 | 6:10 |
| 7 | 12.9 | 5:18 | 6:10 |
| 8 | 12.9 | 5:17 | 6:10 |
| 9 | 12.9 | 5:17 | 6:11 |
| 10 | 12.9 | 5:16 | 6:11 |
| 11 | 12.9 | 5:16 | 6:12 |
| 12 | 12.9 | 5:15 | 6:12 |
| 13 | 13.0 | 5:15 | 6:13 |
| 14 | 13.0 | 5:14 | 6:13 |
| 15 | 13.0 | 5:14 | 6:13 |
| 16 | 13.0 | 5:13 | 6:14 |
| 17 | 13.0 | 5:13 | 6:14 |
| 18 | 13.0 | 5:13 | 6:15 |
| 19 | 13.0 | 5:12 | 6:15 |
| 20 | 13.1 | 5:12 | 6:16 |
| 21 | 13.1 | 5:12 | 6:16 |
| 22 | 13.1 | 5:11 | 6:16 |
| 23 | 13.1 | 5:11 | 6:17 |
| 24 | 13.1 | 5:11 | 6:17 |
| 25 | 13.1 | 5:10 | 6:18 |
| 26 | 13.1 | 5:10 | 6:18 |
| 27 | 13.1 | 5:10 | 6:19 |
| 28 | 13.2 | 5:10 | 6:19 |
| 29 | 13.2 | 5:10 | 6:19 |
| 30 | 13.2 | 5:09 | 6:20 |
| 31 | 13.2 | 5:09 | 6:20 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.4 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.69 kWh/m² to a high of 6.58 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.4 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.0 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Cancun
None of Cancun's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Cancun sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Cancun's rainy season runs June–June, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is May a good time to visit Cancun?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Cancun for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Cancun in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Cancun sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear and a windbreaker. About 10 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Cancun in May
The nearest coast averages about 28°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 24 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 26°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 26 | Warm |
| Mar | 26 | Warm |
| Apr | 27 | Warm |
| May | 28 | Warm |
| Jun | 28 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 27 | Warm |
UV index in Cancun in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cancun peaks around July 19 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 6 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Level | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | High |
| Feb | 9 | Very high |
| Mar | 11 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | High |
| Dec | 6 | High |
Air quality in Cancun in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Cancun is worst in June — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 7 | Good |
| Mar | 8 | Good |
| Apr | 12 | Good |
| May | 15 | Moderate |
| Jun | 25 | Moderate |
| Jul | 22 | Moderate |
| Aug | 18 | Moderate |
| Sep | 12 | Moderate |
| Oct | 9 | Good |
| Nov | 6 | Good |
| Dec | 6 | Good |
Where is Cancun?
Cancun sits at 21.2°N, 86.8°W, 11 m above sea level, in Mexico. The nearest listed city is Isla Mujeres, 14 km away.
Topography around Cancun
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Cancun.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Cancun has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 16 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 30 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 31 m.
The land around Cancun is covered by artificial surfaces (87%) within 3 km, water (37%) and trees (32%) within 16 km, and water (53%) and trees (39%) within 80 km.
Mexico travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 / 127 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 54% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,889
- 2025
- Happiness
- 7.0 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 43%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 24.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.8
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 440
- Religion
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 Cancun (21.1743°, -86.8466°, 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).