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Cairns in May

Queensland, Australia · Autumn Shoulder Season
6.9/10
Comfort Score for May 0.7 above annual avg · 1.0 above national May avg
Ranked #75 of 213 cities for May comfort

So, what's Cairns actually like in May? In a word: comfortable. It's autumn, and the days are averaging 26.1 degrees.

The average daily maximum is 26.1 degrees with overnight lows of 20.6 degrees. Comfortable during the day, with evenings that invite a light layer.

At 26.1 degrees, May sits 2.2 degrees below the annual average of 28.3 degrees.

You're looking at 82mm of rain across 21 days in a typical May. Moderate, often falling in a few good dumps rather than constant drizzle.

Solar exposure averages 14.8 MJ/m2 per day in May, with UV levels in the very high range. You'll want SPF 50+ and a decent hat.

May scores a respectable 6.9/10 for overall comfort.

Packing tip: bring a mix of short and long sleeves, a rain jacket or compact umbrella, and SPF 50+ sunscreen and a hat.

Check the data table below for the full picture, or compare Cairns in May with another destination.

May at a Glance

Average High ▲
26.1°C
Daily maximum
2.2° below annual avg, 5.4° vs national avg
Average Low ▲
20.6°C
Overnight minimum
0.4° below annual avg, 8.6° vs national avg
Rainfall ▲
82mm
21 rain days
117.2mm below annual avg, 26.6mm vs national avg
Rain Probability
68%
Daily chance of rain
Solar Exposure
14.8
MJ/m2 per day
Humidity
68%
Moderate
Comfort ▲
6.9/10
Good

Temperature Range

20.6°C
26.1°C

Daily temperature range in May. The bar shows the typical spread between overnight lows and afternoon highs.

What to Pack

Coming From Overseas?

How May in Cairns stacks up against major cities around the world.

London
About 8 degrees warmer and considerably wetter.
New York
About 3 degrees warmer and considerably drier.
Tokyo
About 2 degrees warmer and considerably drier.

How May Compares

Cairns's monthly climate at a glance. May is highlighted.

Month Max Min Rain Comfort
Jan 31.2 24.5 689mm 2.9
Feb 30.5 24.3 316mm 3.4
Mar 29.5 23.8 514mm 3.7
Apr 28.6 22.1 121mm 5.4
May 26.1 20.6 82mm 6.9
Jun 25.9 16.7 18mm 9.0
Jul 24.6 16.9 66mm 9.2
Aug 25.6 17.8 61mm 8.6
Sep 27.1 19.1 60mm 7.9
Oct 29.1 20.5 25mm 7.3
Nov 30.2 21.7 61mm 6.1
Dec 30.9 23.6 379mm 3.5

