May is one of the cooler months of the year in St. John's, with average highs near 6.1°C and lows around 2.3°C (mean 4.2°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 88 mm of rainfall and 89% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in St. John's. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in St. John's was 1999 — when the month averaged 6.9°C — while the coldest was 2017 at 2.5°C. Typical May days reach 6.1°C with nights near 2.3°C. The long-term May temperature trend is broadly flat.
May is one of the drier months in St. John's, averaging 88 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1990 with 136 mm, while the driest was 1989 at 29 mm.
Relative humidity in St. John's during May averages 89%. The most humid May was 2011 at 93%, and the least humid was 2004 at 84%.
May receives about 4.8 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in St. John's. The sunniest May was 1989 at 5.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1993 at 3.9.
Average wind speed in St. John's during May is 4.1 m/s. The windiest May was 1990 at 5 m/s, while the calmest was 1989 at 3.2 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 4.7°C | 3.8°C | 4.2°C | 4.0°C | 4.4°C | -0.3°C |
| Avg High | 6.7°C | 5.8°C | 6.0°C | 5.8°C | 6.3°C | -0.4°C |
| Avg Low | 2.7°C | 1.8°C | 2.3°C | 2.3°C | 2.5°C | -0.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 84 mm | 96 mm | 94 mm | 84 mm | 77 mm | -7 mm |
May temperatures in St. John's have stayed relatively stable across the record.
May has ranged from a record low of -2.6°C (1993) to a record high of 16.6°C (2001).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 88 mm, with a wettest year of 136 mm.
A good time to visit St. John's
May is a good time to visit St. John's, with days averaging 6.1°C and nights around 2.3°C (mean 4.2°C, close to St. John's's yearly average) and higher rainfall. August and July 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 | 6.1°C | 4.1°C | 2.1°C | 14.7°C | -0.2°C | 60 mm | 88% | 3.6 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2024 | 5.9°C | 4.3°C | 2.7°C | 12.8°C | -0.7°C | 87 mm | 93% | 3.5 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2023 | 5.4°C | 3.6°C | 1.7°C | 11.1°C | -0.4°C | 100 mm | 88% | 4.8 m/s | 5 |
| 2022 | 6.7°C | 4.7°C | 2.7°C | 11.6°C | 0.4°C | 69 mm | 86% | 3.5 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2021 | 7.3°C | 5.4°C | 3.6°C | 12.9°C | 1.9°C | 53 mm | 86% | 4.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2020 | 6.5°C | 4.4°C | 2.3°C | 13.3°C | 0.5°C | 95 mm | 88% | 4.6 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2019 | 4.1°C | 2.6°C | 1.1°C | 9.2°C | -0.9°C | 78 mm | 91% | 4.3 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 5.9°C | 3.9°C | 1.9°C | 9.8°C | -0.4°C | 111 mm | 86% | 4.7 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2017 ❄️ | 4.1°C | 2.5°C | 1.0°C | 9.9°C | -1.9°C | 59 mm | 91% | 4 m/s | 5 |
| 2016 | 6.8°C | 4.7°C | 2.7°C | 13.7°C | -1.1°C | 75 mm | 90% | 3.8 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2015 | 6.3°C | 4.3°C | 2.3°C | 11.9°C | -0.2°C | 62 mm | 91% | 4.2 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2014 | 4.5°C | 2.8°C | 1.1°C | 9.5°C | -1.4°C | 97 mm | 89% | 3.6 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2013 | 7.1°C | 5.3°C | 3.5°C | 11.9°C | 0.3°C | 72 mm | 92% | 4.5 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2012 | 7.3°C | 5.4°C | 3.6°C | 16.6°C | 0.4°C | 80 mm | 89% | 4.7 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2011 | 6.1°C | 4.5°C | 3.0°C | 12.5°C | 0.3°C | 87 mm | 93% | 4.1 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2010 | 5.7°C | 4.1°C | 2.4°C | 9.7°C | 1.1°C | 123 mm | 91% | 4.8 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2009 | 7.6°C | 5.3°C | 2.9°C | 12.0°C | -0.6°C | 109 mm | 87% | 3.8 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2008 | 5.3°C | 3.7°C | 2.2°C | 10.0°C | 0.1°C | 122 mm | 92% | 4.7 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2007 | 5.4°C | 3.6°C | 1.8°C | 10.0°C | -0.3°C | 76 mm | 90% | 4 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2006 | 7.2°C | 5.4°C | 3.5°C | 16.0°C | 0.3°C | 83 mm | 91% | 3.8 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2005 | 5.1°C | 3.6°C | 2.1°C | 10.5°C | -0.3°C | 123 mm | 93% | 3.7 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2004 | 5.7°C | 3.9°C | 2.1°C | 8.5°C | 0.2°C | 55 mm | 84% | 4.