May is one of the warmer months of the year in Plymouth, with average highs near 15.9°C and lows around 9.1°C (mean 12.5°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 91 mm of rainfall and 82% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Plymouth. Across 45 years of records, the warmest Mays in Plymouth were 2010 and 2012 — when the month averaged 14.5°C — while the coldest was 2005 at 10.1°C. Typical May days reach 15.9°C with nights near 9.1°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Plymouth, averaging 91 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2006 with 213 mm, while the driest was 1992 at 34 mm.
Relative humidity in Plymouth during May averages 82%. The most humid May was 2011 at 87%, and the least humid was 2023 at 76%.
May receives about 5.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Plymouth. The sunniest May was 2023 at 6.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1988 and 2009 at 4.8.
Average wind speed in Plymouth during May is 2.3 m/s. The windiest Mays were 1994, 1997 and 2020 at 2.6 m/s, while the calmest was 1982 at 1.8 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 12.1°C | 12.0°C | 12.2°C | 13.3°C | 13.1°C | +1°C |
| Avg High | 15.5°C | 15.4°C | 15.7°C | 16.7°C | 16.5°C | +1°C |
| Avg Low | 8.7°C | 8.5°C | 8.7°C | 10.0°C | 9.7°C | +1°C |
| Avg Rain | 94 mm | 81 mm | 104 mm | 82 mm | 99 mm | +4 mm |
May temperatures in Plymouth have risen by about 1.2°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 2.2°C (1986) to a record high of 28.4°C (2007).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 91 mm, with a wettest year of 213 mm.
A good time to visit Plymouth
May is a good time to visit Plymouth, with days averaging 15.9°C and nights around 9.1°C (mean 12.5°C, warmer than Plymouth's yearly average) and higher 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 | 16.6°C | 13.4°C | 10.2°C | 22.5°C | 6.4°C | 168 mm | 84% | 2.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2024 | 16.6°C | 13.5°C | 10.4°C | 23.4°C | 6.3°C | 132 mm | 86% | 2.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2023 | 16.9°C | 13.1°C | 9.3°C | 22.8°C | 4.6°C | 71 mm | 76% | 2.3 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2022 | 16.8°C | 13.6°C | 10.4°C | 24.6°C | 4.5°C | 49 mm | 81% | 2.4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2021 | 16.8°C | 13.3°C | 9.8°C | 24.9°C | 5.3°C | 115 mm | 78% | 2.3 m/s | 6 |
| 2020 | 15.5°C | 11.8°C | 8.1°C | 22.2°C | 2.5°C | 57 mm | 80% | 2.6 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2019 | 14.7°C | 11.7°C | 8.7°C | 22.7°C | 4.7°C | 90 mm | 84% | 2.3 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2018 | 17.6°C | 13.9°C | 10.3°C | 25.1°C | 5.7°C | 43 mm | 85% | 2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2017 | 14.9°C | 12.0°C | 9.2°C | 24.5°C | 4.7°C | 138 mm | 84% | 2.3 m/s | 5 |
| 2016 | 16.2°C | 12.9°C | 9.5°C | 26.8°C | 5.0°C | 84 mm | 82% | 2.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2015 | 18.4°C | 14.3°C | 10.2°C | 23.6°C | 4.2°C | 36 mm | 80% | 2.2 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2014 | 16.2°C | 12.9°C | 9.6°C | 20.8°C | 6.4°C | 62 mm | 82% | 2.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2013 | 17.3°C | 13.5°C | 9.8°C | 26.3°C | 5.3°C | 104 mm | 82% | 2.2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 17.5°C | 14.5°C | 11.6°C | 25.6°C | 7.7°C | 125 mm | 85% | 1.9 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2011 | 15.9°C | 13.0°C | 10.0°C | 23.9°C | 5.1°C | 65 mm | 87% | 2.4 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2010 🔥 | 18.2°C | 14.5°C | 10.8°C | 27.9°C | 4.2°C | 69 mm | 79% | 2.2 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2009 | 16.4°C | 13.1°C | 9.9°C | 22.3°C | 6.9°C | 83 mm | 83% | 2.2 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2008 | 15.3°C | 11.9°C | 8.5°C | 19.5°C | 3.4°C | 67 mm | 80% | 2.5 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2007 | 17.1°C | 13.2°C | 9.3°C | 28.4°C | 3.6°C | 78 mm | 80% | 2.