May is one of the cooler months of the year in Hervey Bay, with average highs near 23.1°C and lows around 19.3°C (mean 21.2°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 105 mm of rainfall and 73% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Hervey Bay. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Hervey Bay was 2016 — when the month averaged 22.8°C — while the coldest was 2011 at 19.8°C. Typical May days reach 23.1°C with nights near 19.3°C. The long-term May temperature trend is broadly flat.
May is a relatively wet time of year in Hervey Bay, averaging 105 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1983 with 322 mm, while the driest was 2016 at 18 mm.
Relative humidity in Hervey Bay during May averages 73%. The most humid May was 2022 at 83%, and the least humid was 2023 at 64%.
May receives about 3.8 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Hervey Bay. The sunniest May was 2023 at 4.4 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2022 at 2.9.
Average wind speed in Hervey Bay during May is 3.8 m/s. The windiest May was 1999 at 4.8 m/s, while the calmest was 2016 at 2.9 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 21.1°C | 21.2°C | 21.2°C | 21.2°C | 21.5°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg High | 22.8°C | 22.9°C | 23.4°C | 23.2°C | 23.5°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 19.3°C | 19.5°C | 19.2°C | 19.2°C | 19.5°C | +0.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 140 mm | 140 mm | 82 mm | 74 mm | 88 mm | -51 mm |
May temperatures in Hervey Bay have risen by about 0.7°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 10.8°C (2000) to a record high of 28°C (2016).
Rainfall in May is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 105 mm, with a wettest year of 322 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0.2°C per decade while lows rose 0°C per decade, widening the gap between day and night.
One of the best times to visit Hervey Bay
May is one of the best times to visit Hervey Bay. Expect days averaging 23.1°C and nights around 19.3°C (mean 21.2°C) — cooler than Hervey Bay's yearly average — with higher rainfall (105 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 | 24.0°C | 22.2°C | 20.3°C | 27.6°C | 16.8°C | 79 mm | 75% | 4 m/s | 3.5 |
| 2024 | 23.6°C | 21.9°C | 20.1°C | 25.0°C | 16.6°C | 49 mm | 73% | 4 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2023 | 23.2°C | 20.6°C | 18.0°C | 25.3°C | 13.9°C | 48 mm | 64% | 3.6 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2022 | 23.8°C | 22.5°C | 21.2°C | 26.6°C | 16.9°C | 253 mm | 83% | 4.3 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2021 | 23.4°C | 21.1°C | 18.9°C | 25.7°C | 15.2°C | 61 mm | 71% | 3.7 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2020 | 22.9°C | 20.8°C | 18.7°C | 26.7°C | 11.4°C | 39 mm | 67% | 3.9 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2019 | 23.5°C | 21.5°C | 19.6°C | 25.4°C | 14.6°C | 55 mm | 69% | 3.7 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2018 | 23.2°C | 21.2°C | 19.2°C | 25.5°C | 14.0°C | 73 mm | 71% | 3.8 m/s | 4 |
| 2017 | 23.7°C | 21.9°C | 20.1°C | 25.0°C | 17.3°C | 78 mm | 75% | 3.7 m/s | 3.6 |
| 2016 🔥 | 25.1°C | 22.8°C | 20.5°C | 28.0°C | 15.7°C | 18 mm | 68% | 2.9 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2015 | 23.3°C | 21.1°C | 18.9°C | 26.2°C | 13.8°C | 69 mm | 73% | 3.6 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2014 | 23.2°C | 21.4°C | 19.6°C | 24.9°C | 14.1°C | 73 mm | 71% | 3.7 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2013 | 22.4°C | 20.5°C | 18.7°C | 25.3°C | 14.5°C | 111 mm | 70% | 4 m/s | 3.7 |
| 2012 | 22.2°C | 20.4°C | 18.6°C | 24.9°C | 13.4°C | 93 mm | 73% | 3.8 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2011 ❄️ | 21.9°C | 19.8°C | 17.7°C | 24.2°C | 13.3°C | 111 mm | 71% | 3.4 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2010 | 23.3°C | 21.2°C | 19.1°C | 25.6°C | 14.8°C | 57 mm | 71% | 3.4 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2009 | 22.5°C | 20.8°C | 19.1°C | 23.8°C | 16.4°C | 136 mm | 72% | 3.8 m/s | 3.7 |