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2003 | 5.4°C | 3.5°C | 1.6°C | 9.9°C | -0.5°C | 114 mm | 89% | 4.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2002 | 6.7°C | 4.4°C | 2.2°C | 10.2°C | 0.4°C | 98 mm | 86% | 4.2 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2001 | 5.2°C | 3.5°C | 1.8°C | 16.6°C | -1.4°C | 81 mm | 90% | 4.8 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2000 | 6.5°C | 4.6°C | 2.7°C | 10.8°C | -0.2°C | 77 mm | 87% | 4.2 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1999 🔥 | 9.5°C | 6.9°C | 4.2°C | 15.1°C | -0.3°C | 60 mm | 87% | 3.6 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1998 | 7.3°C | 5.1°C | 3.0°C | 13.3°C | 1.1°C | 101 mm | 89% | 4.1 m/s | 5 |
| 1997 | 5.1°C | 3.2°C | 1.2°C | 9.9°C | -0.8°C | 132 mm | 91% | 4.1 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1996 | 5.2°C | 3.4°C | 1.5°C | 9.4°C | -0.7°C | 85 mm | 88% | 3.6 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1995 | 4.4°C | 2.8°C | 1.3°C | 11.2°C | -1.4°C | 57 mm | 91% | 3.9 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1994 | 5.8°C | 3.8°C | 1.8°C | 9.7°C | -0.7°C | 107 mm | 91% | 4.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1993 | 4.9°C | 3.2°C | 1.6°C | 10.8°C | -2.6°C | 95 mm | 92% | 4.3 m/s | 3.9 |
| 1992 | 5.9°C | 3.6°C | 1.3°C | 10.8°C | -0.6°C | 87 mm | 89% | 4.2 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1991 | 4.8°C | 2.8°C | 0.8°C | 7.9°C | -1.0°C | 98 mm | 89% | 4.8 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1990 🌧️ | 4.8°C | 3.0°C | 1.3°C | 10.2°C | -1.0°C | 136 mm | 89% | 5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1989 | 7.5°C | 5.0°C | 2.5°C | 16.0°C | -1.7°C | 29 mm | 87% | 3.2 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1988 | 8.1°C | 5.8°C | 3.6°C | 13.8°C | -0.6°C | 74 mm | 90% | 4 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1987 | 7.0°C | 4.8°C | 2.5°C | 9.8°C | -0.5°C | 84 mm | 86% | 4.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1986 | 5.9°C | 4.1°C | 2.3°C | 15.1°C | -0.2°C | 57 mm | 91% | 3.9 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1985 | 4.7°C | 2.8°C | 0.9°C | 9.1°C | -1.1°C | 125 mm | 90% | 4.6 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1984 | 6.6°C | 4.7°C | 2.8°C | 11.9°C | 0.6°C | 123 mm | 92% | 3.9 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1983 | 6.9°C | 5.2°C | 3.6°C | 11.4°C | 1.0°C | 96 mm | 91% | 3.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 5.7°C | 4.1°C | 2.4°C | 9.3°C | -0.8°C | 116 mm | 91% | 4.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 8.3°C | 6.1°C | 3.9°C | 12.1°C | 1.8°C | 54 mm | 90% | 3.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 6.1°C with lows near 2.3°C (mean 4.2°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 88 mm of rainfall in St. John's, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 136 mm in 1990.
The hottest May reached 16.6°C in 2001. The coldest dipped to -2.6°C in 1993.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have fallen by about 0.2°C. Daytime highs moved from 6.4°C to 6.3°C and overnight lows from 2.7°C to 2.6°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in St. John's and one of the drier months, so plan for around 6.1°C daytime highs and 2.3°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 7th coolest month in St. John's, averaging 4.2°C.
For May in St. John's, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 6.1°C and lows of 2.3°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 89% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 4.1 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 5 m/s (1990).
The wettest May on record was 1990 with 136 mm. On average, May sees 88 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 St. John's 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.
