May is one of the warmer months of the year in Elgin, with average highs near 12.6°C and lows around 5.2°C (mean 8.9°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 61 mm of rainfall and 82% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Elgin. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Elgin was 2024 — when the month averaged 12.5°C — while the coldest was 1996 at 6.1°C. Typical May days reach 12.6°C with nights near 5.2°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
May is about average for rainfall in Elgin, averaging 61 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2019 with 127 mm, while the driest was 1994 at 20 mm.
Relative humidity in Elgin during May averages 82%. The most humid May was 1983 at 85%, and the least humid was 1984 at 77%.
May receives about 4.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Elgin. The sunniest May was 2025 at 5.5 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1993 at 3.9.
Average wind speed in Elgin during May is 3.3 m/s. The windiest May was 1986 at 4.7 m/s, while the calmest were 1990 and 2010 at 2.6 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 8.4°C | 8.5°C | 9.0°C | 8.9°C | 10.1°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg High | 12.2°C | 12.2°C | 12.8°C | 12.7°C | 13.9°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg Low | 4.7°C | 4.8°C | 5.3°C | 5.2°C | 6.3°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 57 mm | 60 mm | 65 mm | 64 mm | 61 mm | +4 mm |
May temperatures in Elgin have risen by about 1.8°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of -2.1°C (1982) to a record high of 23.7°C (2017).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 61 mm, with a wettest year of 127 mm.
A good time to visit Elgin
May is a good time to visit Elgin, with days averaging 12.6°C and nights around 5.2°C (mean 8.9°C, warmer than Elgin's yearly average) and moderate rainfall. July and August 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 | 14.7°C | 10.4°C | 6.1°C | 19.4°C | 2.9°C | 41 mm | 77% | 3.1 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2024 🔥 | 16.3°C | 12.5°C | 8.7°C | 21.5°C | 5.8°C | 69 mm | 85% | 2.7 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2023 | 14.1°C | 10.1°C | 6.1°C | 19.2°C | 0.6°C | 44 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2022 | 13.5°C | 10.0°C | 6.5°C | 17.6°C | 2.7°C | 61 mm | 82% | 3.9 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2021 | 11.1°C | 7.9°C | 4.8°C | 19.5°C | 1.2°C | 96 mm | 84% | 2.9 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2020 | 13.6°C | 9.5°C | 5.4°C | 23.6°C | 0.7°C | 56 mm | 78% | 3.6 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2019 🌧️ | 11.7°C | 8.4°C | 5.0°C | 20.3°C | 1.0°C | 127 mm | 80% | 2.9 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2018 | 15.6°C | 10.9°C | 6.1°C | 21.9°C | -0.5°C | 33 mm | 81% | 3.1 m/s | 5 |
| 2017 | 14.9°C | 10.7°C | 6.5°C | 23.7°C | 2.5°C | 33 mm | 79% | 3.2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2016 | 12.9°C | 9.2°C | 5.5°C | 18.8°C | 1.9°C | 35 mm | 82% | 3.2 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2015 | 10.5°C | 7.1°C | 3.7°C | 15.6°C | -1.3°C | 84 mm | 81% | 4.2 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2014 | 13.3°C | 9.7°C | 6.2°C | 18.2°C | 0.3°C | 71 mm | 81% | 2.8 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2013 | 12.0°C | 8.3°C | 4.7°C | 18.5°C | -0.2°C | 65 mm | 83% | 3.9 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2012 | 11.9°C | 8.1°C | 4.2°C | 23.5°C | -1.1°C | 52 mm | 81% | 3 m/s | 5 |
| 2011 | 12.7°C | 9.1°C | 5.6°C | 16.9°C | 1.3°C | 60 mm | 80% | 4.5 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2010 | 11.3°C | 7.7°C | 4.1°C | 20.1°C | 0.1°C | 78 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2009 | 13.0°C | 9.1°C | 5.2°C | 21.6°C | 1.6°C | 57 mm | 80% | 4 m/s | 5 |
