May is one of the warmer months of the year in Kirkcaldy, with average highs near 13°C and lows around 6.1°C (mean 9.6°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 61 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Kirkcaldy. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Kirkcaldy was 2024 — when the month averaged 12.4°C — while the coldest was 1996 at 7.1°C. Typical May days reach 13°C with nights near 6.1°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Kirkcaldy, averaging 61 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1986 with 111 mm, while the driest was 1994 at 17 mm.
Relative humidity in Kirkcaldy during May averages 83%. The most humid May was 2024 at 88%, and the least humid was 1984 at 79%.
May receives about 4.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Kirkcaldy. The sunniest May was 2025 at 5.9 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1986 at 3.9.
Average wind speed in Kirkcaldy during May is 3.5 m/s. The windiest Mays were 1986 and 2011 at 5 m/s, while the calmest were 1990 and 2023 at 2.4 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 9.0°C | 9.2°C | 9.8°C | 9.5°C | 10.6°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg High | 12.5°C | 12.6°C | 13.2°C | 12.9°C | 14.2°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg Low | 5.5°C | 5.8°C | 6.4°C | 6.1°C | 7.0°C | +1.5°C |
| Avg Rain | 66 mm | 55 mm | 60 mm | 62 mm | 66 mm | 0 mm |
May temperatures in Kirkcaldy have risen by about 1.8°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of -1.2°C (1997) to a record high of 23°C (2017).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 61 mm, with a wettest year of 111 mm.
A good time to visit Kirkcaldy
May is a good time to visit Kirkcaldy, with days averaging 13°C and nights around 6.1°C (mean 9.6°C, warmer than Kirkcaldy'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 | 15.5°C | 11.1°C | 6.7°C | 18.5°C | 2.6°C | 34 mm | 79% | 3.3 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2024 🔥 | 15.6°C | 12.4°C | 9.2°C | 20.4°C | 6.8°C | 110 mm | 88% | 2.7 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2023 | 14.7°C | 11.0°C | 7.2°C | 19.2°C | 3.5°C | 37 mm | 84% | 2.4 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2022 | 13.7°C | 10.7°C | 7.7°C | 16.9°C | 4.7°C | 67 mm | 85% | 4.1 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2021 | 11.7°C | 8.4°C | 5.1°C | 19.3°C | -0.6°C | 110 mm | 84% | 3 m/s | 4 |
| 2020 | 14.1°C | 10.1°C | 6.2°C | 22.3°C | 0.6°C | 35 mm | 80% | 3.6 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2019 | 12.8°C | 9.4°C | 6.0°C | 19.4°C | 0.9°C | 79 mm | 80% | 2.9 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2018 | 14.9°C | 10.9°C | 6.9°C | 19.6°C | 0.9°C | 33 mm | 84% | 3.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2017 | 14.8°C | 11.0°C | 7.2°C | 23.0°C | 3.4°C | 57 mm | 83% | 3.4 m/s | 5 |
| 2016 | 13.0°C | 9.7°C | 6.4°C | 16.6°C | 1.2°C | 39 mm | 85% | 3.6 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2015 | 11.2°C | 8.0°C | 4.9°C | 15.9°C | -0.5°C | 87 mm | 82% | 4.7 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2014 | 13.1°C | 10.2°C | 7.2°C | 18.1°C | 2.5°C | 66 mm | 85% | 3.2 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2013 | 12.3°C | 8.8°C | 5.3°C | 19.1°C | 1.5°C | 61 mm | 85% | 4.2 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2012 | 12.2°C | 8.6°C | 5.0°C | 21.6°C | -0.2°C | 74 mm | 84% | 3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2011 | 12.7°C | 9.6°C | 6.5°C | 15.8°C | 1.7°C | 78 mm | 83% | 5 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2010 | 12.2°C | 8.7°C | 5.2°C | 20.9°C | 0.1°C | 45 mm | 82% | 2.7 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2009 | 13.1°C | 9.6°C | 6.2°C | 20.8°C | 2.8°C | 63 mm | 84% | 4.