May is one of the warmer months of the year in Herne Bay, with average highs near 13.7°C and lows around 9.7°C (mean 11.7°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 47 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Herne Bay. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Herne Bay was 2024 — when the month averaged 13.5°C — while the coldest was 1984 at 9.2°C. Typical May days reach 13.7°C with nights near 9.7°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
May is about average for rainfall in Herne Bay, averaging 47 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2006 with 96 mm, while the driest was 2020 at 4 mm.
Relative humidity in Herne Bay during May averages 83%. The most humid May was 1985 at 87%, and the least humid was 2020 at 78%.
May receives about 4.9 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Herne Bay. The sunniest May was 2020 at 6.2 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1984 at 4.
Average wind speed in Herne Bay during May is 4.4 m/s. The windiest May was 1996 at 5.6 m/s, while the calmest was 2004 at 3.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 10.8°C | 11.4°C | 12.0°C | 11.9°C | 12.5°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg High | 12.7°C | 13.5°C | 14.0°C | 13.9°C | 14.6°C | +1.9°C |
| Avg Low | 8.9°C | 9.4°C | 10.0°C | 9.9°C | 10.5°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 50 mm | 38 mm | 58 mm | 46 mm | 39 mm | -11 mm |
May temperatures in Herne Bay have risen by about 2°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 4.1°C (1997) to a record high of 21.5°C (2010).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 47 mm, with a wettest year of 96 mm.
A good time to visit Herne Bay
May is a good time to visit Herne Bay, with days averaging 13.7°C and nights around 9.7°C (mean 11.7°C, close to Herne Bay'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 | 15.3°C | 13.1°C | 11.0°C | 19.1°C | 7.8°C | 15 mm | 81% | 4.8 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2024 🔥 | 15.3°C | 13.5°C | 11.6°C | 17.5°C | 9.1°C | 68 mm | 87% | 3.7 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2023 | 14.3°C | 12.4°C | 10.5°C | 16.7°C | 7.8°C | 34 mm | 84% | 4.6 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2022 | 15.3°C | 13.1°C | 10.9°C | 18.0°C | 8.7°C | 47 mm | 83% | 3.8 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2021 | 12.5°C | 10.6°C | 8.7°C | 15.3°C | 5.3°C | 66 mm | 83% | 4.8 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2020 | 14.7°C | 12.5°C | 10.2°C | 20.3°C | 6.4°C | 4 mm | 78% | 4.4 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2019 | 14.0°C | 11.9°C | 9.8°C | 18.5°C | 6.5°C | 31 mm | 80% | 3.8 m/s | 5 |
| 2018 | 14.9°C | 12.6°C | 10.3°C | 19.7°C | 5.8°C | 31 mm | 84% | 3.7 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2017 | 14.8°C | 12.8°C | 10.9°C | 19.5°C | 7.5°C | 74 mm | 84% | 4.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2016 | 14.2°C | 12.3°C | 10.3°C | 16.9°C | 5.9°C | 40 mm | 83% | 4.4 m/s | 5 |
| 2015 | 13.7°C | 11.6°C | 9.5°C | 15.7°C | 6.8°C | 52 mm | 81% | 5.1 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2014 | 14.4°C | 12.6°C | 10.8°C | 17.6°C | 7.0°C | 91 mm | 82% | 4.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2013 | 12.3°C | 10.3°C | 8.3°C | 15.3°C | 5.9°C | 49 mm | 83% | 4.9 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2012 | 13.9°C | 11.9°C | 9.9°C | 18.5°C | 6.4°C | 44 mm | 85% | 4.3 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2011 | 14.8°C | 12.6°C | 10.5°C | 17.0°C | 7.6°C | 13 mm | 80% | 4.9 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2010 | 12.4°C | 10.3°C | 8.2°C | 21.5°C | 5.3°C | 36 mm | 81% | 4.1 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2009 | 14.5°C | 12.5°C | 10.5°C | 18.6°C | 7.0°C | 30 mm | 83% | 4.9 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2008 | 14.8°C | 13.0°C | 11.2°C | 17.6°C | 8.0°C | 82 mm | 84% | 4.