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2006 🌧️ | 15.2°C | 12.2°C | 9.2°C | 23.9°C | 6.0°C | 213 mm | 85% | 2.5 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2005 ❄️ | 12.9°C | 10.1°C | 7.2°C | 20.5°C | 4.8°C | 155 mm | 85% | 2.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2004 | 16.5°C | 12.7°C | 8.8°C | 23.7°C | 3.9°C | 79 mm | 84% | 2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2003 | 14.5°C | 11.2°C | 8.0°C | 21.0°C | 4.9°C | 78 mm | 85% | 2.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2002 | 15.7°C | 12.1°C | 8.5°C | 21.3°C | 4.3°C | 131 mm | 78% | 2.5 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2001 | 16.9°C | 13.1°C | 9.3°C | 26.0°C | 4.9°C | 68 mm | 80% | 2.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2000 | 16.1°C | 12.4°C | 8.6°C | 24.2°C | 3.5°C | 85 mm | 83% | 2.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1999 | 16.8°C | 13.1°C | 9.4°C | 25.5°C | 4.6°C | 93 mm | 79% | 1.9 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1998 | 16.3°C | 13.0°C | 9.6°C | 23.1°C | 4.8°C | 109 mm | 84% | 2.4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1997 | 14.1°C | 10.9°C | 7.7°C | 19.0°C | 4.0°C | 82 mm | 80% | 2.6 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1996 | 15.6°C | 11.9°C | 8.2°C | 23.4°C | 3.2°C | 68 mm | 81% | 2.1 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1995 | 14.4°C | 11.0°C | 7.7°C | 21.7°C | 3.4°C | 66 mm | 82% | 2.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1994 | 14.8°C | 11.2°C | 7.7°C | 22.7°C | 4.6°C | 111 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1993 | 16.3°C | 12.7°C | 9.1°C | 22.5°C | 5.8°C | 38 mm | 82% | 2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1992 | 14.6°C | 10.8°C | 7.0°C | 26.4°C | 3.4°C | 34 mm | 80% | 2.2 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1991 | 18.0°C | 14.3°C | 10.5°C | 24.9°C | 6.2°C | 47 mm | 81% | 2 m/s | 6 |
| 1990 | 13.5°C | 10.6°C | 7.6°C | 18.6°C | 4.9°C | 158 mm | 83% | 2.4 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1989 | 16.0°C | 12.6°C | 9.1°C | 21.6°C | 5.8°C | 125 mm | 85% | 2.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1988 | 15.3°C | 12.0°C | 8.8°C | 22.3°C | 4.1°C | 90 mm | 85% | 2.2 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1987 | 15.0°C | 11.5°C | 8.0°C | 25.2°C | 3.6°C | 75 mm | 84% | 2.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1986 | 15.7°C | 12.3°C | 8.9°C | 24.0°C | 2.2°C | 58 mm | 83% | 2.4 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1985 | 15.5°C | 12.0°C | 8.4°C | 23.2°C | 3.4°C | 115 mm | 81% | 2.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1984 | 15.6°C | 12.1°C | 8.7°C | 20.5°C | 4.7°C | 172 mm | 84% | 2.2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1983 | 14.8°C | 11.7°C | 8.6°C | 20.2°C | 3.6°C | 94 mm | 86% | 2.5 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 16.0°C | 12.5°C | 9.0°C | 22.2°C | 6.1°C | 63 mm | 83% | 1.8 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 16.0°C | 12.5°C | 8.9°C | 24.9°C | 4.0°C | 58 mm | 81% | 2.4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 15.9°C with lows near 9.1°C (mean 12.5°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 91 mm of rainfall in Plymouth, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 213 mm in 2006.
The hottest May reached 28.4°C in 2007. The coldest dipped to 2.2°C in 1986.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.2°C. Daytime highs moved from 15.6°C to 16.7°C and overnight lows from 8.7°C to 10°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Plymouth and one of the drier months, so plan for around 15.9°C daytime highs and 9.1°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 7th coolest month in Plymouth, averaging 12.5°C.
For May in Plymouth, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 15.9°C and lows of 9.1°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 82% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 2.3 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 2.6 m/s (1994).
The wettest May on record was 2006 with 213 mm. On average, May sees 91 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 Plymouth 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.