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2008 | 14.1°C | 10.7°C | 7.2°C | 18.7°C | 3.4°C | 31 mm | 83% | 3.2 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2007 | 12.3°C | 9.2°C | 6.1°C | 16.4°C | 4.1°C | 71 mm | 83% | 4 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2006 | 12.8°C | 9.2°C | 5.6°C | 18.6°C | 2.6°C | 75 mm | 83% | 3.7 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2005 | 12.2°C | 9.0°C | 5.7°C | 16.0°C | 1.1°C | 76 mm | 82% | 3.6 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2004 | 13.8°C | 10.3°C | 6.8°C | 18.4°C | 2.6°C | 39 mm | 83% | 2.9 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2003 | 12.7°C | 9.8°C | 6.9°C | 21.2°C | 3.7°C | 86 mm | 86% | 4 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2002 | 13.1°C | 9.8°C | 6.6°C | 19.0°C | 2.0°C | 68 mm | 85% | 3.8 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2001 | 14.4°C | 10.4°C | 6.5°C | 21.0°C | 2.9°C | 25 mm | 82% | 2.9 m/s | 5 |
| 2000 | 13.2°C | 9.6°C | 6.0°C | 19.6°C | 2.9°C | 61 mm | 84% | 3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1999 | 12.9°C | 10.0°C | 7.0°C | 18.1°C | 3.6°C | 72 mm | 85% | 3.6 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1998 | 13.6°C | 10.1°C | 6.6°C | 19.1°C | 2.4°C | 59 mm | 86% | 3.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1997 | 12.4°C | 9.0°C | 5.6°C | 20.8°C | -1.2°C | 81 mm | 84% | 3.2 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1996 ❄️ | 10.3°C | 7.1°C | 3.9°C | 15.5°C | -0.5°C | 58 mm | 83% | 3.8 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1995 | 12.4°C | 8.9°C | 5.4°C | 18.1°C | -0.3°C | 52 mm | 81% | 3.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1994 | 11.5°C | 8.1°C | 4.6°C | 14.9°C | 1.4°C | 17 mm | 80% | 4.1 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1993 | 11.9°C | 8.6°C | 5.3°C | 16.3°C | 1.4°C | 98 mm | 85% | 3.7 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1992 | 14.0°C | 10.3°C | 6.7°C | 20.3°C | 2.1°C | 41 mm | 84% | 4.3 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1991 | 12.9°C | 9.4°C | 5.8°C | 17.5°C | 2.3°C | 35 mm | 83% | 3.2 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1990 | 14.3°C | 10.5°C | 6.8°C | 21.5°C | 4.2°C | 35 mm | 80% | 2.4 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1989 | 13.7°C | 9.9°C | 6.1°C | 19.5°C | 1.6°C | 33 mm | 82% | 3.6 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1988 | 13.0°C | 9.6°C | 6.1°C | 19.2°C | 2.5°C | 63 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1987 | 11.6°C | 8.2°C | 4.7°C | 15.5°C | 1.5°C | 63 mm | 83% | 3.5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1986 🌧️ | 11.6°C | 8.8°C | 6.0°C | 15.4°C | 3.4°C | 111 mm | 86% | 5 m/s | 3.9 |
| 1985 | 12.1°C | 8.7°C | 5.3°C | 18.0°C | 0.7°C | 76 mm | 84% | 3.3 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1984 | 13.0°C | 9.0°C | 5.0°C | 18.1°C | 0.6°C | 26 mm | 79% | 2.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1983 | 11.3°C | 8.2°C | 5.2°C | 14.2°C | 2.5°C | 96 mm | 86% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 12.8°C | 8.9°C | 5.0°C | 20.1°C | -0.3°C | 48 mm | 82% | 3.5 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 13.1°C | 9.7°C | 6.3°C | 17.5°C | -1.0°C | 77 mm | 85% | 3.4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 13°C with lows near 6.1°C (mean 9.6°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 61 mm of rainfall in Kirkcaldy, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 111 mm in 1986.
The hottest May reached 23°C in 2017. The coldest dipped to -1.2°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 14.2°C and overnight lows from 5.4°C to 7.2°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Kirkcaldy and one of the drier months, so plan for around 13°C daytime highs and 6.1°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Kirkcaldy, averaging 9.6°C.
For May in Kirkcaldy, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 13°C and lows of 6.1°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3.5 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 5 m/s (1986).
The wettest May on record was 1986 with 111 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 Kirkcaldy 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.
