Greenock weather in May

In May, Greenock sees average daytime highs of 14°C and overnight lows near 7°C, with 110 mm of precipitation across 15.7 wet days and about 16 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 15°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 15 hours at the start of May to 16 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Greenock's 1st-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Greenock's year-round climate.

Daytime high
14°
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Precipitation
110 mm
15.7 wet days
Daylight
16 hours
4:15 AM – 8:16 PM
Cloud cover
72%
1st clearest
Wind
13 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.7 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Greenock is town and administrative centre of Inverclyde, Scotland, UK.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³ · 2019

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 15°C by the end.

A typical May day in Greenock reaches about 14°C in the afternoon and slips back to 7°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 10°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°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1125
2135
3135
4135
5135
6135
7136
8136
9136
10136
11136
12136
13136
14146
15146
16146
17147
18147
19147
20147
21147
22147
23147
24157
25158
26158
27158
28158
29158
30158
31158

How May really feels in Greenock

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.

Greenock weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 17718.65.37.40.4
Feb / 14416.44.69.20.6
Mar / 13116.33.311.41.2
Apr11° / 10415.60.913.82.2
May14° / 11015.70.1163.4
Jun16° / 11216.2017.24.0
Jul17° / 11°12517.3016.74.5
Aug17° / 11°14318.2014.84.4
Sep15° / 13015.7012.53.8
Oct12° / 17417.40.110.12.5
Nov / 16017.80.781.3
Dec / 17117.23.46.80.5

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 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 73%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12773
22872
32971
42971
52872
62872
72971
82971
92971
102872
112872
122872
132674
142674
152773
162674
172674
182575
192575
202674
212575
222575
232575
242674
252674
262674
272674
282674
292674
302674
312575

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Greenock gets around 110 mm of rain and snow over 15.7 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 51% and peaks near 54% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
154
254
353
453
552
651
751
851
951
1051
1151
1251
1351
1451
1551
1651
1751
1851
1951
2051
2151
2251
2351
2451
2551
2651
2751
2851
2951
3051
3151

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
131000
141000
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21982
22982
23982
24982
25982
26973
27973
28973
29973
30973
31973

Wind in May

Winds average 13 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 15 hours at the start of May to 16 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 108 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:46 AM to 3:52 AM, and sunset from 7:46 PM to 8:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.04:467:46
215.14:447:48
315.14:427:50
415.24:397:52
515.34:377:54
615.44:357:56
715.44:337:58
815.54:318:00
915.64:298:02
1015.64:278:04
1115.74:258:06
1215.84:238:08
1315.84:218:10
1415.94:198:12
1516.04:178:14
1616.04:158:16
1716.14:138:18
1816.14:118:19
1916.24:108:21
2016.34:088:23
2116.34:068:25
2216.44:058:26
2316.44:038:28
2416.54:018:30
2516.54:008:32
2616.63:598:33
2716.63:578:35
2816.73:568:36
2916.73:558:38
3016.83:538:39
3116.83:528:41

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.7 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.35 kWh/m² to a high of 4.7 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 4.7 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.4Bright
54.5Bright
64.5Bright
74.5Bright
84.6Bright
94.6Bright
104.6Bright
114.6Bright
124.6Bright
134.6Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.7Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.8Bright
254.8Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Greenock?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Greenock.

What to pack for Greenock in May

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

In May, Greenock sees daytime highs around 14°C and nights near 7°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer and sun protection. About 16 days see rain.

rain geara warm layersun protection

Sea temperature near Greenock in May

The nearest coast averages about 10°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 August at about 15°C and coldest in February near 7°C.

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

5°10°15°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan8Bracing
Feb7Bracing
Mar7Bracing
Apr8Bracing
May10Bracing
Jun13Bracing
Jul15Bracing
Aug15Cool
Sep14Bracing
Oct12Bracing
Nov11Bracing
Dec9Bracing

UV index in Greenock 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 Greenock peaks around June 20 at about 5 (high) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 0 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowJun 20UV 5Dec 20UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May5Moderate
Jun5High
Jul5Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep3Moderate
Oct2Low
Nov1Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Greenock?

Greenock sits at 55.9°N, 4.8°W, 12 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Vale of Leven, 12 km away.

Topography around Greenock

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Greenock has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 279 m around an average of 65 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 706 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,195 m.

The land around Greenock is covered by water (41%) and grassland (27%) within 3 km, grassland (50%), water (24%) and trees (22%) within 16 km, and grassland (53%) and water (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
279 m
16 km
706 m
80 km
1,195 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Vale of Leven 12 km · Dumbarton 12 km · Erskine 20 km · Johnstone 20 km · Clydebank 23 km · Paisley 24 km · Renfrew 24 km · Bearsden 27 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 Greenock (55.9484°, -4.7612°, elevation 12 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).