Hong Kong in May:
properly hot,

Hong Kong · Records from 2006 to 2025. Not a forecast.

Mean high29°Hottest day 36.5° (2023)
Mean low25°Coldest night 16.3° (2022)
Rain days12 days5-22 by year
Rainfall318mmDaylight 13.0 → 13.4 h
Hong Kong's 12 months iBest: March, November and December
Trip types Beach Finewarm sea and frequent rainSightseeing on foot Finefrequent rain and muggy
Humidity84%28 muggy days
Clear days2 days19 overcast days
Mean wind11 km/hRarely windy
Sea temperature26.5°25.3-28.6° by year (last 6)
Sunrise / sunset (15th)05:43 / 18:55Daylight 13.0 → 13.4 h

Hong Kong in May

The month the wet season begins. Typhoons can arrive as early as May. Around the eighth day of the fourth lunar month the Cheung Chau Bun Festival is held, usually late April to early May.

May brought serious heat to Hong Kong, 29°C on a typical afternoon and 25°C overnight. Early mornings were the best time to be outside. The gap between day and night was just 4°C, so it felt much the same around the clock. About 12 days a month saw rain, enough that a wet-weather plan was worth having. It varied a lot from year to year. May 2018 had 5 rain days; 2015 had 22.

Highs passed 30°C on 10 days on average. Not every year was typical: 2021 ran 2.6°C warmer than the mean, with highs of 31.5°C. Wet days did not mess around: about 26 mm each, the kind of rain that drives you into a doorway.

Typhoons i

1 of the last 20 years had a tropical storm pass within 300 km this month.

  • Chanchu (2006), 220 km away typhoon strength
1 2 3 14 15 86 67 128 79 310 411 112

Date by date i

‹ April May 2027 June ›
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Week
May 1rain on 35% of days28° 23°
2-8rain on 34% of days28° 23°
9-15rain on 29% of days29° 24°
16-22rain on 49% of days29° 25°
23-29rain on 46% of days30° 25°
30-31rain on 43% of days30° 26°

0-5/206-8/209-11/2012-20/20

May 1rain on 35% of days28° 23°
2-8rain on 34% of days28° 23°
9-15rain on 29% of days29° 24°
16-22rain on 49% of days29° 25°
23-29rain on 46% of days30° 25°
30-31rain on 43% of days30° 26°
Tap another date to change

2006none
2007183mm
200827mm
20094mm
201025mm
2011none
20129mm
201312mm
201430mm
201556mm
201636mm
20171mm
2018none
20198mm
20205mm
2021none
2022none
2023none
202463mm
2025none
Holidays in May (2027)
  • May 1 Labour Day
  • May 13 The Birthday of the Buddha
  • May 31 Memorial Day

1 Local public holiday or break (busier, pricier)1 US holidays (flights fill up)

Day by day temperature i

18°25°31°38° 1815222931

Mean high Mean low Coldest to warmest high in 20 years

Your trip dates, the past 20 years

Trip dates ~

You can also click two dates on the axis. Hover a cell to see that day's rain.
Trip rain days Month rain days
2006
4 d 15 d
2007
2 d 10 d
2008
2 d 12 d
2009
0 d 9 d
2010
1 d 10 d
2011
0 d 8 d
2012
4 d 15 d
2013
2 d 17 d
2014
4 d 20 d
2015
5 d 22 d
2016
1 d 8 d
2017
1 d 8 d
2018
3 d 5 d
2019
5 d 16 d
2020
0 d 13 d
2021
3 d 9 d
2022
1 d 13 d
2023
2 d 6 d
2024
3 d 18 d
2025
5 d 11 d
Years with rain
Tap a date to start, tap another to end. Each cell is that date in one year.
'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
of 20
7
7
7
9
8
3
8
6
4
8
7
4
8
4
5
7
7
6
11
13
12
12
8
10
8
8
11
11
9
8
9
Rain days on trip
42201042451135031235

No rain1-9 mm10 mm or more Dates outside your trip are dimmed.

One row per year, one cell per day. 2018 had 5 rain days, 2015 had 22.

Hong Kong through the year

MonthHighLowRain daysRainfallSea
January 19°15°3 days34mm 19°
February 20°15°4 days37mm 19°
MarchGood 22°18°6 days83mm 21°
April 26°21°8 days157mm 23°
May 29°25°12 days318mm 27°
June 31°27°17 days486mm 28°
July 32°27°15 days361mm 30°
August 31°27°16 days416mm 29°
September 31°26°12 days358mm 29°
October 28°24°6 days203mm 28°
NovemberGood 25°20°4 days56mm 24°
DecemberGood 21°16°3 days23mm 21°

Common questions

Does it rain a lot in Hong Kong in May?

Over the past 20 years May averaged 12 rain days (1 mm or more) out of 31. Individual years ran from 5 in the driest to 22 in the wettest.

What should I wear in Hong Kong in May?

Days averaged 29°C and nights 25°C. Pack an umbrella, sandals that can get wet, T-shirts, sunscreen plus a hat, a swimsuit, and insect repellent.

Can you swim in Hong Kong in May?

Sea surface temperature averaged 26.5°C in May, comfortable for swimming. Year to year it ranged 25.3-28.6°C. Check local flags for waves and jellyfish on the day.

Is May a good time to visit Hong Kong?

On warmth and rain days alone, Hong Kong's easiest months were March, November and December. May ranked 8 of 12.

Is Hong Kong humid in May?

Mean relative humidity was 84%, with about 28 muggy days (dew point of 20°C or more) in the month.