yearsofweather

Sydney in May:
cool,

Sydney, Australia · Records from 2006 to 2025. Not a forecast.

Mean high21°Hottest day 29.1° (2016)
Mean low13°Coldest night 4.3° (2017)
Rain days8 days2-18 by year
Rainfall99mmDaylight 10.8 → 10.1 h
Sydney's 12 months iBest: September to November
Trip types Beach Poorcool seaSightseeing on foot Goodmild
Sea temperature21.2°20.5-22.9° by year (last 6)
Sunrise / sunset (15th)06:40 / 17:03Daylight 10.8 → 10.1 h

Sydney in May

Many clear, cool days at the end of autumn. Sea swimming starts to feel cold. The Vivid Sydney light festival often starts around month end. Days are good for walking, but it turns cool quickly after sunset.

Highs averaged 21°C and lows 13°C, an easy range for walking around all day. 8 rain days in a typical May: noticeable, but most days stayed dry. Averages hide a lot here: one year saw 2, another 18.

May 2016 averaged 23.9°C by day, 2.6°C above the 20-year mean.

Date by date i

‹ April May 2027 June ›
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Week
May 1rain on 35% of days22° 14°
2-8rain on 24% of days22° 13°
9-15rain on 28% of days22° 13°
16-22rain on 29% of days21° 12°
23-29rain on 27% of days20° 12°
30-31rain on 28% of days19° 11°

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

May 1rain on 35% of days22° 14°
2-8rain on 24% of days22° 13°
9-15rain on 28% of days22° 13°
16-22rain on 29% of days21° 12°
23-29rain on 27% of days20° 12°
30-31rain on 28% of days19° 11°
Tap another date to change

2006none
2007none
2008none
20091mm
2010none
201113mm
2012none
2013none
20147mm
201534mm
2016none
20171mm
2018none
201919mm
2020none
2021none
2022none
2023none
202427mm
20251mm
Holidays in May (2027)
  • May 31 Memorial Day

1 US holidays (flights fill up)

Day by day temperature i

10°17°24°31° 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
0 d 6 d
2007
0 d 4 d
2008
0 d 5 d
2009
1 d 11 d
2010
1 d 13 d
2011
1 d 8 d
2012
1 d 6 d
2013
3 d 11 d
2014
2 d 6 d
2015
2 d 8 d
2016
1 d 5 d
2017
1 d 7 d
2018
0 d 2 d
2019
2 d 5 d
2020
0 d 10 d
2021
4 d 8 d
2022
2 d 16 d
2023
2 d 7 d
2024
7 d 13 d
2025
3 d 18 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
5
8
4
4
3
4
5
5
6
5
8
6
4
5
5
3
7
6
6
7
7
8
8
6
5
2
4
5
5
6
Rain days on trip
00011113221102042273

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

One row per year, one cell per day. 2018 had 2 rain days, 2025 had 18.

Sydney through the year

MonthHighLowRain daysRainfallSea
January 27°20°10 days98mm 24°
February 28°20°10 days137mm 24°
March 26°19°12 days179mm 24°
April 24°15°10 days145mm 23°
May 21°13°8 days99mm 21°
June 18°10°10 days155mm 20°
July 18°9°8 days104mm 18°
August 20°10°7 days85mm 18°
SeptemberGood 22°12°7 days68mm 19°
OctoberGood 24°15°9 days69mm 20°
NovemberGood 25°17°10 days94mm 20°
December 27°18°9 days79mm 22°

Common questions

Does it rain a lot in Sydney in May?

Over the past 20 years May averaged 8 rain days (1 mm or more) out of 31. Individual years ran from 2 in the driest to 18 in the wettest.

What should I wear in Sydney in May?

Days averaged 21°C and nights 13°C. Pack a compact umbrella, a light layer for the evenings, and T-shirts.

Can you swim in Sydney in May?

Sea surface temperature averaged 21.2°C in May, cool when you first get in. Year to year it ranged 20.5-22.9°C. Check local flags for waves and jellyfish on the day.

Is May a good time to visit Sydney?

On warmth and rain days alone, Sydney's easiest months were September to November. May ranked 5 of 12.