May is close to Dover's year-round average, with average highs near 13.6°C and lows around 9.8°C (mean 11.7°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 50 mm of rainfall and 84% relative humidity across the period.
May is close to Dover's year-round average. Across 45 years of records, the warmest Mays in Dover were 2008 and 2024 — when the month averaged 13.4°C — while the coldest was 1996 at 9.3°C. Typical May days reach 13.6°C with nights near 9.8°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Dover, averaging 50 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1981 with 100 mm, while the driest was 2020 at 6 mm.
Relative humidity in Dover during May averages 84%. The most humid May was 2000 at 88%, and the least humid was 2020 at 78%.
May receives about 4.9 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Dover. The sunniest May was 2020 at 6.2 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1984 at 4.
Average wind speed in Dover during May is 4.6 m/s. The windiest May was 1996 at 6 m/s, while the calmest was 2004 at 3.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 10.9°C | 11.6°C | 12.1°C | 11.8°C | 12.5°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg High | 12.8°C | 13.6°C | 13.9°C | 13.7°C | 14.4°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg Low | 9.1°C | 9.7°C | 10.2°C | 9.9°C | 10.6°C | +1.5°C |
| Avg Rain | 54 mm | 43 mm | 59 mm | 51 mm | 42 mm | -11 mm |
May temperatures in Dover have risen by about 1.8°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 4.7°C (1997) to a record high of 21.3°C (1989).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 50 mm, with a wettest year of 100 mm.
A good time to visit Dover
May is a good time to visit Dover, with days averaging 13.6°C and nights around 9.8°C (mean 11.7°C, close to Dover'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 | 15.1°C | 13.1°C | 11.1°C | 20.2°C | 8.2°C | 21 mm | 81% | 5.1 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2024 | 15.1°C | 13.4°C | 11.7°C | 19.7°C | 9.4°C | 78 mm | 87% | 3.6 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2023 | 14.0°C | 12.3°C | 10.5°C | 16.0°C | 7.6°C | 38 mm | 85% | 4.9 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2022 | 15.0°C | 13.0°C | 10.9°C | 18.5°C | 8.8°C | 45 mm | 84% | 4 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2021 | 12.4°C | 10.7°C | 9.0°C | 17.0°C | 5.5°C | 66 mm | 83% | 5.2 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2020 | 14.6°C | 12.5°C | 10.3°C | 19.1°C | 6.7°C | 6 mm | 78% | 4.6 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2019 | 13.7°C | 11.8°C | 9.9°C | 17.9°C | 6.8°C | 34 mm | 81% | 4.1 m/s | 5 |
| 2018 | 14.7°C | 12.5°C | 10.4°C | 19.6°C | 6.4°C | 43 mm | 85% | 3.8 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2017 | 14.9°C | 12.9°C | 10.8°C | 19.5°C | 7.1°C | 82 mm | 85% | 4.4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2016 | 14.2°C | 12.3°C | 10.4°C | 18.4°C | 6.5°C | 56 mm | 85% | 4.5 m/s | 5 |
| 2015 | 13.4°C | 11.5°C | 9.7°C | 15.7°C | 7.4°C | 55 mm | 83% | 5.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2014 | 14.2°C | 12.5°C | 10.7°C | 18.9°C | 7.1°C | 93 mm | 83% | 4.6 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2013 | 11.8°C | 10.1°C | 8.4°C | 14.7°C | 6.0°C | 51 mm | 85% | 5 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2012 | 13.7°C | 11.9°C | 10.0°C | 19.9°C | 6.9°C | 47 mm | 85% | 4.3 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2011 | 14.4°C | 12.4°C | 10.4°C | 17.3°C | 7.4°C | 12 mm | 81% | 5.1 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2010 | 12.2°C | 10.3°C | 8.4°C | 19.7°C | 5.8°C | 36 mm | 81% | 4.4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2009 | 14.2°C | 12.4°C | 10.5°C | 18.1°C | 7.5°C | 34 mm | 84% | 5.