| 2008 | 13.7°C | 9.9°C | 6.1°C | 18.7°C | 2.8°C | 30 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2007 | 11.9°C | 8.4°C | 4.9°C | 17.8°C | 2.2°C | 87 mm | 81% | 3.5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2006 | 11.9°C | 8.3°C | 4.6°C | 19.2°C | -0.4°C | 83 mm | 83% | 3.6 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2005 | 11.2°C | 7.8°C | 4.4°C | 15.2°C | -0.9°C | 93 mm | 83% | 3.5 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2004 | 13.1°C | 9.5°C | 5.9°C | 18.8°C | 1.9°C | 35 mm | 83% | 3 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2003 | 12.3°C | 8.8°C | 5.4°C | 19.4°C | 0.9°C | 83 mm | 84% | 3.6 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2002 | 13.2°C | 9.4°C | 5.6°C | 16.3°C | 2.0°C | 52 mm | 83% | 3.5 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2001 | 14.5°C | 10.1°C | 5.8°C | 20.0°C | -0.1°C | 42 mm | 82% | 2.7 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2000 | 12.9°C | 9.0°C | 5.1°C | 20.3°C | 2.4°C | 84 mm | 84% | 2.8 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1999 | 12.8°C | 9.1°C | 5.4°C | 17.4°C | 2.7°C | 71 mm | 84% | 3.6 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1998 | 13.1°C | 9.5°C | 6.0°C | 21.0°C | 2.3°C | 41 mm | 83% | 3.4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1997 | 11.4°C | 8.0°C | 4.7°C | 19.8°C | -1.1°C | 106 mm | 85% | 3.3 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1996 ❄️ | 9.5°C | 6.1°C | 2.8°C | 14.9°C | -1.1°C | 58 mm | 82% | 3.6 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1995 | 11.6°C | 8.0°C | 4.5°C | 19.2°C | -0.7°C | 63 mm | 81% | 3.4 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1994 | 11.4°C | 7.2°C | 3.1°C | 17.7°C | 0.0°C | 20 mm | 79% | 3.5 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1993 | 11.8°C | 8.3°C | 4.9°C | 18.4°C | 0.8°C | 87 mm | 83% | 3.1 m/s | 3.9 |
| 1992 | 14.4°C | 10.1°C | 5.8°C | 19.9°C | 0.8°C | 49 mm | 80% | 4.2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1991 | 12.1°C | 8.7°C | 5.2°C | 16.0°C | 1.5°C | 57 mm | 82% | 3.4 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1990 | 13.9°C | 9.8°C | 5.7°C | 23.2°C | 2.0°C | 46 mm | 79% | 2.6 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1989 | 12.7°C | 8.8°C | 4.9°C | 20.1°C | 2.6°C | 68 mm | 79% | 4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1988 | 12.7°C | 8.8°C | 5.0°C | 16.8°C | 1.2°C | 48 mm | 83% | 3.2 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1987 | 10.9°C | 7.5°C | 4.1°C | 15.7°C | 1.1°C | 62 mm | 82% | 3.6 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1986 | 11.9°C | 8.6°C | 5.2°C | 15.9°C | 2.2°C | 68 mm | 83% | 4.7 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1985 | 11.9°C | 8.1°C | 4.4°C | 18.2°C | 1.0°C | 79 mm | 83% | 3.1 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1984 | 12.3°C | 8.3°C | 4.2°C | 18.2°C | 0.6°C | 22 mm | 77% | 2.7 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1983 | 10.5°C | 7.4°C | 4.3°C | 14.2°C | 0.1°C | 76 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 12.9°C | 8.5°C | 4.2°C | 19.9°C | -2.1°C | 53 mm | 79% | 3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 13.6°C | 9.7°C | 5.7°C | 18.0°C | -0.3°C | 41 mm | 81% | 3.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 12.6°C with lows near 5.2°C (mean 8.9°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 61 mm of rainfall in Elgin, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 127 mm in 2019.
The hottest May reached 23.7°C in 2017. The coldest dipped to -2.1°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 12.2°C to 13.9°C and overnight lows from 4.6°C to 6.4°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Elgin and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 12.6°C daytime highs and 5.2°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Elgin, averaging 8.9°C.
For May in Elgin, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 12.6°C and lows of 5.2°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 82% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3.3 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 4.7 m/s (1986).
The wettest May on record was 2019 with 127 mm. On average, May sees 61 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 Elgin 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.
