May is one of the cooler months of the year in Broken Hill, with average highs near 20.3°C and lows around 8.3°C (mean 14.3°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 17 mm of rainfall and 60% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Broken Hill. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Broken Hill was 2005 — when the month averaged 16.3°C — while the coldest was 2011 at 12.1°C. Typical May days reach 20.3°C with nights near 8.3°C. The long-term May temperature trend is broadly flat.
May is about average for rainfall in Broken Hill, averaging 17 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1988 with 62 mm, while the driest was 2025 at 0 mm.
Relative humidity in Broken Hill during May averages 60%. The most humid May was 1989 at 77%, and the least humid was 2005 at 46%.
May receives about 3.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Broken Hill. The sunniest May was 1994 at 4.1 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1988 at 3.1.
Average wind speed in Broken Hill during May is 2.7 m/s. The windiest May was 1981 at 3.3 m/s, while the calmest were 1984 and 2004 at 2.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 14.3°C | 14.4°C | 14.5°C | 14.4°C | 13.9°C | -0.4°C |
| Avg High | 20.2°C | 20.4°C | 20.7°C | 20.3°C | 19.9°C | -0.3°C |
| Avg Low | 8.4°C | 8.5°C | 8.3°C | 8.4°C | 7.9°C | -0.5°C |
| Avg Rain | 28 mm | 18 mm | 14 mm | 13 mm | 8 mm | -19 mm |
May temperatures in Broken Hill have stayed relatively stable across the record.
May has ranged from a record low of 1.5°C (1986) to a record high of 30.5°C (1997).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 17 mm, with a wettest year of 62 mm.
A quieter season to visit Broken Hill
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of November and March tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Broken Hill. That said, May — with days averaging 20.3°C and nights around 8.3°C (mean 14.3°C) and low rainfall (17 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21.0°C | 14.7°C | 8.4°C | 26.9°C | 3.3°C | 0 mm | 56% | 3 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2024 | 20.1°C | 14.2°C | 8.4°C | 24.1°C | 2.9°C | 26 mm | 65% | 2.7 m/s | 3.5 |
| 2023 | 19.8°C | 13.6°C | 7.3°C | 24.1°C | 2.6°C | 3 mm | 60% | 2.6 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2022 | 19.3°C | 14.0°C | 8.7°C | 23.9°C | 4.2°C | 15 mm | 68% | 2.6 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2021 | 20.6°C | 14.3°C | 8.0°C | 28.4°C | 2.0°C | 5 mm | 54% | 2.7 m/s | 3.6 |
| 2020 | 18.7°C | 12.5°C | 6.3°C | 27.1°C | 3.2°C | 2 mm | 62% | 3 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2019 | 21.4°C | 15.1°C | 8.8°C | 28.4°C | 3.0°C | 3 mm | 55% | 3 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2018 | 20.5°C | 14.2°C | 7.9°C | 26.5°C | 4.4°C | 2 mm | 55% | 3.1 m/s | 3.7 |
| 2017 | 20.9°C | 14.5°C | 8.0°C | 25.3°C | 2.3°C | 2 mm | 52% | 2.5 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2016 | 21.9°C | 16.0°C | 10.0°C | 27.6°C | 5.9°C | 5 mm | 54% | 3 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2015 | 19.7°C | 13.9°C | 8.1°C | 25.7°C | 3.7°C | 16 mm | 70% | 2.8 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2014 | 21.5°C | 15.9°C | 10.3°C | 26.8°C | 3.3°C | 37 mm | 63% | 2.5 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2013 | 21.2°C | 15.3°C | 9.3°C | 28.0°C | 4.1°C | 24 mm | 58% | 2.9 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2012 | 19.1°C | 12.9°C | 6.6°C | 27.0°C | 3.5°C | 2 mm | 65% | 2.8 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2011 ❄️ | 17.5°C | 12.1°C | 6.7°C | 23.5°C | 2.3°C | 16 mm | 70% | 2.7 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2010 | 19.6°C | 13.9°C | 8.2°C | 25.7°C | 3.9°C | 29 mm | 64% | 2.5 m/s | 3.5 |
| 2009 | 19.8°C | 14.0°C | 8.2°C | 22.9°C | 3.9°C | 16 mm | 64% | 2.6 m/s | 3.6 |