| 2008 | 22.8°C | 20.7°C | 18.7°C | 25.5°C | 14.3°C | 195 mm | 70% | 3.9 m/s | 4 |
| 2007 | 24.5°C | 22.6°C | 20.8°C | 26.6°C | 17.1°C | 64 mm | 72% | 3.5 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2006 | 23.3°C | 21.2°C | 19.1°C | 26.4°C | 13.6°C | 40 mm | 67% | 3 m/s | 4 |
| 2005 | 23.3°C | 21.1°C | 19.0°C | 25.6°C | 15.5°C | 89 mm | 72% | 3.9 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2004 | 23.4°C | 21.1°C | 18.8°C | 25.1°C | 14.1°C | 67 mm | 67% | 3.3 m/s | 4 |
| 2003 | 23.4°C | 21.3°C | 19.3°C | 27.2°C | 15.4°C | 71 mm | 70% | 4.2 m/s | 4 |
| 2002 | 23.9°C | 21.5°C | 19.2°C | 27.5°C | 14.0°C | 50 mm | 67% | 3.9 m/s | 3.7 |
| 2001 | 23.8°C | 21.2°C | 18.6°C | 25.8°C | 15.1°C | 40 mm | 68% | 3.1 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2000 | 22.8°C | 21.0°C | 19.3°C | 25.8°C | 10.8°C | 68 mm | 76% | 4.7 m/s | 3.5 |
| 1999 | 22.9°C | 21.3°C | 19.7°C | 24.6°C | 17.2°C | 143 mm | 79% | 4.8 m/s | 3.7 |
| 1998 | 23.6°C | 21.8°C | 20.0°C | 25.8°C | 14.5°C | 171 mm | 74% | 3.7 m/s | 3.7 |
| 1997 | 22.7°C | 21.0°C | 19.3°C | 24.8°C | 14.8°C | 134 mm | 76% | 3.9 m/s | 3.7 |
| 1996 | 22.9°C | 21.3°C | 19.8°C | 25.1°C | 16.3°C | 307 mm | 78% | 4.1 m/s | 3.5 |
| 1995 | 23.1°C | 21.5°C | 19.8°C | 25.3°C | 15.0°C | 66 mm | 75% | 3.8 m/s | 3.5 |
| 1994 | 22.6°C | 20.5°C | 18.5°C | 25.3°C | 14.9°C | 90 mm | 72% | 3.2 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1993 | 22.9°C | 21.4°C | 19.8°C | 24.5°C | 18.6°C | 40 mm | 73% | 4 m/s | 3.8 |
| 1992 | 22.4°C | 20.8°C | 19.2°C | 24.0°C | 13.5°C | 178 mm | 79% | 3.7 m/s | 3.3 |
| 1991 | 23.1°C | 21.5°C | 19.9°C | 26.1°C | 17.1°C | 102 mm | 75% | 4.1 m/s | 3.7 |
| 1990 | 22.7°C | 21.1°C | 19.4°C | 24.4°C | 15.3°C | 172 mm | 79% | 3.5 m/s | 3.5 |
| 1989 | 22.7°C | 21.6°C | 20.4°C | 24.2°C | 17.7°C | 234 mm | 80% | 4.5 m/s | 3.3 |
| 1988 | 22.5°C | 20.7°C | 18.8°C | 24.6°C | 15.0°C | 80 mm | 74% | 3.9 m/s | 3.7 |
| 1987 | 23.2°C | 21.2°C | 19.2°C | 25.6°C | 11.5°C | 117 mm | 76% | 3.9 m/s | 3.6 |
| 1986 | 22.8°C | 21.0°C | 19.2°C | 25.0°C | 14.7°C | 133 mm | 76% | 3.7 m/s | 3.7 |
| 1985 | 22.7°C | 21.0°C | 19.4°C | 24.9°C | 13.5°C | 96 mm | 73% | 4.6 m/s | 3.8 |
| 1984 | 22.7°C | 20.7°C | 18.7°C | 24.4°C | 13.6°C | 46 mm | 70% | 4 m/s | 3.8 |
| 1983 🌧️ | 22.6°C | 21.2°C | 19.9°C | 24.9°C | 14.9°C | 322 mm | 79% | 4.5 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 23.5°C | 21.4°C | 19.2°C | 25.7°C | 15.3°C | 92 mm | 67% | 3.1 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 22.7°C | 20.8°C | 18.8°C | 26.0°C | 15.0°C | 138 mm | 70% | 4.5 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 23.1°C with lows near 19.3°C (mean 21.2°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 105 mm of rainfall in Hervey Bay, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 322 mm in 1983.
The hottest May reached 28°C in 2016. The coldest dipped to 10.8°C in 2000.
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 22.8°C to 23.6°C and overnight lows from 19.2°C to 19.7°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Hervey Bay and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 23.1°C daytime highs and 19.3°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 5th coolest month in Hervey Bay, averaging 21.2°C.
For May in Hervey Bay, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 23.1°C and lows of 19.3°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 73% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3.8 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 4.8 m/s (1999).
The wettest May on record was 1983 with 322 mm. On average, May sees 105 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 Hervey Bay 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.