May in Other Australian Cities

Sydney in May18.8°C, 160mm Melbourne in May16.3°C, 40mm Brisbane in May22.6°C, 34mm Perth in May24.4°C, 94mm Adelaide in May19.2°C, 16mm Gold Coast in May22.1°C, 46mm Newcastle in May19.0°C, 155mm Canberra in May14.9°C, 45mm Sunshine Coast in May22.4°C, 62mm Wollongong in May17.9°C, 225mm Hobart in May14.8°C, 28mm Geelong in May16.8°C, 36mm Townsville in May27.3°C, 12mm Darwin in May32.5°C, 4mm Toowoomba in May19.4°C, 28mm Ballarat in May14.2°C, 36mm Bendigo in May16.5°C, 45mm Albury in May17.9°C, 36mm Launceston in May15.7°C, 49mm Mackay in May23.9°C, 70mm Rockhampton in May25.0°C, 20mm Bundaberg in May24.0°C, 48mm Bunbury in May21.9°C, 114mm Coffs Harbour in May20.1°C, 119mm Wagga Wagga in May18.4°C, 33mm Hervey Bay in May23.7°C, 51mm Shepparton in May17.5°C, 83mm Tamworth in May19.7°C, 41mm Port Macquarie in May20.0°C, 117mm Orange in May14.0°C, 39mm Dubbo in May19.0°C, 94mm Warrnambool in May15.9°C, 29mm Mildura in May18.9°C, 19mm Gladstone in May24.4°C, 22mm Bathurst in May15.4°C, 63mm Geraldton in May26.8°C, 8mm Mount Gambier in May17.2°C, 16mm Nowra in May17.9°C, 212mm Alice Springs in May22.6°C, 40mm Traralgon in May16.6°C, 23mm Lismore in May21.0°C, 96mm Caloundra in May22.3°C, 74mm Armidale in May15.0°C, 41mm Albany in May20.5°C, 72mm Kalgoorlie in May23.5°C, 10mm Emerald in May26.1°C, 8mm Broken Hill in May18.4°C, 17mm Grafton in May21.4°C, 50mm Whyalla in May21.2°C, 7mm Murray Bridge in May18.8°C, 14mm Port Augusta in May22.3°C, 14mm Port Lincoln in May18.4°C, 8mm Port Pirie in May20.9°C, 13mm Victor Harbor in May16.6°C, 22mm Mount Isa in May28.1°C, 8mm Longreach in May27.8°C, 5mm Roma in May22.3°C, 10mm Charleville in May23.1°C, 13mm Broome in May29.8°C, 37mm Karratha in May31.5°C, 7mm Port Hedland in May31.5°C, 12mm Esperance in May21.0°C, 37mm Carnarvon in May28.8°C, 14mm Exmouth in May29.2°C, 4mm Mandurah in May22.6°C, 113mm Rockingham in May23.5°C, 90mm Margaret River in May21.3°C, 140mm Griffith in May18.3°C, 103mm Mudgee in May17.1°C, 40mm Maitland in May19.8°C, 110mm Cessnock in May18.9°C, 113mm Tweed Heads in May21.6°C, 80mm Forster in May19.9°C, 123mm Byron Bay in May21.2°C, 140mm Kiama in May17.9°C, 214mm Katoomba in May12.9°C, 103mm Moree in May21.8°C, 45mm Inverell in May19.0°C, 38mm Cooma in May13.3°C, 56mm Young in May16.6°C, 45mm Parkes in May18.3°C, 88mm Forbes in May18.8°C, 74mm Cowra in May18.1°C, 65mm Goulburn in May14.1°C, 87mm Lithgow in May13.5°C, 78mm Singleton in May20.1°C, 94mm Muswellbrook in May19.0°C, 53mm Narrabri in May21.4°C, 54mm Bourke in May21.2°C, 70mm Lightning Ridge in May21.9°C, 79mm Hay in May18.0°C, 101mm Deniliquin in May18.1°C, 80mm Jindabyne in May12.4°C, 70mm Batemans Bay in May17.5°C, 197mm Ulladulla in May17.4°C, 257mm Merimbula in May17.5°C, 56mm Wodonga in May17.8°C, 43mm Wangaratta in May18.1°C, 61mm Echuca in May17.7°C, 66mm Horsham in May17.6°C, 20mm Hamilton in May15.9°C, 20mm Colac in May16.0°C, 29mm Sale in May17.1°C, 26mm Bairnsdale in May17.3°C, 26mm Lakes Entrance in May16.9°C, 22mm Swan Hill in May18.3°C, 49mm Portland in May15.9°C, 23mm Benalla