| 2008 | 21.5°C | 14.9°C | 8.4°C | 25.9°C | 5.4°C | 3 mm | 56% | 2.4 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2007 | 21.9°C | 15.8°C | 9.7°C | 27.1°C | 3.9°C | 56 mm | 63% | 3 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2006 | 18.7°C | 12.4°C | 6.1°C | 23.8°C | 1.6°C | 1 mm | 61% | 2.4 m/s | 4 |
| 2005 🔥 | 22.9°C | 16.3°C | 9.6°C | 29.4°C | 3.7°C | 1 mm | 46% | 2.4 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2004 | 20.0°C | 13.6°C | 7.2°C | 24.2°C | 3.6°C | 7 mm | 53% | 2.3 m/s | 3.6 |
| 2003 | 21.1°C | 15.1°C | 9.1°C | 27.0°C | 4.7°C | 25 mm | 60% | 3 m/s | 3.5 |
| 2002 | 21.5°C | 15.4°C | 9.3°C | 28.1°C | 4.7°C | 8 mm | 53% | 2.7 m/s | 3.6 |
| 2001 | 20.5°C | 14.5°C | 8.5°C | 28.0°C | 2.5°C | 6 mm | 56% | 2.8 m/s | 3.7 |
| 2000 | 18.8°C | 12.9°C | 7.1°C | 24.1°C | 3.0°C | 16 mm | 66% | 3 m/s | 3.7 |
| 1999 | 21.8°C | 15.5°C | 9.2°C | 27.1°C | 5.1°C | 7 mm | 49% | 2.6 m/s | 3.6 |
| 1998 | 21.0°C | 14.5°C | 8.1°C | 25.4°C | 3.8°C | 2 mm | 54% | 2.5 m/s | 3.6 |
| 1997 | 19.9°C | 14.5°C | 9.1°C | 30.5°C | 2.2°C | 33 mm | 62% | 2.7 m/s | 3.3 |
| 1996 | 20.5°C | 14.4°C | 8.2°C | 27.9°C | 3.5°C | 5 mm | 61% | 2.5 m/s | 3.7 |
| 1995 | 18.9°C | 13.3°C | 7.7°C | 26.5°C | 4.6°C | 18 mm | 69% | 2.9 m/s | 3.6 |
| 1994 | 21.3°C | 14.8°C | 8.4°C | 29.3°C | 3.0°C | 3 mm | 50% | 3 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1993 | 21.0°C | 15.1°C | 9.2°C | 27.0°C | 2.6°C | 15 mm | 58% | 2.4 m/s | 3.7 |
| 1992 | 19.5°C | 13.7°C | 7.8°C | 27.4°C | 2.8°C | 29 mm | 64% | 2.4 m/s | 3.6 |
| 1991 | 20.1°C | 13.9°C | 7.6°C | 25.8°C | 3.4°C | 9 mm | 60% | 2.7 m/s | 3.9 |
| 1990 | 20.1°C | 14.6°C | 9.2°C | 27.8°C | 3.0°C | 54 mm | 65% | 2.7 m/s | 3.5 |
| 1989 | 18.9°C | 13.7°C | 8.5°C | 22.7°C | 3.5°C | 52 mm | 77% | 2.5 m/s | 3.4 |
| 1988 🌧️ | 20.9°C | 15.5°C | 10.1°C | 29.1°C | 4.3°C | 62 mm | 68% | 3 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1987 | 19.5°C | 13.9°C | 8.2°C | 25.8°C | 2.6°C | 9 mm | 60% | 3 m/s | 3.8 |
| 1986 | 20.6°C | 14.5°C | 8.3°C | 26.9°C | 1.5°C | 26 mm | 58% | 2.6 m/s | 3.8 |
| 1985 | 20.6°C | 14.3°C | 8.1°C | 30.1°C | 2.3°C | 38 mm | 55% | 2.6 m/s | 3.8 |
| 1984 | 20.8°C | 14.4°C | 8.0°C | 26.2°C | 3.7°C | 0 mm | 57% | 2.3 m/s | 3.8 |
| 1983 | 19.9°C | 14.1°C | 8.3°C | 25.0°C | 3.3°C | 20 mm | 68% | 2.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 20.5°C | 14.3°C | 8.0°C | 26.0°C | 3.3°C | 3 mm | 52% | 2.5 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 20.3°C | 14.3°C | 8.3°C | 27.8°C | 4.5°C | 38 mm | 56% | 3.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 20.3°C with lows near 8.3°C (mean 14.3°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 17 mm of rainfall in Broken Hill, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 62 mm in 1988.
The hottest May reached 30.5°C in 1997. The coldest dipped to 1.5°C in 1986.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have fallen by about 0.1°C — but days and nights have moved in opposite directions. Overnight lows rose from 8.1°C to 8.2°C while daytime highs eased from 20.4°C to 20.2°C, narrowing the gap between day and night.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Broken Hill and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 20.3°C daytime highs and 8.3°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 4th coolest month in Broken Hill, averaging 14.3°C.
For May in Broken Hill, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 20.3°C and lows of 8.3°C.
Relative humidity in May averages 60% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in May is 2.7 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.3 m/s (1981).
The wettest May on record was 1988 with 62 mm. On average, May sees 17 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Broken Hill behaves each May, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for May specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
