May is close to Penzance's year-round average, with average highs near 12.7°C and lows around 11.1°C (mean 11.9°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 60 mm of rainfall and 86% relative humidity across the period.
May is close to Penzance's year-round average. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Penzance was 2025 — when the month averaged 14.1°C — while the coldest were 1986 and 1996 at 10.4°C. Typical May days reach 12.7°C with nights near 11.1°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Penzance, averaging 60 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1981 with 130 mm, while the driest was 1989 at 7 mm.
Relative humidity in Penzance during May averages 86%. The most humid May was 1999 at 90%, and the least humid was 1996 at 81%.
May receives about 5.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Penzance. The sunniest May was 2020 at 6.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1993 and 2006 at 4.8.
Average wind speed in Penzance during May is 5.5 m/s. The windiest May was 2011 at 6.8 m/s, while the calmest was 2018 at 4.1 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.3°C | 11.8°C | 12.0°C | 11.9°C | 12.9°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg High | 12.1°C | 12.7°C | 12.7°C | 12.6°C | 13.7°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg Low | 10.5°C | 11.0°C | 11.3°C | 11.2°C | 12.1°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 59 mm | 54 mm | 69 mm | 61 mm | 53 mm | -6 mm |
May temperatures in Penzance have risen by about 1.8°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 5.2°C (1982) to a record high of 18.6°C (1989).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 60 mm, with a wettest year of 130 mm.
A good time to visit Penzance
May is a good time to visit Penzance, with days averaging 12.7°C and nights around 11.1°C (mean 11.9°C, close to Penzance'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 🔥 | 14.9°C | 14.1°C | 13.3°C | 16.0°C | 10.5°C | 30 mm | 85% | 5.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2024 | 14.2°C | 13.5°C | 12.9°C | 16.9°C | 10.9°C | 52 mm | 87% | 4.9 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2023 | 13.9°C | 13.0°C | 12.2°C | 16.3°C | 10.8°C | 56 mm | 87% | 5.2 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2022 | 13.6°C | 12.9°C | 12.3°C | 15.0°C | 10.1°C | 39 mm | 88% | 4.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2021 | 11.9°C | 11.2°C | 10.5°C | 14.2°C | 7.3°C | 104 mm | 82% | 6.4 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2020 | 13.4°C | 12.5°C | 11.5°C | 17.0°C | 7.4°C | 35 mm | 84% | 5.4 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2019 | 12.6°C | 12.0°C | 11.4°C | 14.8°C | 9.1°C | 39 mm | 84% | 4.9 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2018 | 13.2°C | 12.3°C | 11.5°C | 16.3°C | 9.6°C | 45 mm | 87% | 4.1 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2017 | 13.1°C | 12.4°C | 11.7°C | 15.5°C | 9.8°C | 87 mm | 89% | 5.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2016 | 12.9°C | 12.1°C | 11.3°C | 15.1°C | 9.4°C | 65 mm | 88% | 4.5 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2015 | 12.2°C | 11.6°C | 10.9°C | 13.5°C | 8.6°C | 79 mm | 86% | 6.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2014 | 12.9°C | 12.2°C | 11.6°C | 14.9°C | 10.2°C | 70 mm | 85% | 5 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2013 | 11.3°C | 10.6°C | 9.9°C | 12.6°C | 7.7°C | 77 mm | 84% | 6.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2012 | 12.6°C | 11.9°C | 11.1°C | 16.5°C | 8.7°C | 42 mm | 86% | 4.8 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2011 | 13.0°C | 12.4°C | 11.9°C | 14.7°C | 10.6°C | 54 mm | 84% | 6.8 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2010 | 12.1°C | 11.4°C | 10.6°C | 15.9°C | 8.0°C | 51 mm | 85% | 4.8 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2009 | 12.5°C | 11.7°C | 11.0°C | 15.8°C | 9.5°C | 58 mm | 86% | 6.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2008 | 13.6°C | 12.8°C | 12.0°C | 16.4°C | 9.8°C | 84 mm | 89% | 4.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2007 | 13.3°C | 12.6°C | 11.8°C | 15.0°C | 10.0°C | 92 mm | 86% | 6.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2006 | 12.3°C | 11.6°C | 11.0°C | 14.0°C | 9.7°C | 90 mm | 88% | 6 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2005 | 12.0°C | 11.4°C | 10.8°C | 13.8°C | 9.2°C | 56 mm | 86% | 6.1 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2004 | 13.0°C | 12.2°C | 11.4°C | 15.8°C | 8.8°C | 33 mm | 86% | 4.6 m/s | 6 |
