May is one of the warmer months of the year in Inverness, with average highs near 12.3°C and lows around 4.8°C (mean 8.6°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 65 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Inverness. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Inverness was 2024 — when the month averaged 12.4°C — while the coldest was 1996 at 5.7°C. Typical May days reach 12.3°C with nights near 4.8°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is about average for rainfall in Inverness, averaging 65 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2003 with 115 mm, while the driest was 1984 at 23 mm.
Relative humidity in Inverness during May averages 83%. The most humid May was 2003 at 86%, and the least humid was 2025 at 79%.
May receives about 4.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Inverness. The sunniest May was 2025 at 5.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1986 at 3.6.
Average wind speed in Inverness during May is 3.4 m/s. The windiest May was 1986 at 4.9 m/s, while the calmest were 1984 and 2024 at 2.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 8.1°C | 8.2°C | 8.7°C | 8.4°C | 9.8°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg High | 11.9°C | 12.0°C | 12.5°C | 12.1°C | 13.6°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg Low | 4.3°C | 4.5°C | 5.0°C | 4.7°C | 5.9°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 59 mm | 58 mm | 73 mm | 71 mm | 60 mm | +1 mm |
May temperatures in Inverness have risen by about 1.7°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of -3.2°C (1982) to a record high of 23.4°C (2012).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 65 mm, with a wettest year of 115 mm.
A good time to visit Inverness
May is a good time to visit Inverness, with days averaging 12.3°C and nights around 4.8°C (mean 8.6°C, warmer than Inverness'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 | 10.2°C | 5.7°C | 19.4°C | 1.1°C | 48 mm | 79% | 3.1 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2024 🔥 | 16.4°C | 12.4°C | 8.4°C | 21.1°C | 4.9°C | 55 mm | 85% | 2.5 m/s | 4 |
| 2023 | 13.9°C | 9.8°C | 5.7°C | 18.8°C | 1.2°C | 30 mm | 84% | 2.9 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2022 | 12.8°C | 9.6°C | 6.4°C | 17.2°C | 3.8°C | 72 mm | 84% | 4.1 m/s | 3.8 |
| 2021 | 10.8°C | 7.5°C | 4.3°C | 19.7°C | -0.3°C | 96 mm | 85% | 2.7 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2020 | 13.1°C | 9.1°C | 5.1°C | 21.9°C | -2.1°C | 60 mm | 82% | 3.7 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2019 | 11.4°C | 7.8°C | 4.1°C | 20.6°C | -0.1°C | 103 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2018 | 14.6°C | 10.3°C | 6.0°C | 22.0°C | 0.1°C | 43 mm | 83% | 3.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2017 | 14.7°C | 10.2°C | 5.7°C | 23.2°C | 1.5°C | 46 mm | 82% | 3.1 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2016 | 12.6°C | 8.9°C | 5.2°C | 19.9°C | 2.0°C | 53 mm | 84% | 3.4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2015 | 9.6°C | 6.4°C | 3.2°C | 13.2°C | -1.7°C | 94 mm | 83% | 4.4 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2014 | 12.8°C | 9.2°C | 5.6°C | 19.0°C | -0.8°C | 79 mm | 84% | 2.7 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2013 | 11.1°C | 7.6°C | 4.0°C | 18.0°C | 0.1°C | 77 mm | 85% | 3.9 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2012 | 11.9°C | 8.0°C | 4.1°C | 23.4°C | -1.4°C | 56 mm | 83% | 3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2011 | 11.7°C | 8.4°C | 5.0°C | 17.6°C | 1.1°C | 100 mm | 84% | 4.8 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2010 | 11.1°C | 7.4°C | 3.7°C | 19.4°C | -0.8°C | 61 mm | 84% | 2.7 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2009 | 12.3°C | 8.5°C | 4.7°C | 21.7°C | 1.3°C | 59 mm | 83% | 4.1 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2008 | 14.1°C | 10.0°C | 5.9°C | 19.9°C | 2.0°C | 34 mm | 83% | 2.8 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2007 | 11.2°C | 7.8°C | 4.5°C | 18.5°C | 1.3°C | 97 mm | 84% | 3.6 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2006 | 11.9°C | 8.1°C | 4.3°C | 19.4°C | -0.6°C | 95 mm | 83% | 3.6 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2005 | 10.8°C | 7.4°C | 3.9°C | 14.5°C | -0.3°C | 106 mm | 83% | 3.3 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2004 | 12.8°C | 9.3°C | 5.7°C | 17.3°C | 2.5°C | 51 mm | 84% | 3 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2003 🌧️ | 11.5°C | 8.3°C | 5.0°C | 20.6°C | 1.4°C | 115 mm | 86% | 3.8 m/s | 4 |