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2007 | 14.4°C | 12.4°C | 10.4°C | 19.3°C | 8.1°C | 80 mm | 85% | 5.2 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2006 🌧️ | 14.1°C | 12.0°C | 9.8°C | 17.1°C | 7.1°C | 96 mm | 84% | 4.6 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2005 | 13.3°C | 11.2°C | 9.2°C | 20.6°C | 5.9°C | 32 mm | 82% | 4.8 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2004 | 14.0°C | 11.8°C | 9.6°C | 19.3°C | 7.1°C | 44 mm | 83% | 3.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2003 | 14.1°C | 12.0°C | 9.9°C | 18.7°C | 7.5°C | 48 mm | 84% | 4.4 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2002 | 13.7°C | 11.9°C | 10.1°C | 16.4°C | 6.7°C | 56 mm | 86% | 5.1 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2001 | 13.5°C | 11.6°C | 9.7°C | 18.8°C | 6.2°C | 29 mm | 86% | 4.5 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2000 | 13.8°C | 11.9°C | 10.0°C | 19.0°C | 7.8°C | 86 mm | 86% | 4.5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1999 | 14.5°C | 12.6°C | 10.7°C | 17.5°C | 8.8°C | 26 mm | 84% | 4.6 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1998 | 14.2°C | 12.3°C | 10.4°C | 16.7°C | 6.9°C | 25 mm | 85% | 4.1 m/s | 6 |
| 1997 | 13.5°C | 11.5°C | 9.4°C | 18.3°C | 4.1°C | 42 mm | 82% | 4.4 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1996 | 11.1°C | 9.3°C | 7.4°C | 17.3°C | 4.6°C | 52 mm | 82% | 5.6 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1995 | 13.6°C | 11.3°C | 9.1°C | 19.4°C | 5.5°C | 22 mm | 81% | 3.7 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1994 | 12.8°C | 10.9°C | 9.0°C | 16.2°C | 6.4°C | 78 mm | 84% | 4.3 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1993 | 13.4°C | 11.5°C | 9.6°C | 16.5°C | 7.4°C | 43 mm | 84% | 5.2 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1992 | 15.0°C | 12.7°C | 10.4°C | 20.8°C | 6.2°C | 52 mm | 83% | 3.9 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1991 | 12.0°C | 9.9°C | 7.9°C | 17.5°C | 5.2°C | 25 mm | 82% | 4.1 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1990 | 14.5°C | 12.4°C | 10.3°C | 18.7°C | 8.6°C | 12 mm | 81% | 3.6 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1989 | 14.5°C | 12.2°C | 9.9°C | 19.1°C | 7.1°C | 6 mm | 82% | 3.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1988 | 13.3°C | 11.6°C | 9.8°C | 17.4°C | 6.9°C | 49 mm | 86% | 4.2 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1987 | 11.9°C | 9.9°C | 7.9°C | 16.1°C | 5.4°C | 45 mm | 83% | 5 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1986 | 12.9°C | 10.8°C | 8.7°C | 15.5°C | 6.6°C | 37 mm | 85% | 5.1 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1985 | 12.3°C | 10.5°C | 8.6°C | 17.9°C | 5.1°C | 56 mm | 87% | 4.4 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1984 ❄️ | 10.8°C | 9.2°C | 7.6°C | 14.7°C | 5.5°C | 70 mm | 86% | 4.4 m/s | 4 |
| 1983 | 12.1°C | 10.3°C | 8.5°C | 15.2°C | 6.8°C | 69 mm | 86% | 4.5 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 13.4°C | 11.3°C | 9.1°C | 18.5°C | 4.4°C | 34 mm | 82% | 3.9 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 13.3°C | 11.4°C | 9.6°C | 16.7°C | 4.5°C | 86 mm | 86% | 4.4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 13.7°C with lows near 9.7°C (mean 11.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 47 mm of rainfall in Herne Bay, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 96 mm in 2006.
The hottest May reached 21.5°C in 2010. The coldest dipped to 4.1°C in 1997.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 2°C. Daytime highs moved from 12.4°C to 14.5°C and overnight lows from 8.7°C to 10.5°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Herne Bay and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 13.7°C daytime highs and 9.7°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 7th coolest month in Herne Bay, averaging 11.7°C.
For May in Herne Bay, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 13.7°C and lows of 9.7°C.
Relative humidity in May averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 4.4 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 5.6 m/s (1996).
The wettest May on record was 2006 with 96 mm. On average, May sees 47 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 Herne Bay 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.
