May is one of the cooler months of the year in Katherine, with average highs near 31.8°C and lows around 18.3°C (mean 25.1°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 6 mm of rainfall and 58% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Katherine. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Katherine was 1988 — when the month averaged 28.9°C — while the coldest was 2011 at 18.9°C. Typical May days reach 31.8°C with nights near 18.3°C. The long-term May temperature trend is broadly flat.
May is one of the drier months in Katherine, averaging 6 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2025 with 59 mm, while the driest were 2021, 2022 and 2023, among others at 0 mm.
Relative humidity in Katherine during May averages 58%. The most humid May was 2006 at 81%, and the least humid was 2018 at 40%.
May receives about 5.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Katherine. The sunniest Mays were 2011, 2018 and 2021, among others at 5.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2010 at 4.7.
Average wind speed in Katherine during May is 3 m/s. The windiest May was 2018 at 3.7 m/s, while the calmest was 1997 at 2.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 25.7°C | 25.3°C | 23.7°C | 25.3°C | 25.3°C | -0.4°C |
| Avg High | 32.5°C | 32.3°C | 30.1°C | 31.9°C | 32.1°C | -0.4°C |
| Avg Low | 18.8°C | 18.3°C | 17.3°C | 18.8°C | 18.6°C | -0.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 2 mm | 7 mm | 2 mm | 8 mm | 11 mm | +9 mm |
May temperatures in Katherine have risen by about 0.7°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 7.3°C (2006) to a record high of 38.6°C (1988).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 6 mm, with a wettest year of 59 mm.
One of the best times to visit Katherine
May is one of the best times to visit Katherine. Expect days averaging 31.8°C and nights around 18.3°C (mean 25.1°C) — cooler than Katherine's yearly average — with low rainfall (6 mm), so conditions are generally comfortable for sightseeing and outdoor plans.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 🌧️ | 32.4°C | 26.1°C | 19.8°C | 35.4°C | 15.2°C | 59 mm | 57% | 3.5 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2024 | 30.8°C | 25.0°C | 19.2°C | 34.3°C | 11.5°C | 0 mm | 70% | 3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2023 | 31.8°C | 24.0°C | 16.2°C | 34.8°C | 10.6°C | 0 mm | 45% | 3.3 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2022 | 35.4°C | 28.1°C | 20.9°C | 37.2°C | 17.7°C | 0 mm | 42% | 2.8 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2021 | 29.3°C | 22.8°C | 16.4°C | 31.1°C | 11.7°C | 0 mm | 69% | 2.7 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2020 | 33.0°C | 25.9°C | 18.8°C | 35.6°C | 13.3°C | 6 mm | 45% | 3.5 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2019 | 33.8°C | 26.7°C | 19.6°C | 36.1°C | 15.4°C | 6 mm | 47% | 3.4 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2018 | 33.7°C | 26.2°C | 18.6°C | 36.7°C | 13.1°C | 0 mm | 40% | 3.7 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2017 | 34.2°C | 26.8°C | 19.5°C | 35.6°C | 16.4°C | 0 mm | 52% | 3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2016 | 34.9°C | 28.7°C | 22.5°C | 37.0°C | 18.0°C | 11 mm | 54% | 2.7 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2015 | 32.7°C | 24.7°C | 16.8°C | 35.2°C | 10.5°C | 15 mm | 47% | 3.1 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2014 | 33.4°C | 26.8°C | 20.1°C | 34.6°C | 15.4°C | 1 mm | 56% | 3.1 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2013 | 29.9°C | 24.8°C | 19.7°C | 32.7°C | 12.0°C | 6 mm | 73% | 2.7 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2012 | 29.9°C | 23.7°C | 17.4°C | 32.3°C | 12.3°C | 7 mm | 60% | 3.2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2011 ❄️ | 24.8°C | 18.9°C | 13.0°C | 27.8°C | 7.7°C | 0 mm | 81% | 2.8 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2010 | 31.5°C | 26.1°C | 20.7°C | 35.3°C | 16.4°C | 33 mm | 68% | 2.9 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2009 | 31.2°C | 24.7°C | 18.2°C | 33.7°C | 12.7°C | 0 mm | 57% | 3 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2008 | 29.0°C | 22.2°C | 15.3°C | 31.0°C | 11.4°C | 0 mm | 64% | 2.7 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2007 | 32.5°C | 26.4°C | 20.3°C | 34.1°C | 15.1°C | 2 mm | 67% | 2.7 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2006 | 25.6°C | 20.3°C | 14.9°C | 28.2°C | 7.3°C | 0 mm | 81% | 2.9 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2005 | 33.5°C | 25.7°C | 17.9°C | 35.6°C | 12.2°C | 0 mm | 46% | 3.2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2004 | 28.8°C | 23.9°C | 19.0°C | 31.3°C | 11.1°C | 16 mm | 77% | 2.5 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2003 | 32.1°C | 25.2°C | 18.2°C | 35.0°C | 10.7°C | 0 mm | 54% | 2.7 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2002 | 34.1°C | 26.4°C | 18.8°C | 36.0°C | 11.7°C | 0 mm | 44% | 3.1 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2001 | 27.8°C | 20.9°C | 14.1°C | 30.3°C | 8.6°C | 2 mm | 70% | 2.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 26.5°C | 21.5°C | 16.4°C | 29.8°C | 9.3°C | 1 mm | 80% | 3.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1999 | 29.0°C | 22.0°C | 15.0°C | 32.1°C | 9.9°C | 0 mm | 68% | 2.7 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1998 | 33.2°C | 26.3°C | 19.4°C | 35.1°C | 12.7°C | 0 mm | 55% | 3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1997 | 31.3°C | 24.3°C | 17.4°C | 32.6°C | 13.5°C | 0 mm | 58% | 2.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1996 | 32.6°C | 24.8°C | 17.1°C | 35.1°C | 12.3°C | 0 mm | 48% | 3.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1995 | 32.3°C | 25.7°C | 19.2°C | 35.3°C | 13.4°C | 1 mm | 54% | 3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1994 | 31.8°C | 24.5°C | 17.1°C | 33.8°C | 10.9°C | 0 mm | 54% | 3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1993 | 33.6°C | 26.7°C | 19.8°C | 35.3°C | 17.5°C | 5 mm | 56% | 3.5 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1992 | 34.6°C | 27.9°C | 21.1°C | 36.6°C | 16.6°C | 8 mm | 54% | 3.1 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1991 | 31.7°C | 24.4°C | 17.1°C | 33.7°C | 12.6°C | 1 mm | 57% | 3.2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1990 | 33.4°C | 26.6°C | 19.8°C | 37.8°C | 10.6°C | 52 mm | 56% | 3.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1989 | 31.7°C | 25.1°C | 18.5°C | 33.2°C | 14.2°C | 0 mm | 62% | 2.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1988 🔥 | 36.5°C | 28.9°C | 21.4°C | 38.6°C | 18.6°C | 2 mm | 46% | 2.9 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1987 | 34.0°C | 26.8°C | 19.6°C | 36.7°C | 13.9°C | 1 mm | 49% | 3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1986 | 34.7°C | 27.5°C | 20.3°C | 35.9°C | 17.5°C | 12 mm | 50% | 2.8 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1985 | 31.3°C | 24.9°C | 18.4°C | 33.5°C | 15.2°C | 0 mm | 63% | 3.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1984 | 29.6°C | 23.9°C | 18.2°C | 31.5°C | 16.0°C | 1 mm | 73% | 2.9 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1983 | 31.4°C | 24.6°C | 17.7°C | 33.4°C | 12.9°C | 0 mm | 56% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 31.3°C | 23.9°C | 16.6°C | 32.9°C | 12.4°C | 1 mm | 57% | 2.8 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 32.3°C | 25.4°C | 18.5°C | 35.0°C | 15.7°C | 4 mm | 55% | 2.8 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 31.8°C with lows near 18.3°C (mean 25.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 6 mm of rainfall in Katherine, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 59 mm in 2025.
The hottest May reached 38.6°C in 1988. The coldest dipped to 7.3°C in 2006.
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 31.2°C to 31.9°C and overnight lows from 17.9°C to 18.5°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Katherine and one of the drier months, so plan for around 31.8°C daytime highs and 18.3°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 3rd coolest month in Katherine, averaging 25.1°C.
For May in Katherine, pack light, breathable clothing and sun protection, with typical highs of 31.8°C and lows of 18.3°C.
Relative humidity in May averages 58% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.7 m/s (2018).
The wettest May on record was 2025 with 59 mm. On average, May sees 6 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 Katherine 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.
