May is one of the cooler months of the year in Port Douglas, with average highs near 25.2°C and lows around 21.8°C (mean 23.5°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 96 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Port Douglas. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Port Douglas was 2016 — when the month averaged 25°C — while the coldest was 2011 at 22.2°C. Typical May days reach 25.2°C with nights near 21.8°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Port Douglas, averaging 96 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1983 with 297 mm, while the driest was 2001 at 9 mm.
Relative humidity in Port Douglas during May averages 83%. The most humid Mays were 1983 and 1990 at 89%, and the least humid was 2001 at 74%.
May receives about 4.2 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Port Douglas. The sunniest May was 2001 at 5.1 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1990 and 2006 at 3.5.
Average wind speed in Port Douglas during May is 3 m/s. The windiest May was 2024 at 3.5 m/s, while the calmest was 2022 at 2.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 23.3°C | 23.3°C | 23.5°C | 23.6°C | 24.0°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg High | 25.0°C | 25.0°C | 25.2°C | 25.4°C | 25.7°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 21.7°C | 21.6°C | 21.7°C | 21.9°C | 22.3°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 125 mm | 118 mm | 75 mm | 82 mm | 73 mm | -51 mm |
May temperatures in Port Douglas have risen by about 0.9°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 16.5°C (2011) to a record high of 28.5°C (1988).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 96 mm, with a wettest year of 297 mm.
A good time to visit Port Douglas
May is a good time to visit Port Douglas, with days averaging 25.2°C and nights around 21.8°C (mean 23.5°C, cooler than Port Douglas's yearly average) and higher rainfall. August and June 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 | 26.3°C | 24.6°C | 23.0°C | 27.4°C | 21.0°C | 68 mm | 84% | 3.2 m/s | 4 |
| 2024 | 25.5°C | 24.1°C | 22.6°C | 26.3°C | 20.6°C | 65 mm | 83% | 3.5 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2023 | 26.0°C | 24.0°C | 22.1°C | 27.8°C | 19.3°C | 25 mm | 78% | 3.2 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2022 | 26.0°C | 24.4°C | 22.9°C | 26.8°C | 20.4°C | 113 mm | 86% | 2.3 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2021 | 25.0°C | 23.3°C | 21.7°C | 26.9°C | 19.8°C | 37 mm | 84% | 3.1 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2020 | 25.3°C | 23.3°C | 21.4°C | 27.1°C | 16.7°C | 131 mm | 78% | 3.2 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2019 | 25.6°C | 23.9°C | 22.3°C | 27.0°C | 20.5°C | 43 mm | 82% | 3.2 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2018 | 25.2°C | 23.5°C | 21.8°C | 27.3°C | 20.2°C | 48 mm | 80% | 3.4 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2017 | 26.3°C | 24.3°C | 22.3°C | 27.3°C | 21.0°C | 46 mm | 80% | 3.1 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2016 🔥 | 26.5°C | 25.0°C | 23.6°C | 27.9°C | 22.5°C | 176 mm | 85% | 2.8 m/s | 4 |
| 2015 | 26.1°C | 24.0°C | 21.9°C | 27.4°C | 20.1°C | 37 mm | 79% | 2.9 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2014 | 25.1°C | 23.5°C | 21.8°C | 28.0°C | 19.5°C | 123 mm | 84% | 3 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2013 | 25.0°C | 23.5°C | 21.9°C | 27.3°C | 18.3°C | 147 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2012 | 24.4°C | 22.8°C | 21.3°C | 26.1°C | 18.2°C | 151 mm | 83% | 3.3 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2011 ❄️ | 24.1°C | 22.2°C | 20.2°C | 26.1°C | 16.5°C | 27 mm | 79% | 2.8 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2010 | 25.3°C | 23.7°C | 22.1°C | 27.7°C | 20.4°C | 25 mm | 83% | 2.8 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2009 | 24.9°C | 23.2°C | 21.5°C | 25.9°C | 16.7°C | 113 mm | 81% | 2.8 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2008 | 24.3°C | 22.3°C | 20.4°C | 26.0°C | 18.1°C | 63 mm | 77% | 3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2007 | 25.8°C | 24.0°C | 22.3°C | 27.4°C | 21.1°C | 130 mm | 83% | 3.2 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2006 | 24.5°C | 23.2°C | 21.8°C | 26.1°C | 19.8°C | 102 mm | 88% | 3.1 m/s | 3.5 |
