Coleraine weather in May

In May, Coleraine sees average daytime highs of 11°C and overnight lows near 9°C, with 71 mm of rain across 13.4 wet days and about 15.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 10°C in the first days to 12°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% 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 Coleraine's 1st-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Coleraine's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11°
6th warmest
Overnight low
7th coldest
Rainfall
71 mm
13.4 wet days
Daylight
15 h 54 min
4:26 AM – 8:19 PM
Cloud cover
66%
1st clearest
Wind
23 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.3
out of 10

Coleraine is town and civil parish in County Londonderry, 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 10°C in the first days to 12°C by the end.

A typical May day in Coleraine reaches about 11°C in the afternoon and slips back to 9°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 9°C and 13°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C warmer than April and about 2°C cooler than June.

10°13°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1108
2108
3108
4108
5108
6108
7108
8108
9108
10108
11108
12108
13109
14109
15119
16119
17119
18119
19119
20119
21119
22119
23119
24119
25119
261110
271110
281110
291210
301210
311210

Coleraine weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 12420.30.67.51.0
Feb / 10016.919.20.9
Mar / 91160.811.41.1
Apr / 7813.90.213.81.6
May11° / 7113.4015.82.3
Jun13° / 11°8614.60172.9
Jul14° / 13°9516.1016.53.5
Aug15° / 13°10416.2014.73.7
Sep14° / 12°10116.3012.53.5
Oct12° / 10°13918.9010.22.6
Nov10° / 14920.80.28.11.7
Dec / 147200.771.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in May, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% 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 (%)
14159
24258
34258
44456
54456
64357
74357
84456
94357
104357
114159
124159
133961
143961
153763
163763
173763
183763
193565
203565
213466
223466
233466
243466
253565
263565
273664
283664
293664
303664
313565

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Coleraine gets around 71 mm of rain over 13.4 wet days in May, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 44% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
145
245
345
444
544
644
743
843
944
1044
1144
1245
1345
1446
1546
1646
1746
1845
1945
2045
2145
2245
2345
2444
2544
2644
2743
2843
2943
3042
3142

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

Winds average 23 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.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
123breezy
223breezy
323breezy
423breezy
523breezy
623breezy
723breezy
823breezy
923breezy
1023breezy
1123breezy
1223breezy
1323breezy
1423breezy
1523breezy
1623breezy
1722breezy
1822breezy
1922breezy
2022breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2322breezy
2422breezy
2522breezy
2622breezy
2721breezy
2821breezy
2921breezy
3021breezy
3121breezy

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 4:57 AM to 4:05 AM, and sunset from 7:51 PM to 8:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.94:577:51
215.04:547:53
315.04:527:55
415.14:507:57
515.24:487:59
615.24:468:01
715.34:448:03
815.44:428:05
915.44:408:06
1015.54:388:08
1115.64:368:10
1215.64:348:12
1315.74:328:14
1415.84:308:16
1515.84:288:18
1615.94:268:19
1715.94:258:21
1816.04:238:23
1916.14:218:25
2016.14:208:26
2116.24:188:28
2216.24:178:30
2316.34:158:31
2416.34:148:33
2516.44:128:35
2616.44:118:36
2716.54:108:38
2816.54:088:39
2916.64:078:41
3016.64:068:42
3116.64:058:43

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.41 kWh/m² to a high of 5 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.6Bright
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
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Coleraine?

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

2.3
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Coleraine.

What to pack for Coleraine in May

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

In May, Coleraine sees daytime highs around 11°C and nights near 9°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear, sun protection and a windbreaker. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Coleraine 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 27 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
Jul13Bracing
Aug14Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct13Bracing
Nov12Bracing
Dec10Bracing

UV index in Coleraine 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 Coleraine peaks around July 12 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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowJul 12UV 5Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May5High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5High
Aug4Moderate
Sep3Moderate
Oct2Low
Nov1Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Coleraine?

Coleraine sits at 55.1°N, 6.7°W, 5 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Ballymena, 39 km away.

LetterkennyNewtownabbeyOmagh

Topography around Coleraine

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Coleraine has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 82 m around an average of 30 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 385 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 675 m.

The land around Coleraine is covered by grassland (54%) and trees (22%) within 3 km, grassland (57%) and water (24%) within 16 km, and grassland (46%) and water (46%) within 80 km.

3 km
82 m
16 km
385 m
80 km
675 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Ballymena 39 km · Derry 44 km · Londonderry County Borough 44 km · Antrim 55 km · Larne 63 km · Letterkenny 71 km · Newtownabbey 72 km · Omagh 72 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 Coleraine (55.1333°, -6.6667°, elevation 5 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).