in May17.5°C, 72mm Wonthaggi in May16.3°C, 40mm Lorne in May16.1°C, 46mm Bright in May17.4°C, 60mm Falls Creek in May8.0°C, 90mm Noosa in May22.4°C, 71mm Maryborough in May24.0°C, 45mm Gympie in May23.2°C, 21mm Warwick in May20.2°C, 25mm Dalby in May22.3°C, 18mm Kingaroy in May20.7°C, 22mm Biloela in May24.7°C, 12mm Yeppoon in May23.5°C, 60mm Bowen in May26.4°C, 25mm Ayr in May27.0°C, 21mm Innisfail in May25.7°C, 175mm Atherton in May21.8°C, 36mm Port Douglas in May25.7°C, 167mm Cooktown in May26.9°C, 46mm Weipa in May31.5°C, 2mm Charters Towers in May26.5°C, 8mm Cloncurry in May29.2°C, 5mm Winton in May28.5°C, 8mm Birdsville in May24.7°C, 42mm Stanthorpe in May17.2°C, 27mm Ceduna in May21.6°C, 8mm Coober Pedy in May22.7°C, 6mm Renmark in May19.9°C, 15mm Berri in May19.9°C, 14mm Clare in May17.8°C, 18mm Barossa Valley in May18.5°C, 11mm Goolwa in May17.9°C, 18mm Kingscote in May18.4°C, 8mm Naracoorte in May18.1°C, 17mm Devonport in May15.8°C, 44mm Burnie in May15.2°C, 51mm Ulverstone in May14.9°C, 56mm St Helens in May15.3°C, 81mm Strahan in May14.2°C, 104mm Cradle Mountain in May8.7°C, 98mm Swansea in May15.1°C, 59mm Queenstown in May13.9°C, 132mm Katherine in May31.9°C, 0mm Tennant Creek in May27.9°C, 9mm Nhulunbuy in May29.6°C, 30mm Yulara in May23.5°C, 16mm Kununurra in May32.7°C, 16mm Newman in May27.2°C, 1mm Tom Price in May27.1°C, 4mm Meekatharra in May25.7°C, 9mm Northam in May23.9°C, 26mm Katanning in May20.7°C, 25mm Denmark in May20.3°C, 78mm Dunsborough in May21.2°C, 111mm Penrith in May18.8°C, 122mm Richmond in May19.3°C, 114mm Campbelltown in May18.6°C, 148mm Gosford in May18.8°C, 128mm Sunbury in May15.2°C, 40mm Bacchus Marsh in May16.1°C, 42mm Ocean Grove in May16.4°C, 30mm Torquay in May16.6°C, 31mm Phillip Island in May16.3°C, 29mm Daylesford in May13.5°C, 50mm Airlie Beach in May23.7°C, 64mm Mission Beach in May24.8°C, 215mm Seventeen Seventy in May23.7°C, 62mm Agnes Water in May23.5°C, 62mm Rainbow Beach in May22.9°C, 48mm Coolangatta in May21.6°C, 80mm Surfers Paradise in May22.1°C, 46mm Thredbo in May8.1°C, 87mm Perisher in May8.6°C, 72mm Nelson Bay in May19.4°C, 153mm Terrigal in May18.8°C, 165mm Lennox Head in May20.8°C, 154mm Yamba in May20.8°C, 143mm Narooma in May17.9°C, 146mm Eden in May17.5°C, 45mm Coral Bay in May30.2°C, 11mm Monkey Mia in May27.8°C, 17mm Kalbarri in May27.2°C, 12mm Jurien Bay in May25.9°C, 22mm Busselton in May21.6°C, 82mm Walpole in May20.2°C, 142mm McLaren Vale in May18.3°C, 28mm Hahndorf in May16.0°C, 19mm Robe in May16.5°C, 15mm Jabiru in May34.3°C, 6mm Mataranka in May31.4°C, 0mm Bicheno in May14.4°C, 66mm Bruny Island in May14.1°C, 44mm Port Arthur in May14.1°C, 36mm White Cliffs in May19.8°C, 62mm Tibooburra in May21.1°C, 34mm Oodnadatta in May23.8°C, 4mm Marree in May23.3°C, 5mm Marble Bar in May31.2°C, 10mm Halls Creek in May29.3°C, 0mm Fitzroy Crossing in May32.8°C, 7mm Wyndham in May32.9°C, 10mm Thursday Island in May29.4°C, 35mm Norfolk Island in May20.0°C, 38mm Christmas Island in May27.0°C, 36mm Lord Howe Island in May19.9°C, 47mm

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