yearsofweather

Kota Kinabalu in May:
very hot, rain on many days

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia · Records from 2006 to 2025. Not a forecast.

Mean high33°Hottest day 35.3° (2023)
Mean low25°Coldest night 22.9° (2008)
Rain days14 days4-28 by year
Rainfall288mmDaylight 12.3 → 12.4 h
Kota Kinabalu's 12 months iBest: February and March
Trip types Beach Finewarm sea and frequent rainSightseeing on foot Poorhot, frequent rain and muggy
Humidity82%31 muggy days
Clear days0 days21 overcast days
Mean wind6 km/hRarely windy
Sea temperature30.5°30-31° by year (last 6)
Sunrise / sunset (15th)06:00 / 18:24Daylight 12.3 → 12.4 h

Kota Kinabalu in May

The Kaamatan harvest festival on 30 and 31 May is a Sabah state holiday. The Kadazan-Dusun, Murut and Rungus communities give thanks for the rice harvest, with a month of events peaking in the last two days. Rain is a little more frequent than in April.

Kota Kinabalu in May ran hot: 33°C by day and 25°C at night. By midday the shade was the best seat in town. With 14 rain days on average, a wet day was rarely more than a few days away. It varied a lot from year to year. May 2019 had 4 rain days; 2024 had 28.

Highs topped 30°C on 31 days of the month on average. Mixing in indoor stops at midday made sense. Rain days averaged 21 mm each, so when it rained it rained properly.

Typhoons i No tropical storm passed within 300 km in this month over the last 20 years. Typhoons: December and January

Date by date i

‹ April May 2027 June ›
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Week
May 1rain on 50% of days33° 25°
2-8rain on 46% of days33° 25°
9-15rain on 46% of days33° 25°
16-22rain on 49% of days33° 25°
23-29rain on 36% of days33° 25°
30-31rain on 45% of days33° 25°

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

May 1rain on 50% of days33° 25°
2-8rain on 46% of days33° 25°
9-15rain on 46% of days33° 25°
16-22rain on 49% of days33° 25°
23-29rain on 36% of days33° 25°
30-31rain on 45% of days33° 25°
Tap another date to change

2006none
20076mm
20083mm
2009none
201013mm
201124mm
2012none
201322mm
2014none
20155mm
20164mm
20177mm
201829mm
2019none
2020none
2021none
2022none
20231mm
2024175mm
202582mm
Holidays in May (2027)
  • May 1 Labour Day
  • May 15 to May 18 Hari Raya Haji long weekend *
  • May 17 to May 18 Hari Raya Haji (Eid al-Adha) *
  • May 20 Wesak Day
  • May 29 to May 31 Kaamatan long weekend
  • May 30 to May 31 Kaamatan Harvest Festival
  • May 31 Memorial Day

* Provisional: not yet officially announced.

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

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
2 d 10 d
2007
4 d 16 d
2008
3 d 15 d
2009
1 d 7 d
2010
7 d 18 d
2011
2 d 9 d
2012
4 d 13 d
2013
4 d 16 d
2014
0 d 16 d
2015
2 d 8 d
2016
3 d 14 d
2017
7 d 19 d
2018
3 d 18 d
2019
0 d 4 d
2020
1 d 10 d
2021
3 d 15 d
2022
5 d 14 d
2023
5 d 11 d
2024
6 d 28 d
2025
2 d 14 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
10
12
9
8
10
9
7
9
6
9
8
10
11
9
11
11
8
8
12
11
11
7
7
7
4
9
8
8
8
11
7
Rain days on trip
24317244023730135562

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

One row per year, one cell per day. 2019 had 4 rain days, 2024 had 28.

Kota Kinabalu through the year

MonthHighLowRain daysRainfallSea
January 31°24°12 days235mm 29°
FebruaryGood 32°24°8 days107mm 28°
MarchGood 32°24°8 days155mm 28°
April 33°25°12 days161mm 30°
May 33°25°14 days288mm 31°
June 33°24°14 days296mm 30°
July 33°24°15 days316mm 30°
August 32°24°16 days345mm 30°
September 32°24°15 days406mm 30°
October 32°24°19 days464mm 30°
November 32°24°17 days321mm 30°
December 32°24°15 days330mm 30°

Common questions

Does it rain a lot in Kota Kinabalu in May?

Over the past 20 years May averaged 14 rain days (1 mm or more) out of 31. Individual years ran from 4 in the driest to 28 in the wettest.

What should I wear in Kota Kinabalu in May?

Days averaged 33°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 Kota Kinabalu in May?

Sea surface temperature averaged 30.5°C in May, warm enough to stay in for a long swim. Year to year it ranged 30-31°C. Check local flags for waves and jellyfish on the day.

Is May a good time to visit Kota Kinabalu?

On warmth and rain days alone, Kota Kinabalu's easiest months were February and March. May ranked 11 of 12.

Is Kota Kinabalu humid in May?

Mean relative humidity was 82%, with about 31 muggy days (dew point of 20°C or more) in the month.