Bradenton weather in May

In May, Bradenton sees average daytime highs of 87°F and overnight lows near 70°F, with 2.5 in of rain across 8.4 wet days and about 13.3 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 85°F in the first days to 88°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of May to 13 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Bradenton's 2nd-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bradenton's year-round climate.

Daytime high
87°
5th warmest
Overnight low
70°
8th coldest
Rainfall
2.5 in
8.4 wet days
Daylight
13 h 24 min
5:46 AM – 7:07 PM
Cloud cover
44%
2nd clearest
Wind
7 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.67 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

Bradenton is county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States.

Density
1,236/km²
people per km²
Founded
1842

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 85°F in the first days to 88°F by the end.

A typical May day in Bradenton reaches about 87°F in the afternoon and slips back to 70°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 82°F and 91°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 5°F warmer than April and about 2°F cooler than June.

60°70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18567
28568
38568
48568
58568
68569
78669
88669
98669
108669
118669
128770
138770
148770
158770
168770
178771
188771
198771
208771
218871
228871
238872
248872
258872
268872
278873
288873
298873
308873
318873

How May really feels in Bradenton

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 13 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
13
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
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.

Bradenton weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan71° / 53°2.35.810.57.4
Feb73° / 56°1.65.7117.7
Mar77° / 59°2.1611.87.8
Apr82° / 65°1.95.512.67.0
May87° / 70°2.58.413.35.1
Jun89° / 75°6.319.313.73.4
Jul89° / 77°5.92313.62.9
Aug89° / 77°6.223.7132.8
Sep88° / 75°5.717.812.23.6
Oct84° / 69°2.4811.35.9
Nov78° / 61°1.64.110.67.9
Dec73° / 56°1.85.310.37.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27426
37426
47426
57426
67327
77327
87327
97327
107228
117228
127129
137228
147129
157030
166931
177030
186931
196832
206931
216832
226832
236733
246733
256634
266634
276535
286337
296238
306139
316040

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Bradenton gets around 2.5 in of rain over 8.4 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 28% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
119
219
318
418
518
618
718
818
919
1020
1120
1221
1322
1424
1525
1626
1728
1829
1930
2031
2133
2234
2335
2436
2537
2638
2740
2841
2943
3044
3146

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 36% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 62% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
112182334130
211182334140
311182334150
410172334150
59172434160
69162434160
78162535170
87152535170
97152635180
106142635180
116142636190
125132636200
135132637200
144122637210
154122537220
163112538230
173112438240
183112438250
193102338260
202102238270
212102138290
222102038300
23291938321
24191837341
25181737361
26181636381
27171535412
28171434432
29161332462
30151231483
31051130504

Wind in May

Winds average 7 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 hours at the start of May to 13 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:57 AM to 5:40 AM, and sunset from 6:58 PM to 7:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.05:576:58
213.15:566:59
313.15:557:00
413.15:547:00
513.15:537:01
613.15:537:01
713.25:527:02
813.25:517:03
913.25:507:03
1013.25:507:04
1113.35:497:04
1213.35:487:05
1313.35:487:05
1413.35:477:06
1513.35:467:07
1613.45:467:07
1713.45:457:08
1813.45:457:08
1913.45:447:09
2013.45:447:10
2113.45:437:10
2213.55:437:11
2313.55:427:11
2413.55:427:12
2513.55:427:12
2613.55:417:13
2713.55:417:13
2813.65:417:14
2913.65:407:14
3013.65:407:15
3113.65:407:16

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.67 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.3 kWh/m² to a high of 6.67 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 6.67 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.7Intense
26.7Intense
36.7Intense
46.7Intense
56.7Intense
66.7Intense
76.8Intense
86.8Intense
96.8Intense
106.7Intense
116.7Intense
126.7Intense
136.7Intense
146.7Intense
156.7Intense
166.7Intense
176.6Intense
186.6Intense
196.6Intense
206.6Intense
216.6Intense
226.5Intense
236.5Intense
246.5Intense
256.5Intense
266.4Intense
276.4Intense
286.4Intense
296.3Intense
306.3Intense
316.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Bradenton

In seasonPeak

None of Bradenton's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Bradenton sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Bradenton's rainy season runs June–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Atlantic hurricane
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Bradenton?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
7.2
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Bradenton for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Bradenton in May

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

In May, Bradenton sees daytime highs around 87°F and nights near 70°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Bradenton in May

The nearest coast averages about 78°F 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 9 mi away) is warmest in August at about 86°F and coldest in February near 65°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Mar 13 to Dec 26 — about 9.5 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°70°80°90°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan65Cool
Feb65Cool
Mar68Refreshing
Apr73Refreshing
May78Warm
Jun83Tropical
Jul85Tropical
Aug86Tropical
Sep85Tropical
Oct81Warm
Nov74Refreshing
Dec69Refreshing

UV index in Bradenton in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bradenton peaks around July 12 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJul 12UV 11Dec 19UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5Moderate
Feb7High
Mar9Very high
Apr9Very high
May10Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct7Very high
Nov6High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Bradenton 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 Bradenton is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.0× the cleanest month (November, 10 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 2019 µg/m³Nov 2310 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb11Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May12Good
Jun16Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov10Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bradenton?

Bradenton sits at 27.5°N, 82.6°W, 3 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is South Bradenton, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Bradenton

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Bradenton.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bradenton has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 59 ft around an average of 16 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 131 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 407 ft.

The land around Bradenton is covered by artificial surfaces (39%), trees (27%) and water (26%) within 2 miles, water (42%) and trees (24%) within 10 miles, and water (41%) and trees (31%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
59 ft
10 miles
131 ft
50 miles
407 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetlandmangroves
May weather nearby: South Bradenton 2.5 mi · Bayshore Gardens 5.0 mi · Sarasota 12 mi · Ruskin 17 mi · St. Petersburg 20 mi · Sun City Center 21 mi · Lealman 23 mi · West and East Lealman 23 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 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 Bradenton (27.4989°, -82.5748°, elevation 3 ft), 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).