May is one of the cooler months of the year in Sale, with average highs near 16°C and lows around 7.8°C (mean 11.9°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 62 mm of rainfall and 80% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Sale. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Sale was 2007 — when the month averaged 14.3°C — while the coldest was 2011 at 10.4°C. Typical May days reach 16°C with nights near 7.8°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
May is about average for rainfall in Sale, averaging 62 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1983 with 149 mm, while the driest was 2005 at 22 mm.
Relative humidity in Sale during May averages 80%. The most humid May was 1983 at 89%, and the least humid was 2025 at 71%.
May receives about 2.3 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Sale. The sunniest May was 2025 at 2.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1997 at 1.9.
Average wind speed in Sale during May is 0.6 m/s. The windiest Mays were 2015, 2016 and 2018, among others at 0.7 m/s, while the calmest were 1997, 2008 and 2014, among others at 0.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.6°C | 11.8°C | 12.1°C | 12.1°C | 11.9°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg High | 15.6°C | 15.9°C | 16.2°C | 16.2°C | 16.3°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 7.7°C | 7.7°C | 8.0°C | 8.0°C | 7.6°C | -0.1°C |
| Avg Rain | 91 mm | 52 mm | 56 mm | 64 mm | 38 mm | -53 mm |
May temperatures in Sale have risen by about 0.7°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 0.8°C (2021) to a record high of 26.9°C (1997).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 62 mm, with a wettest year of 149 mm.
A good time to visit Sale
May is a good time to visit Sale, with days averaging 16°C and nights around 7.8°C (mean 11.9°C, cooler than Sale's yearly average) and moderate rainfall. February and January 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 | 18.1°C | 13.4°C | 8.6°C | 24.5°C | 3.2°C | 24 mm | 71% | 0.6 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 17.0°C | 12.4°C | 7.8°C | 21.0°C | 3.8°C | 24 mm | 77% | 0.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2023 | 15.2°C | 11.1°C | 7.1°C | 20.7°C | 3.9°C | 48 mm | 78% | 0.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2022 | 15.9°C | 11.7°C | 7.6°C | 20.6°C | 4.4°C | 34 mm | 83% | 0.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2021 | 16.2°C | 11.8°C | 7.4°C | 23.3°C | 0.8°C | 65 mm | 78% | 0.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2020 | 15.1°C | 11.1°C | 7.2°C | 19.2°C | 3.4°C | 34 mm | 79% | 0.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2019 | 17.1°C | 12.8°C | 8.5°C | 24.3°C | 5.4°C | 75 mm | 75% | 0.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2018 | 17.0°C | 12.7°C | 8.4°C | 24.9°C | 5.2°C | 46 mm | 72% | 0.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2017 | 16.8°C | 12.3°C | 7.7°C | 21.0°C | 4.6°C | 30 mm | 77% | 0.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2016 | 17.2°C | 13.1°C | 9.0°C | 24.4°C | 3.5°C | 63 mm | 72% | 0.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2015 | 15.6°C | 11.5°C | 7.5°C | 20.4°C | 4.9°C | 59 mm | 79% | 0.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2014 | 17.4°C | 13.2°C | 9.1°C | 22.8°C | 4.1°C | 59 mm | 80% | 0.5 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2013 | 16.5°C | 12.2°C | 7.8°C | 24.7°C | 4.7°C | 53 mm | 77% | 0.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2012 | 14.9°C | 11.1°C | 7.3°C | 21.2°C | 4.2°C | 106 mm | 81% | 0.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2011 ❄️ | 13.8°C | 10.4°C | 7.0°C | 19.9°C | 3.4°C | 74 mm | 86% | 0.6 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2010 | 16.1°C | 12.1°C | 8.0°C | 22.8°C | 3.3°C | 73 mm | 82% | 0.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2009 | 16.4°C | 12.1°C | 7.8°C | 20.9°C | 4.6°C | 25 mm | 79% | 0.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2008 | 16.5°C | 12.0°C | 7.6°C | 19.7°C | 1.9°C | 47 mm | 79% | 0.5 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2007 🔥 | 18.4°C | 14.3°C | 10.3°C | 22.3°C | 7.0°C | 69 mm | 74% | 0.6 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2006 | 14.3°C | 10.7°C | 7.2°C | 19.3°C | 3.4°C | 82 mm | 85% | 0.