May is one of the warmer months of the year in Melbourne, with average highs near 29.2°C and lows around 21.8°C (mean 25.5°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 97 mm of rainfall and 72% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Melbourne. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Melbourne was 2024 — when the month averaged 28.1°C — while the coldest was 1993 at 23.9°C. Typical May days reach 29.2°C with nights near 21.8°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Melbourne, averaging 97 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2018 with 312 mm, while the driest was 2000 at 17 mm.
Relative humidity in Melbourne during May averages 72%. The most humid May was 2018 at 82%, and the least humid was 1981 at 62%.
May receives about 6.3 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Melbourne. The sunniest Mays were 2004 and 2011 at 6.9 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2018 at 5.
Average wind speed in Melbourne during May is 3 m/s. The windiest May was 2007 at 4 m/s, while the calmest were 2006 and 2025 at 2.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 25.0°C | 25.2°C | 25.7°C | 25.5°C | 26.7°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg High | 28.9°C | 28.7°C | 29.6°C | 29.0°C | 30.6°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg Low | 21.1°C | 21.6°C | 21.8°C | 21.9°C | 22.8°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg Rain | 88 mm | 94 mm | 80 mm | 131 mm | 88 mm | +0 mm |
May temperatures in Melbourne have risen by about 2°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 12.2°C (1992) to a record high of 36.4°C (2024).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 97 mm, with a wettest year of 312 mm.
A good time to visit Melbourne
May is a good time to visit Melbourne, with days averaging 29.2°C and nights around 21.8°C (mean 25.5°C, warmer than Melbourne's yearly average) and higher rainfall. November and April 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 | 31.7°C | 27.7°C | 23.6°C | 35.1°C | 20.4°C | 129 mm | 74% | 2.5 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2024 🔥 | 32.4°C | 28.1°C | 23.7°C | 36.4°C | 21.4°C | 35 mm | 70% | 2.6 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2023 | 29.3°C | 25.6°C | 21.9°C | 33.4°C | 17.2°C | 90 mm | 73% | 2.7 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2022 | 30.4°C | 26.6°C | 22.9°C | 33.7°C | 20.3°C | 87 mm | 74% | 3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2021 | 30.3°C | 26.6°C | 22.8°C | 33.5°C | 20.2°C | 40 mm | 66% | 3.3 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2020 | 29.3°C | 25.5°C | 21.7°C | 33.8°C | 16.3°C | 148 mm | 72% | 3.2 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2019 | 28.7°C | 25.5°C | 22.3°C | 31.8°C | 20.8°C | 198 mm | 80% | 2.8 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2018 🌧️ | 27.3°C | 24.8°C | 22.3°C | 30.8°C | 20.5°C | 312 mm | 82% | 3.2 m/s | 5 |
| 2017 | 31.1°C | 26.6°C | 22.0°C | 34.4°C | 15.2°C | 96 mm | 69% | 3.1 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2016 | 28.0°C | 24.6°C | 21.2°C | 30.1°C | 14.1°C | 160 mm | 77% | 2.6 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2015 | 28.7°C | 25.5°C | 22.3°C | 31.9°C | 17.0°C | 93 mm | 74% | 3.1 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2014 | 28.8°C | 25.3°C | 21.8°C | 33.3°C | 17.8°C | 81 mm | 73% | 3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2013 | 27.6°C | 24.2°C | 20.8°C | 31.0°C | 14.4°C | 162 mm | 75% | 3.2 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2012 | 29.7°C | 26.0°C | 22.2°C | 32.8°C | 20.2°C | 125 mm | 74% | 2.9 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2011 | 30.4°C | 26.1°C | 21.7°C | 33.4°C | 17.7°C | 28 mm | 68% | 3.1 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2010 | 29.4°C | 25.9°C | 22.4°C | 31.4°C | 21.0°C | 52 mm | 76% | 2.9 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2009 | 28.6°C | 25.3°C | 22.1°C | 33.4°C | 19.4°C | 261 mm | 79% | 2.9 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2008 | 30.2°C | 26.0°C | 21.8°C | 34.1°C | 18.0°C | 37 mm | 68% | 3.4 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2007 | 28.5°C | 25.0°C | 21.6°C | 31.8°C | 17.5°C | 42 mm | 68% | 4 m/s | 6 |
