May is one of the warmer months of the year in Brighton, with average highs near 15.7°C and lows around 8°C (mean 11.9°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 51 mm of rainfall and 82% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Brighton. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Brighton was 2008 — when the month averaged 13.6°C — while the coldest was 1996 at 9.3°C. Typical May days reach 15.7°C with nights near 8°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Brighton, averaging 51 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1994 with 100 mm, while the driest was 2020 at 3 mm.
Relative humidity in Brighton during May averages 82%. The most humid May was 1981 at 86%, and the least humid was 2020 at 76%.
May receives about 5.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Brighton. The sunniest May was 2020 at 6.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1984 at 4.3.
Average wind speed in Brighton during May is 3.5 m/s. The windiest May was 1996 at 4.5 m/s, while the calmest was 2004 at 2.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.1°C | 11.7°C | 12.2°C | 11.9°C | 12.5°C | +1.4°C |
| Avg High | 14.7°C | 15.6°C | 15.9°C | 15.7°C | 16.6°C | +1.9°C |
| Avg Low | 7.4°C | 7.7°C | 8.5°C | 8.1°C | 8.5°C | +1.1°C |
| Avg Rain | 54 mm | 40 mm | 63 mm | 51 mm | 43 mm | -11 mm |
May temperatures in Brighton have risen by about 1.8°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 0.2°C (1996) to a record high of 23.8°C (1989).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 51 mm, with a wettest year of 100 mm.
A good time to visit Brighton
May is a good time to visit Brighton, with days averaging 15.7°C and nights around 8°C (mean 11.9°C, warmer than Brighton'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 | 17.7°C | 13.3°C | 8.9°C | 22.7°C | 4.3°C | 24 mm | 79% | 3.6 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2024 | 17.1°C | 13.5°C | 9.9°C | 20.5°C | 6.9°C | 71 mm | 85% | 2.8 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2023 | 16.6°C | 12.4°C | 8.3°C | 19.3°C | 5.1°C | 37 mm | 82% | 3.6 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2022 | 17.0°C | 13.0°C | 9.1°C | 20.6°C | 6.2°C | 53 mm | 81% | 3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2021 | 13.9°C | 10.5°C | 7.1°C | 20.1°C | 2.7°C | 71 mm | 82% | 4.1 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2020 | 17.0°C | 12.4°C | 7.9°C | 22.9°C | 2.4°C | 3 mm | 76% | 3.5 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2019 | 15.8°C | 11.8°C | 7.8°C | 19.7°C | 3.1°C | 31 mm | 79% | 3 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2018 | 18.1°C | 13.2°C | 8.4°C | 23.5°C | 2.4°C | 44 mm | 80% | 2.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2017 | 16.7°C | 13.0°C | 9.3°C | 22.4°C | 4.2°C | 65 mm | 83% | 3.4 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 16.2°C | 12.4°C | 8.6°C | 19.5°C | 2.9°C | 53 mm | 82% | 3.4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2015 | 14.8°C | 11.2°C | 7.6°C | 17.5°C | 4.4°C | 64 mm | 82% | 4.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2014 | 15.7°C | 12.3°C | 8.8°C | 20.4°C | 2.5°C | 82 mm | 82% | 3.5 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2013 | 13.8°C | 10.3°C | 6.8°C | 18.6°C | 2.4°C | 58 mm | 83% | 3.8 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2012 | 16.1°C | 12.4°C | 8.6°C | 23.7°C | 3.3°C | 55 mm | 83% | 3.3 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2011 | 15.7°C | 12.0°C | 8.4°C | 18.3°C | 4.1°C | 30 mm | 79% | 4.1 m/s | 6 |
