Punta del Este weather in May

In May, Punta del Este sees average daytime highs of 17°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 86 mm of rain across 8.7 wet days and about 10.2 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 18°C in the first days to 16°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 36 min at the start of May to 9 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Punta del Este's 11th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Punta del Este's year-round climate.

Daytime high
17°
7th warmest
Overnight low
14°
6th coldest
Rainfall
86 mm
8.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
8:31 AM – 6:41 PM
Cloud cover
60%
11th clearest
Wind
21 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
2.57 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

Punta del Este is City in Maldonado, Uruguay.

Density
456/km²
people per km²
Founded
1829

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 18°C in the first days to 16°C by the end.

A typical May day in Punta del Este reaches about 17°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 19°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C cooler than April and about 3°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11816
21816
31816
41815
51815
61815
71815
81715
91715
101715
111715
121715
131715
141715
151715
161715
171714
181714
191614
201614
211614
221614
231614
241614
251614
261614
271614
281613
291613
301513
311513

Punta del Este weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 20°604.914.17.9
Feb23° / 21°827.113.37.5
Mar22° / 20°938.712.37.1
Apr20° / 17°1079.611.16.4
May17° / 14°868.710.25.5
Jun14° / 12°989.59.74.2
Jul13° / 10°1059.79.93.5
Aug14° / 11°979.210.73.9
Sep14° / 12°918.311.84.4
Oct16° / 14°968.712.95.4
Nov19° / 16°837.213.86.7
Dec21° / 18°707.114.37.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25248
35347
45347
55347
65347
75347
85248
95248
105149
115149
125050
134951
144852
154852
164852
174753
184654
194654
204654
214654
224654
234654
244555
254654
264654
274654
284852
294852
304753
314852

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Punta del Este gets around 86 mm of rain over 8.7 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 30% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
230
330
430
529
629
729
828
928
1027
1127
1227
1327
1427
1527
1627
1727
1827
1927
2028
2128
2228
2328
2428
2528
2628
2728
2828
2927
3027
3127

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 61% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
15029192
25130181
35230171
45230171
55330161
65330161
75530150
85530150
95530150
105630140
115630140
125630140
135631130
145631130
155730130
165730130
175730130
185929120
196028120
206127120
216326110
226425110
236624100
24682390
25692290
26712180
27732070
28741970
29761860
30771760
31791650

Wind in May

Winds average 21 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 21 km/h on the calmest days to 22 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
122breezy
222breezy
322breezy
421breezy
521breezy
621breezy
721breezy
821breezy
921breezy
1021breezy
1121breezy
1221breezy
1321breezy
1421breezy
1521breezy
1622breezy
1722breezy
1822breezy
1922breezy
2022breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2322breezy
2422breezy
2522breezy
2622breezy
2722breezy
2822breezy
2922breezy
3022breezy
3122breezy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 36 min at the start of May to 9 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 8:19 AM to 8:42 AM, and sunset from 6:55 PM to 6:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.68:196:55
210.68:196:54
310.58:206:53
410.58:216:52
510.58:226:51
610.58:236:50
710.48:246:49
810.48:246:48
910.48:256:47
1010.38:266:46
1110.38:276:45
1210.38:286:44
1310.38:286:44
1410.28:296:43
1510.28:306:42
1610.28:316:41
1710.18:326:40
1810.18:326:40
1910.18:336:39
2010.18:346:38
2110.08:356:38
2210.08:356:37
2310.08:366:36
2410.08:376:36
2510.08:386:35
269.98:386:35
279.98:396:34
289.98:406:34
299.98:406:33
309.98:416:33
319.88:426:33

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.57 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.17 kWh/m² to a high of 7.47 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 2.57 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.1Moderate
23.0Moderate
33.0Moderate
43.0Moderate
52.9Moderate
62.9Moderate
72.9Moderate
82.8Moderate
92.8Moderate
102.8Moderate
112.7Moderate
122.7Moderate
132.6Moderate
142.6Moderate
152.6Moderate
162.5Moderate
172.5Moderate
182.5Moderate
192.5Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.4Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.3Moderate
292.3Moderate
302.3Moderate
312.3Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Punta del Este?

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

5.5
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
1.2
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Punta del Este for sightseeing.

What to pack for Punta del Este in May

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

In May, Punta del Este sees daytime highs around 17°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and a windbreaker. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Punta del Este in May

The nearest coast averages about 17°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 19 km away) is warmest in February at about 23°C and coldest in July near 12°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 12 to Apr 10 — about 3.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan22Refreshing
Feb23Refreshing
Mar22Refreshing
Apr20Cool
May17Cool
Jun14Bracing
Jul12Bracing
Aug12Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct15Cool
Nov18Cool
Dec20Refreshing

UV index in Punta del Este in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Punta del Este peaks around January 17 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 17UV 12Jun 18UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May3Moderate
Jun2Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct8Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Punta del Este?

Punta del Este sits at 34.9°S, 54.9°W, 0 m above sea level, in Uruguay. The nearest listed city is Maldonado, 6.0 km away.

PiriapolisMinasRochaLa PalomaPandoBarros Blancos

Topography around Punta del Este

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Punta del Este has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 53 m around an average of 10 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 154 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 494 m.

The land around Punta del Este is covered by water (55%) within 3 km, water (66%) within 16 km, and water (44%) and grassland (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
53 m
16 km
154 m
80 km
494 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Maldonado 6.0 km · San Carlos 17 km · Piriapolis 32 km · Minas 69 km · Rocha 76 km · La Paloma 77 km · Pando 97 km · Barros Blancos 100 km

Uruguay travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F / I / L
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 66% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$25,216
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 542
Religion
none 47%Roman Catholic 37%Protestant 15%atheist 10%

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 Punta del Este (-34.9475°, -54.9338°, elevation 0 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).