Weather in Cairns in May 2025
Average weather
Average temperature in Cairns in May
Going from a maximum of +27°C during the day to a minimum of +19°C during the night, the temperature in May averages around +25°C.
The average maximum temperature goes down 12% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +26°C to +25°C.
Is Cairns warm or cold in May?
Cairns is typically warm in May.
Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +27°C to +26°C. The minimum temperature also goes down from +23°C to +21°C.
It’s generally warm, but pack a long-sleeve shirt for evenings.
Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Cairns:
Water temperature in Cairns in May
Water in Cairns in May is Warm. It varies from +24°C to +28°C, with an average of +26°C. Note that the air temperature is lower than the water temperature, averaging around +26°C.
In May, water temperatures are average relative to the rest of the year:
Can you swim in Cairns in May?
Climate in Cairns in May
| April | May | June | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +27°C | +26°C | +24°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| +16°C | +11°C | +10°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +34°C | +33°C | +32°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 121 mm | 62 mm | 34 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 3 m/s | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | ||||
| Avg. water temperature | ||||||
| +28°C | +26°C | +25°C | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 79% | 78% | 76% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1012 HPa | 1014 HPa | 1015 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 3 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 6 | 9 | 12 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 21 | 18 | 13 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
May weather is still as ok as in April. It’s getting colder in May. From +27°C in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +26°C. As May arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 121 mm to 62 mm. It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 79% to 78%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during May, staying around 3 m/s. The good news is there are likely to be more sunny days in May, from 3 to 5.
But maybe it is worth considering traveling in June as the weather gets better.
Wind
The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 6 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Cairns is gradually increasing during May, going from 3 m/s to 4 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
How was the weather last May in Cairns?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in Cairns in May has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1982 (+24°C) and the highest in 2013 (+30°C). The driest year was 2002 with only 513 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2023 with 3123 mm.
FAQ
Is May a good time to visit Cairns?
Can you sunbathe in Cairns in May?
Can you swim in Cairns in May?
Is Cairns rainy in May?
Is it sunny in Cairns in May?
Other cities in Australia
Monthly weather in Cairns
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Cairns, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.