May is one of the cooler months of the year in Sydney, with average highs near 19.4°C and lows around 15°C (mean 17.2°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 69 mm of rainfall and 73% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Sydney. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Sydney was 2016 — when the month averaged 18.5°C — while the coldest was 1984 at 15.9°C. Typical May days reach 19.4°C with nights near 15°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Sydney, averaging 69 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2003 with 222 mm, while the driest was 2018 at 7 mm.
Relative humidity in Sydney during May averages 73%. The most humid May was 1989 at 82%, and the least humid was 1982 at 61%.
May receives about 2.9 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Sydney. The sunniest Mays were 2004, 2007 and 2018 at 3.3 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2025 at 2.4.
Average wind speed in Sydney during May is 3.1 m/s. The windiest May was 1998 at 3.7 m/s, while the calmest was 1999 at 2.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 16.9°C | 17.1°C | 17.2°C | 17.4°C | 17.3°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg High | 19.0°C | 19.1°C | 19.4°C | 19.9°C | 19.3°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Low | 14.8°C | 15.1°C | 15.0°C | 14.9°C | 15.3°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg Rain | 83 mm | 92 mm | 68 mm | 39 mm | 62 mm | -20 mm |
May temperatures in Sydney have risen by about 0.7°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 9.6°C (1987) to a record high of 25.8°C (2016).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 69 mm, with a wettest year of 222 mm.
A good time to visit Sydney
May is a good time to visit Sydney, with days averaging 19.4°C and nights around 15°C (mean 17.2°C, cooler than Sydney's yearly average) and moderate rainfall. December and March are marginally more temperate, but May still suits most travellers.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.2°C | 18.4°C | 16.5°C | 24.8°C | 11.7°C | 126 mm | 75% | 3.3 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2024 | 19.5°C | 17.7°C | 16.0°C | 21.2°C | 12.8°C | 76 mm | 76% | 3 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2023 | 19.2°C | 16.5°C | 13.9°C | 22.6°C | 9.9°C | 18 mm | 67% | 3.3 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2022 | 19.4°C | 17.6°C | 15.9°C | 23.2°C | 11.5°C | 65 mm | 78% | 3 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2021 | 18.9°C | 16.7°C | 14.6°C | 22.3°C | 10.8°C | 45 mm | 77% | 3.1 m/s | 3 |
| 2020 | 18.7°C | 16.7°C | 14.6°C | 23.1°C | 12.0°C | 44 mm | 73% | 3.6 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2019 | 21.2°C | 18.3°C | 15.3°C | 25.3°C | 10.6°C | 10 mm | 68% | 3.2 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2018 | 20.3°C | 17.3°C | 14.3°C | 25.0°C | 11.3°C | 7 mm | 67% | 3.2 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2017 | 19.8°C | 17.5°C | 15.1°C | 22.6°C | 9.9°C | 12 mm | 71% | 2.9 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2016 🔥 | 21.6°C | 18.5°C | 15.5°C | 25.8°C | 11.7°C | 15 mm | 64% | 3 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2015 | 18.7°C | 16.7°C | 14.7°C | 22.4°C | 11.3°C | 49 mm | 76% | 3.4 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2014 | 20.9°C | 18.3°C | 15.6°C | 23.9°C | 12.3°C | 14 mm | 71% | 3 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2013 | 19.6°C | 17.1°C | 14.7°C | 22.4°C | 12.3°C | 65 mm | 72% | 3.2 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2012 | 18.6°C | 16.1°C | 13.6°C | 23.0°C | 10.0°C | 23 mm | 73% | 3 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2011 | 18.1°C | 16.1°C | 14.1°C | 22.2°C | 10.4°C | 91 mm | 73% | 3.6 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2010 | 19.9°C | 17.8°C | 15.7°C | 25.0°C | 13.2°C | 108 mm | 72% | 3.2 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2009 | 19.6°C | 17.9°C | 16.2°C | 21.3°C | 13.2°C | 98 mm | 70% | 3.4 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2008 | 19.3°C | 16.8°C | 14.3°C | 21.3°C | 11.8°C | 8 mm | 71% | 2.6 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2007 | 20.9°C | 18.2°C | 15.5°C | 24.4°C | 11.3°C | 29 mm | 71% | 2.7 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2006 | 19.2°C | 16.8°C | 14.4°C | 24.3°C | 11.2°C | 35 mm | 69% | 3.3 m/s | 3 |
