Newtownards weather in May

In May, Newtownards sees average daytime highs of 13°C and overnight lows near 8°C, with 69 mm of rain across 13.8 wet days and about 15.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 12°C in the first days to 14°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 48 min at the start of May to 16 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Newtownards's 1st-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Newtownards's year-round climate.

Daytime high
13°
5th warmest
Overnight low
7th coldest
Rainfall
69 mm
13.8 wet days
Daylight
15 h 48 min
4:25 AM – 8:13 PM
Cloud cover
69%
1st clearest
Wind
17 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.97 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.2
out of 10

Newtownards is town in County Down, Northern Ireland, UK.

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 12°C in the first days to 14°C by the end.

A typical May day in Newtownards reaches about 13°C in the afternoon and slips back to 8°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 10°C and 15°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C warmer than April and about 2°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1127
2127
3127
4127
5128
6128
7128
8128
9128
10128
11128
12128
13138
14138
15138
16138
17138
18138
19139
20139
21139
22139
23139
24149
25149
26149
27149
28149
291410
301410
311410

How May really feels in Newtownards

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.

Newtownards weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 8615.30.57.61.1
Feb / 68130.89.31.1
Mar / 6613.80.511.51.5
Apr11° / 6412.90.113.72.3
May13° / 6913.8015.83.2
Jun15° / 11°7412.9016.94.1
Jul17° / 12°8214.5016.44.6
Aug17° / 13°8214.3014.74.7
Sep15° / 11°7613.2012.54.2
Oct13° / 9714.3010.23.1
Nov10° / 9715.10.28.22.0
Dec / 9314.70.37.11.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in May, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 68%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13466
23565
33565
43565
53565
63565
73565
83664
93664
103466
113466
123466
133268
143268
153169
163169
173070
183070
193070
203070
212971
222872
232872
242872
252971
263070
273070
283070
293070
303070
312971

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Newtownards gets around 69 mm of rain over 13.8 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 45% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
145
245
344
444
544
644
744
844
944
1044
1145
1245
1346
1446
1546
1646
1746
1846
1946
2046
2146
2246
2346
2446
2546
2645
2745
2845
2945
3045
3144

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 (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in May

Winds average 17 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
917light breeze
1017light breeze
1117light breeze
1217light breeze
1317light breeze
1417light breeze
1517light breeze
1617light breeze
1717light breeze
1817light breeze
1917light breeze
2017light breeze
2117light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 48 min at the start of May to 16 h 30 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 4:55 AM to 4:04 AM, and sunset from 7:45 PM to 8:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.84:557:45
214.94:527:47
315.04:507:49
415.04:487:51
515.14:467:53
615.24:447:55
715.24:427:57
815.34:407:58
915.44:388:00
1015.44:368:02
1115.54:348:04
1215.64:328:06
1315.64:308:08
1415.74:298:09
1515.74:278:11
1615.84:258:13
1715.94:238:15
1815.94:228:16
1916.04:208:18
2016.04:198:20
2116.14:178:21
2216.14:158:23
2316.24:148:25
2416.24:138:26
2516.34:118:28
2616.34:108:29
2716.44:098:31
2816.44:078:32
2916.54:068:34
3016.54:058:35
3116.54:048:36

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.97 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.48 kWh/m² to a high of 4.97 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 4.97 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
94.8Bright
104.9Bright
114.9Bright
124.9Bright
134.9Bright
144.9Bright
154.9Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
184.9Bright
195.0Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
245.0Bright
255.0Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Newtownards?

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

3.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Newtownards.

What to pack for Newtownards in May

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

In May, Newtownards sees daytime highs around 13°C and nights near 8°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer and sun protection. About 14 days see rain.

rain geara warm layersun protection

Sea temperature near Newtownards 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 21 km away) is warmest in August 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
May10Bracing
Jun12Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug14Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct14Bracing
Nov12Bracing
Dec11Bracing

UV index in Newtownards 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 Newtownards peaks around July 24 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 24UV 5Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May5High
Jun5High
Jul5High
Aug5High
Sep3Moderate
Oct2Low
Nov1Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Newtownards?

Newtownards sits at 54.6°N, 5.7°W, 9 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Bangor, 8.0 km away.

Topography around Newtownards

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Newtownards has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 152 m around an average of 42 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 235 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 860 m.

The land around Newtownards is covered by grassland (43%) within 3 km, grassland (38%) and water (38%) within 16 km, and water (52%) and grassland (41%) within 80 km.

3 km
152 m
16 km
235 m
80 km
860 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Bangor 8.0 km · Castlereagh 13 km · Belfast 15 km · Carrickfergus 16 km · Newtownabbey 16 km · Lisburn 23 km · Larne 30 km · Antrim 36 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 Newtownards (54.5924°, -5.6909°, elevation 9 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).