Trincomalee weather in May

In May, Trincomalee sees average daytime highs of 33°C and overnight lows near 27°C, with 48 mm of rain across 8.2 wet days and about 12.4 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 33°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of May to 12 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Trincomalee's 5th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Trincomalee's year-round climate.

Daytime high
33°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
27°
11th coldest
Rainfall
48 mm
8.2 wet days
Daylight
12 h 24 min
5:50 AM – 6:13 PM
Cloud cover
66%
5th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
6.24 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.6
out of 10

Trincomalee is city in Sri Lanka.

Density
14,456/km²
people per km²

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 33°C through the month.

A typical May day in Trincomalee reaches about 33°C in the afternoon and slips back to 27°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 31°C and 35°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C warmer than April and on par with June.

25°28°30°33°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13227
23227
33227
43227
53327
63327
73327
83327
93327
103327
113327
123327
133327
143327
153327
163327
173327
183327
193327
203327
213327
223327
233327
243327
253327
263327
273327
283327
293327
303327
313327

How May really feels in Trincomalee

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.

Trincomalee weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 2nd-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 25°12614.511.65.8
Feb28° / 25°739.711.76.3
Mar29° / 25°407.211.95.8
Apr31° / 26°561012.24.4
May33° / 27°488.212.43.6
Jun33° / 27°183.212.53.6
Jul33° / 27°315.512.43.6
Aug33° / 27°457.812.33.6
Sep33° / 26°6510.712.13.5
Oct31° / 26°18618.511.83.6
Nov28° / 25°30024.111.63.9
Dec27° / 25°27720.911.54.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24753
34654
44654
54555
64456
74357
84258
94159
104159
114159
123961
133961
143961
153961
163862
173862
183763
193763
203664
213763
223763
233664
243664
253565
263664
273565
283565
293466
303466
313367

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Trincomalee gets around 48 mm of rain over 8.2 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 26% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
134
235
335
435
535
635
735
835
934
1033
1132
1230
1329
1427
1526
1625
1723
1822
1921
2020
2120
2219
2318
2418
2518
2617
2717
2817
2917
3017
3117

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 55% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
12377
22377
32476
42575
52674
62773
72971
83070
93268
103367
113565
123763
133961
144159
154357
164555
174654
184852
195050
205248
215446
225545
235743
245941
256040
266139
276337
286436
296634
306733
316931

Wind in May

Winds average 18 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 22 km/h at its breeziest. Calmer and breezier days trade off through the month.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1217light breeze
1317light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2020light breeze
2120breezy
2220breezy
2321breezy
2421breezy
2521breezy
2621breezy
2722breezy
2822breezy
2922breezy
3022breezy
3122breezy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of May to 12 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:53 AM to 5:49 AM, and sunset from 6:11 PM to 6:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.35:536:11
212.35:536:11
312.35:536:11
412.35:526:11
512.35:526:12
612.35:526:12
712.35:526:12
812.35:516:12
912.45:516:12
1012.45:516:12
1112.45:516:12
1212.45:506:12
1312.45:506:13
1412.45:506:13
1512.45:506:13
1612.45:506:13
1712.45:496:13
1812.45:496:13
1912.45:496:14
2012.45:496:14
2112.45:496:14
2212.45:496:14
2312.45:496:14
2412.45:496:15
2512.45:496:15
2612.45:496:15
2712.45:496:15
2812.45:496:16
2912.55:496:16
3012.55:496:16
3112.55:496:16

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.24 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.16 kWh/m² to a high of 6.51 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 6.24 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.3Intense
36.3Intense
46.3Intense
56.3Intense
66.3Intense
76.3Intense
86.3Intense
96.3Intense
106.3Intense
116.3Intense
126.3Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.2Intense
236.2Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Trincomalee

In seasonPeak

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

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

Trincomalee's monsoon runs October–December, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Trincomalee?

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

3.6
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Trincomalee. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Trincomalee in May

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

In May, Trincomalee sees daytime highs around 33°C and nights near 27°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Trincomalee 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 17 km away) is warmest in May at about 30°C and coldest in January near 27°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
Jan27Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Trincomalee in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Trincomalee peaks around May 10 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highMay 10UV 13Dec 20UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Very high
Feb12Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Trincomalee 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 Trincomalee is worst in May — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMay 1028 µg/m³Jul 2120 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan22Moderate
Feb21Moderate
Mar24Moderate
Apr27Moderate
May28Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep21Moderate
Oct25Moderate
Nov24Moderate
Dec22Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Trincomalee?

Trincomalee sits at 8.6°N, 81.2°E, 10 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Vakarai, 54 km away.

VakaraiPolonnaruwaVavuniyaSigiriyaMullaittivuAnuradhapuraEravur TownDambulla

Topography around Trincomalee

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Trincomalee has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 78 m around an average of 5 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 161 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 684 m.

The land around Trincomalee is covered by water (62%) within 3 km, water (55%) and trees (24%) within 16 km, and trees (41%) and water (38%) within 80 km.

3 km
78 m
16 km
161 m
80 km
684 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
May weather nearby: Vakarai 54 km · Polonnaruwa 75 km · Vavuniya 83 km · Sigiriya 87 km · Mullaittivu 89 km · Anuradhapura 94 km · Eravur Town 98 km · Dambulla 102 km

Sri Lanka travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 27% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,002
2025
Happiness
4.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
47%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
3.3
per 100k, 2019
Road deaths
19.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 486
Religion
Buddhist 70%Hindu 13%Muslim 10%Roman Catholic 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 Trincomalee (8.5778°, 81.2289°, elevation 10 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).