May is one of the warmer months of the year in Inverness, with average highs near 11.7°C and lows around 4°C (mean 7.9°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 71 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Inverness. Across 45 years of records, the warmest Mays in Inverness were 1989 and 1999 — when the month averaged 10.6°C — while the coldest was 2019 at 5.3°C. Typical May days reach 11.7°C with nights near 4°C. The long-term May temperature trend is broadly flat.
May is one of the drier months in Inverness, averaging 71 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1981 with 139 mm, while the driest was 1992 at 28 mm.
Relative humidity in Inverness during May averages 83%. The most humid May was 2011 at 89%, and the least humid was 1987 at 75%.
May receives about 5.1 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Inverness. The sunniest May was 1987 at 6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2011 at 4.
Average wind speed in Inverness during May is 1.7 m/s. The windiest May was 2010 at 2.2 m/s, while the calmest was 2006 at 1.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 8.4°C | 7.6°C | 7.5°C | 8.0°C | 7.9°C | -0.5°C |
| Avg High | 12.4°C | 11.6°C | 11.3°C | 11.6°C | 11.6°C | -0.8°C |
| Avg Low | 4.5°C | 3.5°C | 3.7°C | 4.4°C | 4.2°C | -0.3°C |
| Avg Rain | 73 mm | 55 mm | 78 mm | 82 mm | 63 mm | -10 mm |
May temperatures in Inverness have stayed relatively stable across the record.
May has ranged from a record low of -3.5°C (1993) to a record high of 23.5°C (1992).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 71 mm, with a wettest year of 139 mm.
A good time to visit Inverness
May is a good time to visit Inverness, with days averaging 11.7°C and nights around 4°C (mean 7.9°C, warmer than Inverness's yearly average) and moderate 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 | 12.1°C | 8.4°C | 4.7°C | 21.2°C | -0.3°C | 55 mm | 84% | 1.8 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2024 | 12.9°C | 9.2°C | 5.4°C | 20.8°C | 1.8°C | 60 mm | 86% | 1.5 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2023 | 10.5°C | 6.9°C | 3.3°C | 21.2°C | -0.7°C | 81 mm | 82% | 2.1 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2022 | 11.9°C | 8.1°C | 4.2°C | 18.5°C | -2.2°C | 49 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2021 | 10.9°C | 7.4°C | 3.9°C | 20.7°C | 1.2°C | 66 mm | 82% | 1.8 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2020 | 11.1°C | 7.2°C | 3.4°C | 22.7°C | -0.9°C | 67 mm | 81% | 2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2019 ❄️ | 8.3°C | 5.3°C | 2.3°C | 14.7°C | 0.0°C | 92 mm | 85% | 1.8 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2018 | 11.8°C | 7.5°C | 3.2°C | 18.6°C | 0.0°C | 89 mm | 80% | 1.8 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2017 | 10.5°C | 7.4°C | 4.2°C | 22.6°C | 1.0°C | 134 mm | 86% | 2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2016 | 12.5°C | 8.7°C | 4.9°C | 21.2°C | 0.0°C | 78 mm | 85% | 1.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2015 | 13.1°C | 8.6°C | 4.2°C | 22.2°C | -1.4°C | 52 mm | 81% | 1.6 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2014 | 11.2°C | 7.2°C | 3.2°C | 19.4°C | -1.7°C | 77 mm | 85% | 1.5 m/s | 5 |
| 2013 | 12.7°C | 9.0°C | 5.3°C | 20.7°C | 0.9°C | 73 mm | 86% | 1.8 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2012 | 13.3°C | 9.7°C | 6.1°C | 18.2°C | -0.3°C | 67 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2011 | 11.6°C | 8.6°C | 5.6°C | 19.8°C | 0.9°C | 81 mm | 89% | 1.8 m/s | 4 |
| 2010 | 11.1°C | 7.9°C | 4.7°C | 18.4°C | 1.9°C | 75 mm | 83% | 2.2 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2009 | 12.4°C | 8.4°C | 4.5°C | 19.4°C | 0.9°C | 83 mm | 84% | 1.7 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2008 | 10.8°C | 7.4°C | 4.0°C | 16.1°C | 0.6°C | 137 mm | 86% | 1.8 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2007 | 10.3°C | 6.7°C | 3.2°C | 17.4°C | -0.5°C | 71 mm | 84% | 1.9 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2006 | 13.5°C | 9.0°C | 4.6°C | 17.4°C | 0.9°C | 84 mm | 83% | 1.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2005 | 10.7°C | 7.2°C | 3.7°C | 16.2°C | -0.5°C | 70 mm | 84% | 1.7 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2004 | 10.4°C | 6.6°C | 2.8°C | 18.4°C | 0.3°C | 41 mm | 80% | 1.9 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2003 | 11.2°C | 7.3°C | 3.5°C | 19.6°C | -1.0°C | 96 mm | 84% | 1.4 m/s | 5 |