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 17.4°C | 12.8°C | 8.3°C | 25.0°C | 6.0°C | 22 mm | 73% | 0.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2004 | 14.7°C | 11.0°C | 7.3°C | 20.2°C | 4.7°C | 55 mm | 81% | 0.7 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2003 | 17.3°C | 12.8°C | 8.3°C | 23.0°C | 4.3°C | 38 mm | 79% | 0.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2002 | 16.5°C | 12.3°C | 8.0°C | 23.1°C | 3.1°C | 58 mm | 79% | 0.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2001 | 14.9°C | 11.5°C | 8.1°C | 18.9°C | 5.6°C | 28 mm | 85% | 0.6 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2000 | 15.3°C | 11.4°C | 7.5°C | 21.2°C | 3.5°C | 140 mm | 81% | 0.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1999 | 17.9°C | 13.0°C | 8.1°C | 22.8°C | 2.3°C | 62 mm | 73% | 0.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1998 | 16.1°C | 12.5°C | 8.8°C | 21.4°C | 4.7°C | 46 mm | 77% | 0.6 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1997 | 15.9°C | 12.0°C | 8.2°C | 26.9°C | 3.6°C | 68 mm | 79% | 0.5 m/s | 1.9 |
| 1996 | 15.6°C | 11.3°C | 7.1°C | 21.1°C | 3.7°C | 40 mm | 82% | 0.6 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1995 | 15.1°C | 11.3°C | 7.6°C | 21.2°C | 4.8°C | 83 mm | 85% | 0.5 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1994 | 15.4°C | 11.5°C | 7.6°C | 22.0°C | 2.8°C | 57 mm | 73% | 0.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1993 | 16.4°C | 11.9°C | 7.3°C | 22.8°C | 2.4°C | 40 mm | 78% | 0.6 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1992 | 15.4°C | 11.5°C | 7.6°C | 23.2°C | 3.5°C | 58 mm | 83% | 0.5 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1991 | 16.3°C | 11.9°C | 7.5°C | 22.8°C | 3.9°C | 26 mm | 79% | 0.5 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1990 | 15.2°C | 11.3°C | 7.4°C | 21.4°C | 2.5°C | 41 mm | 82% | 0.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1989 | 16.1°C | 12.4°C | 8.8°C | 21.1°C | 3.5°C | 83 mm | 87% | 0.5 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1988 | 16.3°C | 12.7°C | 9.1°C | 23.9°C | 4.7°C | 126 mm | 88% | 0.5 m/s | 2 |
| 1987 | 15.6°C | 11.5°C | 7.5°C | 23.1°C | 3.2°C | 76 mm | 80% | 0.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1986 | 15.3°C | 11.4°C | 7.5°C | 20.4°C | 3.5°C | 82 mm | 84% | 0.5 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1985 | 15.7°C | 11.5°C | 7.4°C | 22.7°C | 2.3°C | 66 mm | 83% | 0.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1984 | 15.9°C | 11.3°C | 6.8°C | 21.8°C | 4.0°C | 33 mm | 80% | 0.5 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1983 🌧️ | 14.8°C | 11.3°C | 7.8°C | 19.2°C | 2.9°C | 149 mm | 89% | 0.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 15.3°C | 11.1°C | 7.0°C | 20.6°C | 4.2°C | 73 mm | 78% | 0.6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 15.7°C | 11.6°C | 7.5°C | 23.5°C | 2.1°C | 132 mm | 81% | 0.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 16°C with lows near 7.8°C (mean 11.9°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 62 mm of rainfall in Sale, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 149 mm in 1983.
The hottest May reached 26.9°C in 1997. The coldest dipped to 0.8°C in 2021.
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 15.5°C to 16.5°C and overnight lows from 7.3°C to 7.7°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Sale and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 16°C daytime highs and 7.8°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 5th coolest month in Sale, averaging 11.9°C.
For May in Sale, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 16°C and lows of 7.8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 80% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 0.6 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 0.7 m/s (1994).
The wettest May on record was 1983 with 149 mm. On average, May sees 62 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 Sale 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.