| 2006 | 30.6°C | 25.9°C | 21.2°C | 33.5°C | 17.3°C | 36 mm | 64% | 2.5 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2005 | 27.9°C | 24.4°C | 21.0°C | 32.6°C | 17.8°C | 134 mm | 76% | 2.8 m/s | 6 |
| 2004 | 29.6°C | 25.7°C | 21.8°C | 35.2°C | 18.2°C | 27 mm | 69% | 3.3 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2003 | 30.4°C | 26.6°C | 22.9°C | 33.2°C | 20.3°C | 71 mm | 75% | 2.6 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2002 | 30.2°C | 26.4°C | 22.7°C | 34.5°C | 20.5°C | 61 mm | 69% | 3.6 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2001 | 28.8°C | 25.1°C | 21.3°C | 33.5°C | 18.9°C | 109 mm | 69% | 3.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2000 | 30.8°C | 26.3°C | 21.8°C | 36.2°C | 18.9°C | 17 mm | 64% | 3.1 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1999 | 28.4°C | 24.6°C | 20.8°C | 32.8°C | 12.2°C | 144 mm | 73% | 2.9 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1998 | 29.0°C | 25.1°C | 21.1°C | 32.4°C | 15.8°C | 47 mm | 76% | 2.6 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1997 | 28.3°C | 25.1°C | 21.8°C | 31.6°C | 17.8°C | 123 mm | 75% | 2.8 m/s | 6 |
| 1996 | 27.9°C | 24.9°C | 21.9°C | 30.8°C | 20.2°C | 118 mm | 80% | 2.9 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1995 | 29.6°C | 26.1°C | 22.7°C | 33.0°C | 20.3°C | 74 mm | 77% | 2.8 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1994 | 29.4°C | 25.6°C | 21.9°C | 33.8°C | 17.4°C | 70 mm | 71% | 2.7 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1993 ❄️ | 27.4°C | 23.9°C | 20.3°C | 31.0°C | 17.0°C | 74 mm | 73% | 3.2 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1992 | 28.5°C | 24.1°C | 19.7°C | 32.6°C | 12.2°C | 47 mm | 68% | 2.9 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1991 | 28.2°C | 25.6°C | 23.0°C | 30.7°C | 20.9°C | 166 mm | 81% | 3 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1990 | 30.3°C | 26.5°C | 22.7°C | 33.5°C | 20.9°C | 75 mm | 71% | 3.2 m/s | 6 |
| 1989 | 30.4°C | 26.0°C | 21.5°C | 33.2°C | 17.6°C | 41 mm | 66% | 2.7 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1988 | 28.5°C | 24.5°C | 20.6°C | 33.4°C | 16.0°C | 61 mm | 68% | 3.2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1987 | 27.8°C | 24.7°C | 21.7°C | 29.7°C | 16.1°C | 123 mm | 74% | 3.2 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1986 | 29.2°C | 25.2°C | 21.3°C | 32.2°C | 18.4°C | 35 mm | 67% | 3.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1985 | 29.6°C | 25.4°C | 21.2°C | 34.0°C | 18.8°C | 62 mm | 67% | 2.7 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1984 | 28.2°C | 24.8°C | 21.4°C | 31.2°C | 18.0°C | 165 mm | 73% | 3.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1983 | 27.9°C | 24.2°C | 20.4°C | 31.9°C | 15.2°C | 64 mm | 73% | 3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 27.1°C | 24.1°C | 21.0°C | 29.6°C | 17.7°C | 175 mm | 75% | 3.1 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 31.0°C | 26.1°C | 21.1°C | 34.5°C | 18.1°C | 65 mm | 62% | 3.2 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 29.2°C with lows near 21.8°C (mean 25.5°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 97 mm of rainfall in Melbourne, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 312 mm in 2018.
The hottest May reached 36.4°C in 2024. The coldest dipped to 12.2°C in 1992.
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 28.8°C to 30.8°C and overnight lows from 21°C to 23°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Melbourne and one of the drier months, so plan for around 29.2°C daytime highs and 21.8°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Melbourne, averaging 25.5°C.
For May in Melbourne, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 29.2°C and lows of 21.8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 72% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 4 m/s (2007).
The wettest May on record was 2018 with 312 mm. On average, May sees 97 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 Melbourne 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.