| 2002 | 11.3°C | 7.3°C | 3.4°C | 19.1°C | -0.6°C | 61 mm | 80% | 1.9 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2001 | 12.2°C | 8.1°C | 4.0°C | 19.1°C | -2.7°C | 60 mm | 83% | 1.4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2000 | 9.9°C | 6.5°C | 3.0°C | 15.9°C | -0.5°C | 74 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 5 |
| 1999 | 15.2°C | 10.6°C | 5.9°C | 21.7°C | 0.2°C | 58 mm | 80% | 1.4 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1998 | 14.0°C | 9.7°C | 5.5°C | 19.5°C | 0.1°C | 91 mm | 83% | 1.4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1997 | 9.7°C | 6.2°C | 2.7°C | 14.7°C | -0.9°C | 87 mm | 84% | 1.8 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1996 | 10.3°C | 6.8°C | 3.3°C | 17.6°C | -1.2°C | 46 mm | 79% | 1.8 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1995 | 10.9°C | 6.8°C | 2.6°C | 18.3°C | -1.2°C | 29 mm | 78% | 1.4 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1994 | 10.2°C | 6.6°C | 3.1°C | 18.4°C | -0.5°C | 79 mm | 84% | 1.9 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1993 | 11.9°C | 7.8°C | 3.6°C | 18.4°C | -3.5°C | 36 mm | 82% | 1.5 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1992 | 12.2°C | 7.3°C | 2.4°C | 23.5°C | -1.9°C | 28 mm | 76% | 1.5 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1991 | 11.6°C | 7.4°C | 3.3°C | 18.5°C | -2.0°C | 38 mm | 75% | 1.8 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1990 | 10.2°C | 6.6°C | 2.9°C | 20.1°C | 0.2°C | 58 mm | 81% | 1.9 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1989 🔥 | 15.4°C | 10.6°C | 5.8°C | 20.9°C | 2.5°C | 48 mm | 83% | 1.4 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1988 | 13.4°C | 9.3°C | 5.3°C | 20.4°C | 0.7°C | 48 mm | 83% | 1.6 m/s | 5 |
| 1987 | 12.2°C | 7.8°C | 3.3°C | 17.4°C | 0.0°C | 29 mm | 75% | 1.6 m/s | 6 |
| 1986 | 12.8°C | 8.3°C | 3.9°C | 22.6°C | -0.6°C | 30 mm | 79% | 1.6 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1985 | 10.8°C | 6.8°C | 2.8°C | 19.8°C | -1.0°C | 60 mm | 83% | 1.6 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1984 | 11.5°C | 8.1°C | 4.6°C | 15.8°C | 1.0°C | 91 mm | 87% | 1.6 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1983 | 11.7°C | 8.4°C | 5.1°C | 15.7°C | 1.1°C | 118 mm | 86% | 1.7 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 11.0°C | 7.4°C | 3.9°C | 18.7°C | 0.4°C | 96 mm | 85% | 1.7 m/s | — |
| 1981 🌧️ | 12.7°C | 9.1°C | 5.5°C | 18.5°C | 2.3°C | 139 mm | 87% | 1.7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 11.7°C with lows near 4°C (mean 7.9°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 71 mm of rainfall in Inverness, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 139 mm in 1981.
The hottest May reached 23.5°C in 1992. The coldest dipped to -3.5°C in 1993.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have held steady by about 0°C — but days and nights have moved in opposite directions. Daytime highs rose from 11.5°C to 11.7°C while overnight lows fell from 4.4°C to 4.3°C, widening the gap between day and night.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Inverness and one of the drier months, so plan for around 11.7°C daytime highs and 4°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 7th coolest month in Inverness, averaging 7.9°C.
For May in Inverness, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 11.7°C and lows of 4°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 1.7 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 2.2 m/s (2010).
The wettest May on record was 1981 with 139 mm. On average, May sees 71 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 Inverness 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.