| 2003 | 12.4°C | 11.8°C | 11.3°C | 15.5°C | 10.0°C | 76 mm | 85% | 6.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2002 | 12.6°C | 11.9°C | 11.2°C | 14.2°C | 8.9°C | 95 mm | 85% | 6.6 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2001 | 13.0°C | 12.2°C | 11.3°C | 16.1°C | 9.1°C | 21 mm | 85% | 4.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2000 | 12.5°C | 11.7°C | 10.9°C | 15.2°C | 8.7°C | 83 mm | 88% | 5.5 m/s | 5 |
| 1999 | 13.1°C | 12.4°C | 11.6°C | 14.4°C | 10.2°C | 50 mm | 90% | 5.6 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1998 | 13.4°C | 12.6°C | 11.8°C | 17.6°C | 9.7°C | 43 mm | 88% | 5.2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1997 | 13.0°C | 12.1°C | 11.2°C | 15.8°C | 6.9°C | 67 mm | 85% | 6.4 m/s | 6 |
| 1996 | 11.3°C | 10.4°C | 9.4°C | 13.3°C | 7.0°C | 69 mm | 81% | 6.4 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1995 | 12.5°C | 11.7°C | 10.9°C | 16.9°C | 7.7°C | 44 mm | 84% | 5 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1994 | 11.9°C | 11.2°C | 10.4°C | 13.5°C | 8.6°C | 114 mm | 86% | 5.1 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1993 | 12.6°C | 11.7°C | 10.7°C | 14.9°C | 8.4°C | 105 mm | 84% | 6 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1992 | 13.0°C | 12.1°C | 11.2°C | 16.1°C | 8.9°C | 21 mm | 87% | 5.5 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1991 | 12.0°C | 11.2°C | 10.4°C | 15.6°C | 7.7°C | 9 mm | 86% | 5.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1990 | 14.0°C | 13.0°C | 12.1°C | 17.3°C | 10.4°C | 22 mm | 85% | 4.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1989 | 13.9°C | 12.9°C | 11.9°C | 18.6°C | 10.1°C | 7 mm | 86% | 4.4 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1988 | 12.5°C | 11.7°C | 10.9°C | 14.9°C | 9.8°C | 61 mm | 85% | 5.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1987 | 11.6°C | 10.8°C | 10.1°C | 13.5°C | 7.8°C | 37 mm | 85% | 6 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1986 ❄️ | 11.1°C | 10.4°C | 9.8°C | 12.6°C | 7.7°C | 71 mm | 88% | 6.7 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1985 | 12.1°C | 11.3°C | 10.5°C | 14.9°C | 7.2°C | 41 mm | 85% | 5.6 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1984 | 11.8°C | 10.8°C | 9.8°C | 12.7°C | 7.4°C | 58 mm | 83% | 5.6 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1983 | 11.3°C | 10.7°C | 10.0°C | 12.7°C | 7.8°C | 80 mm | 86% | 5.8 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 12.4°C | 11.5°C | 10.7°C | 15.2°C | 5.2°C | 47 mm | 85% | 4.9 m/s | — |
| 1981 🌧️ | 12.0°C | 11.2°C | 10.5°C | 13.3°C | 6.9°C | 130 mm | 88% | 6.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 12.7°C with lows near 11.1°C (mean 11.9°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 60 mm of rainfall in Penzance, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 130 mm in 1981.
The hottest May reached 18.6°C in 1989. The coldest dipped to 5.2°C in 1982.
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 11.9°C to 13.7°C and overnight lows from 10.3°C to 12.2°C over the same span.
May is close to Penzance's year-round average and one of the drier months, so plan for around 12.7°C daytime highs and 11.1°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 7th coolest month in Penzance, averaging 11.9°C.
For May in Penzance, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 12.7°C and lows of 11.1°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 86% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 5.5 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 6.8 m/s (2011).
The wettest May on record was 1981 with 130 mm. On average, May sees 60 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 Penzance 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.