| 2005 | 25.3°C | 23.5°C | 21.7°C | 26.4°C | 19.6°C | 34 mm | 77% | 2.9 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2004 | 25.1°C | 23.6°C | 22.1°C | 26.2°C | 20.9°C | 59 mm | 85% | 3 m/s | 4 |
| 2003 | 25.7°C | 23.8°C | 22.0°C | 27.2°C | 20.6°C | 107 mm | 80% | 3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2002 | 26.4°C | 24.2°C | 22.1°C | 28.1°C | 20.6°C | 73 mm | 77% | 2.8 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2001 | 25.6°C | 23.5°C | 21.4°C | 26.8°C | 18.6°C | 9 mm | 74% | 2.6 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2000 | 24.8°C | 23.2°C | 21.7°C | 27.5°C | 17.6°C | 55 mm | 84% | 3 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1999 | 24.7°C | 23.0°C | 21.3°C | 25.6°C | 19.4°C | 35 mm | 85% | 3 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1998 | 26.1°C | 24.7°C | 23.2°C | 28.3°C | 21.1°C | 114 mm | 83% | 2.9 m/s | 3.8 |
| 1997 | 24.6°C | 22.6°C | 20.5°C | 26.5°C | 18.7°C | 38 mm | 82% | 2.4 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1996 | 25.2°C | 23.7°C | 22.3°C | 27.7°C | 20.4°C | 145 mm | 84% | 2.8 m/s | 3.9 |
| 1995 | 25.0°C | 23.5°C | 22.0°C | 26.0°C | 19.5°C | 154 mm | 86% | 3 m/s | 3.7 |
| 1994 | 24.3°C | 22.7°C | 21.1°C | 26.1°C | 19.3°C | 60 mm | 84% | 3.2 m/s | 3.9 |
| 1993 | 24.8°C | 23.0°C | 21.2°C | 26.1°C | 20.4°C | 106 mm | 81% | 3.4 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1992 | 25.5°C | 23.7°C | 22.0°C | 27.0°C | 20.2°C | 160 mm | 84% | 2.9 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1991 | 24.5°C | 22.5°C | 20.4°C | 25.3°C | 18.1°C | 100 mm | 81% | 3.2 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1990 | 24.9°C | 23.5°C | 22.0°C | 26.7°C | 18.0°C | 268 mm | 89% | 3.1 m/s | 3.5 |
| 1989 | 24.9°C | 23.3°C | 21.7°C | 26.1°C | 19.2°C | 170 mm | 89% | 2.7 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1988 | 26.2°C | 24.2°C | 22.1°C | 28.5°C | 20.8°C | 76 mm | 81% | 2.7 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1987 | 24.7°C | 23.2°C | 21.6°C | 25.9°C | 19.3°C | 118 mm | 85% | 2.9 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1986 | 25.1°C | 23.3°C | 21.5°C | 26.5°C | 18.9°C | 75 mm | 84% | 2.7 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1985 | 24.2°C | 22.8°C | 21.4°C | 26.6°C | 19.2°C | 120 mm | 86% | 3.3 m/s | 3.8 |
| 1984 | 24.9°C | 23.3°C | 21.7°C | 26.4°C | 20.4°C | 64 mm | 83% | 3.2 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1983 🌧️ | 25.4°C | 23.9°C | 22.4°C | 27.4°C | 19.7°C | 297 mm | 89% | 2.8 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 24.5°C | 22.6°C | 20.7°C | 25.9°C | 19.1°C | 47 mm | 81% | 3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 25.1°C | 23.5°C | 21.9°C | 26.1°C | 20.6°C | 155 mm | 85% | 2.8 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 25.2°C with lows near 21.8°C (mean 23.5°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 96 mm of rainfall in Port Douglas, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 297 mm in 1983.
The hottest May reached 28.5°C in 1988. The coldest dipped to 16.5°C in 2011.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 0.9°C. Daytime highs moved from 24.8°C to 25.8°C and overnight lows from 21.6°C to 22.5°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Port Douglas and one of the drier months, so plan for around 25.2°C daytime highs and 21.8°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 4th coolest month in Port Douglas, averaging 23.5°C.
For May in Port Douglas, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 25.2°C and lows of 21.8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.5 m/s (2024).
The wettest May on record was 1983 with 297 mm. On average, May sees 96 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 Port Douglas 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.
