Antrim weather in May

In May, Antrim sees average daytime highs of 14°C and overnight lows near 8°C, with 70 mm of precipitation across 14.5 wet days and about 15.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 16°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 54 min at the start of May to 16 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Antrim's 1st-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Antrim's year-round climate.

Daytime high
14°
5th warmest
Overnight low
7th coldest
Precipitation
70 mm
14.5 wet days
Daylight
15 h 48 min
4:27 AM – 8:16 PM
Cloud cover
73%
1st clearest
Wind
14 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.99 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.6
out of 10

Antrim is town on the shore of Lough Neagh, in the baronies of Toome Upper and Toome Lower, Co. Antrim, in the northeast of Northern Ireland.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 16°C by the end.

A typical May day in Antrim reaches about 14°C in the afternoon and slips back to 8°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 11°C and 18°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C warmer than April and about 2°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1136
2136
3136
4136
5137
6137
7137
8137
9137
10147
11147
12147
13147
14147
15147
16147
17148
18148
19148
20158
21158
22158
23158
24158
25158
26159
27159
28159
29169
30169
31169

How May really feels in Antrim

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.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Antrim weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 7314.21.47.60.9
Feb / 6112.61.49.31.1
Mar / 6213.90.911.51.7
Apr11° / 6513.70.213.72.6
May14° / 7014.50.115.83.6
Jun17° / 10°7714016.94.5
Jul18° / 12°8214.8016.55.0
Aug18° / 12°8414.8014.74.9
Sep16° / 10°6712.7012.54.4
Oct13° / 8113.8010.23.1
Nov10° / 7713.80.28.21.8
Dec / 7613.10.77.11.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in May, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 74%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12872
22971
32971
42971
53070
63070
73070
82971
92971
102872
112872
122773
132773
142575
152575
162575
172476
182476
192377
202278
212278
222377
232377
242377
252377
262377
272377
282476
292476
302476
312476

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Antrim gets around 70 mm of rain and snow over 14.5 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 48% and peaks near 49% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
149
248
348
448
547
647
747
847
947
1047
1148
1248
1349
1449
1549
1649
1748
1848
1948
2048
2148
2248
2348
2448
2548
2647
2747
2847
2946
3046
3146

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19982
20982
21982
22982
23973
24973
25973
26973
27973
28973
29964
30964
31964

Wind in May

Winds average 14 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 54 min at the start of May to 16 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 102 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:56 AM to 4:05 AM, and sunset from 7:48 PM to 8:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.94:567:48
214.94:547:50
315.04:527:52
415.14:507:54
515.14:487:55
615.24:467:57
715.34:447:59
815.34:428:01
915.44:408:03
1015.54:388:05
1115.54:368:07
1215.64:348:08
1315.64:328:10
1415.74:308:12
1515.84:288:14
1615.84:278:16
1715.94:258:17
1815.94:238:19
1916.04:228:21
2016.04:208:22
2116.14:188:24
2216.14:178:26
2316.24:158:27
2416.24:148:29
2516.34:138:30
2616.34:118:32
2716.44:108:33
2816.44:098:35
2916.54:088:36
3016.54:068:38
3116.64:058:39

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.99 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.45 kWh/m² to a high of 4.99 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 4.99 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.7Bright
34.7Bright
44.7Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.8Bright
94.9Bright
104.9Bright
114.9Bright
124.9Bright
134.9Bright
144.9Bright
154.9Bright
164.9Bright
175.0Bright
185.0Bright
195.0Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
245.1Bright
255.1Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Antrim?

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

3.6
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
0.1
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Antrim.

What to pack for Antrim in May

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

In May, Antrim sees daytime highs around 14°C and nights near 8°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer and sun protection. About 15 days see rain.

rain geara warm layersun protection

Sea temperature near Antrim in May

The nearest coast averages about 9°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 28 km away) is warmest in September at about 14°C and coldest in March near 8°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

6°8°10°12°14°16°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan9Bracing
Feb8Bracing
Mar8Bracing
Apr8Bracing
May9Bracing
Jun11Bracing
Jul12Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct14Bracing
Nov12Bracing
Dec11Bracing

UV index in Antrim in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Antrim peaks around May 22 at about 5 (high) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 5 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowMay 22UV 5Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May5High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5High
Aug5Moderate
Sep3Moderate
Oct2Low
Nov1Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Antrim?

Antrim sits at 54.7°N, 6.2°W, 33 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Ballymena, 17 km away.

Topography around Antrim

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Antrim has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 117 m around an average of 46 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 363 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 860 m.

The land around Antrim is covered by grassland (46%) and trees (22%) within 3 km, grassland (70%) within 16 km, and grassland (53%) and water (39%) within 80 km.

3 km
117 m
16 km
363 m
80 km
860 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Ballymena 17 km · Newtownabbey 20 km · Belfast 23 km · Lisburn 24 km · Carrickfergus 26 km · Castlereagh 26 km · Larne 29 km · Craigavon 32 km

United Kingdom travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 89% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$57,602
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
3.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 60%none 26%Muslim 4%other 2%

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 Antrim (54.7175°, -6.211°, elevation 33 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).