| 2005 | 19.7°C | 17.5°C | 15.3°C | 23.9°C | 11.4°C | 52 mm | 71% | 3.3 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2004 | 19.9°C | 17.2°C | 14.5°C | 23.5°C | 11.0°C | 17 mm | 66% | 3.4 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2003 🌧️ | 19.1°C | 17.3°C | 15.6°C | 22.6°C | 12.0°C | 222 mm | 78% | 3.6 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2002 | 19.0°C | 16.9°C | 14.8°C | 23.1°C | 11.5°C | 60 mm | 73% | 3.1 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2001 | 18.4°C | 16.8°C | 15.2°C | 22.4°C | 12.6°C | 114 mm | 75% | 3.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2000 | 18.9°C | 16.5°C | 14.0°C | 22.8°C | 9.6°C | 42 mm | 73% | 3.2 m/s | 3 |
| 1999 | 20.1°C | 17.7°C | 15.2°C | 21.7°C | 10.7°C | 30 mm | 73% | 2.5 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1998 | 19.2°C | 17.3°C | 15.4°C | 21.5°C | 10.6°C | 167 mm | 75% | 3.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1997 | 19.5°C | 17.7°C | 15.9°C | 23.8°C | 12.8°C | 96 mm | 77% | 3.6 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1996 | 19.3°C | 17.5°C | 15.8°C | 23.6°C | 12.1°C | 134 mm | 75% | 3.2 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1995 | 18.6°C | 16.9°C | 15.2°C | 23.1°C | 10.7°C | 185 mm | 78% | 3.4 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1994 | 19.1°C | 16.5°C | 14.0°C | 25.2°C | 11.0°C | 29 mm | 67% | 2.9 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1993 | 19.1°C | 16.8°C | 14.6°C | 23.9°C | 11.6°C | 21 mm | 73% | 2.7 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1992 | 18.4°C | 16.6°C | 14.8°C | 22.7°C | 11.5°C | 52 mm | 77% | 2.9 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1991 | 18.9°C | 16.9°C | 14.8°C | 23.4°C | 12.9°C | 70 mm | 77% | 2.9 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1990 | 18.9°C | 17.0°C | 15.0°C | 22.5°C | 12.0°C | 136 mm | 81% | 3 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1989 | 19.1°C | 17.7°C | 16.2°C | 22.2°C | 10.5°C | 117 mm | 82% | 3 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1988 | 18.9°C | 17.3°C | 15.7°C | 22.3°C | 12.5°C | 69 mm | 78% | 2.9 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1987 | 19.1°C | 16.7°C | 14.3°C | 21.9°C | 9.6°C | 78 mm | 73% | 3 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1986 | 19.5°C | 17.2°C | 15.0°C | 23.1°C | 12.5°C | 33 mm | 72% | 2.9 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1985 | 18.6°C | 17.0°C | 15.4°C | 22.8°C | 12.0°C | 106 mm | 77% | 3.3 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1984 ❄️ | 17.9°C | 15.9°C | 14.0°C | 21.2°C | 11.1°C | 67 mm | 77% | 2.7 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1983 | 18.6°C | 16.4°C | 14.2°C | 21.6°C | 11.0°C | 144 mm | 79% | 2.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 20.5°C | 17.5°C | 14.4°C | 24.1°C | 10.3°C | 11 mm | 61% | 2.8 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 18.9°C | 16.6°C | 14.3°C | 22.1°C | 11.0°C | 120 mm | 74% | 3.1 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 19.4°C with lows near 15°C (mean 17.2°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 69 mm of rainfall in Sydney, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 222 mm in 2003.
The hottest May reached 25.8°C in 2016. The coldest dipped to 9.6°C in 1987.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 0.7°C. Daytime highs moved from 18.9°C to 19.4°C and overnight lows from 14.5°C to 15.4°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Sydney and one of the drier months, so plan for around 19.4°C daytime highs and 15°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 5th coolest month in Sydney, averaging 17.2°C.
For May in Sydney, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 19.4°C and lows of 15°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 73% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3.1 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.7 m/s (1998).
The wettest May on record was 2003 with 222 mm. On average, May sees 69 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 Sydney 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.