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2008 🔥 | 15.4°C | 13.4°C | 11.3°C | 19.4°C | 8.7°C | 78 mm | 84% | 4.2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2007 | 14.2°C | 12.4°C | 10.7°C | 19.2°C | 8.2°C | 68 mm | 85% | 5.5 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2006 | 13.9°C | 11.9°C | 9.8°C | 18.2°C | 7.6°C | 100 mm | 86% | 4.9 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2005 | 12.9°C | 11.1°C | 9.2°C | 20.8°C | 6.0°C | 34 mm | 83% | 4.9 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2004 | 13.8°C | 11.7°C | 9.6°C | 17.9°C | 7.5°C | 40 mm | 83% | 3.5 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2003 | 14.0°C | 12.0°C | 10.0°C | 21.1°C | 7.6°C | 54 mm | 85% | 4.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2002 | 13.5°C | 12.0°C | 10.4°C | 18.3°C | 6.9°C | 67 mm | 86% | 5.3 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2001 | 13.6°C | 11.8°C | 9.9°C | 19.2°C | 6.8°C | 28 mm | 86% | 4.9 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2000 | 13.8°C | 12.0°C | 10.3°C | 19.0°C | 8.3°C | 89 mm | 88% | 4.7 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1999 | 14.5°C | 12.7°C | 10.9°C | 20.0°C | 9.1°C | 35 mm | 85% | 4.7 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1998 | 14.1°C | 12.4°C | 10.7°C | 17.0°C | 6.9°C | 24 mm | 86% | 4.2 m/s | 6 |
| 1997 | 13.7°C | 11.7°C | 9.7°C | 19.0°C | 4.7°C | 56 mm | 83% | 4.7 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1996 ❄️ | 11.0°C | 9.3°C | 7.7°C | 17.6°C | 4.8°C | 68 mm | 83% | 6 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1995 | 13.9°C | 11.7°C | 9.5°C | 20.6°C | 6.0°C | 22 mm | 81% | 3.8 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1994 | 12.8°C | 11.0°C | 9.1°C | 15.9°C | 6.0°C | 83 mm | 84% | 4.4 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1993 | 13.7°C | 11.8°C | 10.0°C | 18.3°C | 7.5°C | 49 mm | 84% | 5.2 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1992 | 15.2°C | 12.8°C | 10.5°C | 20.5°C | 6.4°C | 57 mm | 83% | 4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1991 | 11.8°C | 9.9°C | 8.1°C | 16.2°C | 5.4°C | 27 mm | 83% | 4.5 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1990 | 14.8°C | 12.7°C | 10.6°C | 20.2°C | 9.1°C | 9 mm | 81% | 3.9 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1989 | 14.7°C | 12.5°C | 10.2°C | 21.3°C | 7.2°C | 8 mm | 83% | 4 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1988 | 13.3°C | 11.6°C | 9.8°C | 17.3°C | 7.5°C | 47 mm | 86% | 4.3 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1987 | 11.9°C | 10.1°C | 8.2°C | 15.8°C | 5.7°C | 43 mm | 83% | 5.3 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1986 | 12.4°C | 10.6°C | 8.7°C | 16.4°C | 6.7°C | 42 mm | 86% | 5 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1985 | 12.5°C | 10.7°C | 9.0°C | 18.9°C | 5.5°C | 64 mm | 87% | 4.5 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1984 | 11.0°C | 9.5°C | 8.0°C | 15.1°C | 5.9°C | 73 mm | 86% | 4.6 m/s | 4 |
| 1983 | 12.0°C | 10.4°C | 8.7°C | 16.3°C | 7.3°C | 74 mm | 87% | 4.7 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 13.8°C | 11.6°C | 9.3°C | 20.0°C | 5.1°C | 32 mm | 83% | 4 m/s | — |
| 1981 🌧️ | 13.2°C | 11.4°C | 9.7°C | 16.8°C | 4.8°C | 100 mm | 87% | 4.4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 13.6°C with lows near 9.8°C (mean 11.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 50 mm of rainfall in Dover, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 100 mm in 1981.
The hottest May reached 21.3°C in 1989. The coldest dipped to 4.7°C in 1997.
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 12.5°C to 14.3°C and overnight lows from 8.9°C to 10.6°C over the same span.
May is close to Dover's year-round average and one of the drier months, so plan for around 13.6°C daytime highs and 9.8°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 7th coolest month in Dover, averaging 11.7°C.
For May in Dover, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 13.6°C and lows of 9.8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 84% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 4.6 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 6 m/s (1996).
The wettest May on record was 1981 with 100 mm. On average, May sees 50 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 Dover 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.