| 2010 | 14.5°C | 10.4°C | 6.2°C | 23.0°C | 1.0°C | 27 mm | 80% | 3.1 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2009 | 16.1°C | 12.4°C | 8.7°C | 20.9°C | 4.2°C | 38 mm | 81% | 4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2008 🔥 | 17.7°C | 13.6°C | 9.5°C | 22.5°C | 4.6°C | 84 mm | 81% | 3.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2007 | 15.9°C | 12.5°C | 9.1°C | 22.0°C | 5.7°C | 95 mm | 83% | 4.3 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2006 | 15.9°C | 12.2°C | 8.5°C | 21.1°C | 4.7°C | 87 mm | 83% | 3.8 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2005 | 14.9°C | 11.1°C | 7.3°C | 23.3°C | 2.0°C | 31 mm | 81% | 3.9 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2004 | 16.3°C | 12.2°C | 8.1°C | 21.4°C | 4.6°C | 46 mm | 81% | 2.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2003 | 15.4°C | 11.8°C | 8.2°C | 23.6°C | 5.6°C | 50 mm | 84% | 3.7 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2002 | 15.0°C | 11.9°C | 8.7°C | 20.2°C | 3.6°C | 80 mm | 84% | 4.2 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2001 | 16.0°C | 12.0°C | 7.9°C | 21.6°C | 3.3°C | 29 mm | 84% | 3.7 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2000 | 16.1°C | 12.4°C | 8.8°C | 21.9°C | 5.5°C | 93 mm | 85% | 3.7 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1999 | 16.3°C | 12.6°C | 9.0°C | 21.1°C | 5.4°C | 30 mm | 84% | 3.7 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1998 | 16.8°C | 12.9°C | 8.9°C | 22.2°C | 4.0°C | 22 mm | 83% | 3.3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1997 | 15.3°C | 11.4°C | 7.5°C | 20.1°C | 1.4°C | 45 mm | 81% | 3.7 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1996 ❄️ | 12.9°C | 9.3°C | 5.6°C | 20.0°C | 0.2°C | 59 mm | 80% | 4.5 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1995 | 15.5°C | 11.4°C | 7.3°C | 23.2°C | 1.3°C | 23 mm | 80% | 3.1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1994 🌧️ | 14.2°C | 10.7°C | 7.2°C | 17.7°C | 3.9°C | 100 mm | 84% | 3.4 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1993 | 15.8°C | 12.0°C | 8.2°C | 21.2°C | 4.2°C | 53 mm | 82% | 4.2 m/s | 5 |
| 1992 | 17.5°C | 13.2°C | 8.8°C | 22.1°C | 3.0°C | 45 mm | 80% | 3.2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1991 | 14.5°C | 10.5°C | 6.4°C | 19.9°C | 1.7°C | 20 mm | 80% | 3.1 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1990 | 17.4°C | 12.8°C | 8.2°C | 23.4°C | 5.6°C | 8 mm | 78% | 2.9 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1989 | 17.9°C | 13.2°C | 8.6°C | 23.8°C | 4.4°C | 9 mm | 79% | 3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1988 | 15.6°C | 12.0°C | 8.4°C | 20.0°C | 4.4°C | 47 mm | 84% | 3.5 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1987 | 14.0°C | 10.1°C | 6.1°C | 18.7°C | 1.7°C | 38 mm | 81% | 3.8 m/s | 5 |
| 1986 | 13.8°C | 10.5°C | 7.3°C | 17.5°C | 3.8°C | 55 mm | 84% | 4.2 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1985 | 14.9°C | 11.2°C | 7.6°C | 20.4°C | 3.7°C | 55 mm | 83% | 3.6 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1984 | 13.2°C | 9.7°C | 6.1°C | 19.2°C | 3.2°C | 72 mm | 82% | 3.5 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1983 | 13.1°C | 10.1°C | 7.1°C | 16.8°C | 4.6°C | 77 mm | 86% | 3.5 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 15.4°C | 11.6°C | 7.8°C | 21.8°C | 2.2°C | 36 mm | 81% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 14.2°C | 11.1°C | 7.9°C | 19.8°C | 1.6°C | 100 mm | 86% | 3.5 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 15.7°C with lows near 8°C (mean 11.9°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 51 mm of rainfall in Brighton, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 100 mm in 1994.
The hottest May reached 23.8°C in 1989. The coldest dipped to 0.2°C in 1996.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.8°C. Daytime highs moved from 14.2°C to 16.5°C and overnight lows from 7.3°C to 8.7°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Brighton and one of the drier months, so plan for around 15.7°C daytime highs and 8°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 7th coolest month in Brighton, averaging 11.9°C.
For May in Brighton, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 15.7°C and lows of 8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 82% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3.5 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 4.5 m/s (1996).
The wettest May on record was 1994 with 100 mm. On average, May sees 51 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 Brighton 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.