| 2002 | 12.8°C | 9.0°C | 5.3°C | 16.4°C | 1.6°C | 71 mm | 84% | 3.4 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2001 | 14.3°C | 10.0°C | 5.8°C | 20.7°C | 0.7°C | 53 mm | 84% | 2.9 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2000 | 13.1°C | 9.0°C | 4.9°C | 20.6°C | 2.0°C | 53 mm | 83% | 2.7 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1999 | 12.6°C | 8.9°C | 5.2°C | 17.3°C | 2.5°C | 92 mm | 85% | 3.6 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1998 | 12.9°C | 9.3°C | 5.6°C | 22.0°C | 2.3°C | 43 mm | 85% | 3.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1997 | 11.5°C | 7.9°C | 4.4°C | 19.5°C | -2.0°C | 81 mm | 86% | 3.4 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1996 ❄️ | 9.3°C | 5.7°C | 2.2°C | 13.6°C | -2.1°C | 53 mm | 84% | 3.5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1995 | 11.0°C | 7.5°C | 4.0°C | 16.8°C | -1.4°C | 61 mm | 84% | 3.3 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1994 | 11.2°C | 7.0°C | 2.7°C | 17.7°C | -0.4°C | 24 mm | 81% | 3.5 m/s | 5 |
| 1993 | 11.3°C | 7.8°C | 4.3°C | 18.1°C | -0.1°C | 97 mm | 84% | 3.2 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1992 | 14.2°C | 9.9°C | 5.7°C | 21.4°C | -0.4°C | 52 mm | 82% | 4.2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1991 | 12.2°C | 8.5°C | 4.9°C | 16.0°C | 1.5°C | 38 mm | 84% | 3.6 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1990 | 13.8°C | 9.7°C | 5.6°C | 22.1°C | 1.8°C | 38 mm | 81% | 2.6 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1989 | 12.2°C | 8.2°C | 4.2°C | 19.8°C | 0.6°C | 62 mm | 82% | 4.1 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1988 | 12.8°C | 8.6°C | 4.4°C | 17.3°C | 0.8°C | 49 mm | 83% | 3.2 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1987 | 11.0°C | 7.4°C | 3.8°C | 16.9°C | 0.6°C | 58 mm | 83% | 3.6 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1986 | 11.0°C | 7.8°C | 4.6°C | 15.8°C | 1.1°C | 99 mm | 85% | 4.9 m/s | 3.6 |
| 1985 | 11.9°C | 8.0°C | 4.0°C | 17.5°C | -0.7°C | 70 mm | 81% | 3.2 m/s | 4 |
| 1984 | 12.4°C | 8.2°C | 4.1°C | 18.9°C | -0.1°C | 23 mm | 79% | 2.5 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1983 | 10.6°C | 7.2°C | 3.8°C | 14.2°C | -0.5°C | 71 mm | 85% | 2.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 12.2°C | 8.2°C | 4.1°C | 19.2°C | -3.2°C | 52 mm | 81% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 13.3°C | 9.3°C | 5.3°C | 20.5°C | -1.8°C | 46 mm | 83% | 3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 12.3°C with lows near 4.8°C (mean 8.6°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 65 mm of rainfall in Inverness, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 115 mm in 2003.
The hottest May reached 23.4°C in 2012. The coldest dipped to -3.2°C in 1982.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.7°C. Daytime highs moved from 12.1°C to 13.7°C and overnight lows from 4.3°C to 6.1°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Inverness and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 12.3°C daytime highs and 4.8°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Inverness, averaging 8.6°C.
For May in Inverness, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 12.3°C and lows of 4.8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3.4 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 4.9 m/s (1986).
The wettest May on record was 2003 with 115 mm. On average, May sees 65 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 Inverness 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.
