Edinburgh weather in May (Scotland)

How is the weather in Edinburgh in May? Here's what the weather might have in store during this month.

In May, Edinburgh generally has moderate temperatures and moderate rainfall. Throughout the day, temperatures typically settle at around 15°C. But by evening, they drop to around 7°C.

Edinburgh in May usually receives moderate rainfall, averaging around 67 mm for the month. Rain is expected on roughly 16 days.

The city usually sees around 193 hours of sunlight, indicating many sunny days.

In case you lean more towards enjoying temperate temperatures and rain-free days June, July and August typically offer the most optimal weather. In contrast, January, February, March, November and December tend to have less optimal conditions.

For an in-depth look at the yearly conditions, visit our specialized Edinburgh climate page with graphs.

 

Edinburgh, monthly averages in May

Min TemperatureMin Temperature 7°C  
Max TemperatureMax Temperature 15°C  
Water TemperatureWater Temperature 8°C  
Chance of RainChance of Rain 52%  
PrecipitationPrecipitation 67 mm  
Rainy daysRainy days 16 days  
HumidityHumidity 76%  
WindspeedWindspeed 14 km/h  
SunshineSunshine 193 hours  
Percentage SunshinePercentage Sunshine 36%  

Where to go in Scotland in May

Find out more about the weather in Scotland in May and which places have the best weather conditions in this month.

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

So, what should you wear in Edinburgh in May?

Plan on layering your clothes. Some days or part of the day it will be nice and warm and some moments it can be a bit chilly. Bring a rain jacket in case it rains during your stay. With a water temperature of around 8°C there is no need to bring your swimwear.

What To Do

We rated the following activities from 1 (least suitable) to 10 (best) to do in May.

Swimming
5/10
Cycling
6/10
Walking
6/10
Camping
4/10
Outdoor sports
10/10

Interested in more climate information?

Weather and Climate provides you with all the information you need about the climate in Edinburgh.

Our site offers climate and forecast data for every country in the world. Are you going to Scotland? On this website you can find historical weather averages for many cities in Scotland. Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.