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Sabah weather in May

Considering a trip to Sabah this May and wondering about the expected weather conditions? Find all the crucial information you need right here, addressing your question:

What is the weather like in Sabah in May?

Sabah is a region in Malaysia. May in Sabah generally has temperatures that range from warm to very warm, with precipitation levels ranging from high to heavy.

Based on our climate data spanning from 1990-2020, the average maximum temperature is warm in Kampong Kundassan at 30°C to very warm in Sandakan at 34°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 24°C in Sandakan and 20°C in Kampong Kundassan. The temperatures mentioned for both day and night are typical averages. However some days might get even hotter. It's best to stay prepared by wearing cloths suitable for the warmth.

In May, precipitation varies across different areas. From high rainfall in Kudat with an average of 124 mm to heavy rainfall in Bilit with 249 mm. The city Kota Kinabalu usually sees around 229 hours of sunlight, indicating many sunny days.

For specific regional insights in Sabah for May, refer to the map provided below. For an in-depth overview of the yearly weather conditions, do visit our Sabah climate page.

Where to go in Sabah in May

Find the average weather conditions in May for the most popular destinations in Sabah on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailed information.

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).

Popular destinations in Sabah

What is the weather like in May for the 5 most popular destinations in Sabah?

Average weather in Kota Kinabalu

In May Kota Kinabalu generally has very high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 31°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 25°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Kota Kinabalu
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
30°C 
25°C 
247 hours 
173 mm 
13 days 
31°C 
25°C 
229 hours 
210 mm 
18 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
30°C 
25°C 
198 hours 
222 mm 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in Kota Kinabalu

Average weather in Sandakan

In May Sandakan generally has very high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 34°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 24°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Sandakan
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
34°C 
24°C 
226 hours 
185 mm 
11 days 
poor 
34°C 
24°C 
202 hours 
249 mm 
14 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
34°C 
24°C 
202 hours 
259 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Sandakan

Average weather in Ranau

In May Ranau generally has very high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 30°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 20°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Ranau
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
31°C 
20°C 
247 hours 
155 mm 
14 days 
30°C 
20°C 
229 hours 
197 mm 
19 days 
June   >> June
>>  
30°C 
19°C 
198 hours 
196 mm 
19 days 
Climate in Ranau

Average weather in Bilit

In May Bilit generally has very high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 34°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 24°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Bilit
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
34°C 
23°C 
226 hours 
189 mm 
11 days 
poor 
34°C 
24°C 
202 hours 
249 mm 
14 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
33°C 
24°C 
202 hours 
249 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Bilit

Average weather in Sepilok

In May Sepilok generally has very high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 33°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 25°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Sepilok
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
32°C 
25°C 
226 hours 
161 mm 
11 days 
33°C 
25°C 
202 hours 
211 mm 
14 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
32°C 
25°C 
202 hours 
220 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Sepilok

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Sabah, in Malaysia.

Is May the best time to visit Sabah?

Given the typically poor weather conditions in Kota Kinabalu, May may not be the ideal time to visit Sabah.

Generally speaking, the best visiting conditions can be found in February offering mostly pleasant weather in Kota Kinabalu. On the other hand, the months of May, June, September, October and November tend to have poor weather conditions.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Sabah. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

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  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to Malaysia? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in Malaysia.

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