Weather in Istanbul in May 2025
Average weather
Average temperature in Istanbul in May
Going from a maximum of +23°C during the day to a minimum of +10°C during the night, the temperature in May averages around +18°C.
The average maximum temperature goes up 38% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +18°C to +23°C.
Is Istanbul warm or cold in May?
Istanbul is typically mild in May.
Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +15°C to +20°C. The minimum temperature also goes up from +9°C to +14°C.
Pack a light jacket as it will be warm in the day and cool in the evenings.
Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Istanbul:
Water temperature in Istanbul in May
Water in Istanbul in May is Cold. It varies from +13°C to +18°C, with an average of +16°C. This is almost similar to the air temperature, which averages +20°C.
In May, water temperatures are average relative to the rest of the year:
Can you swim in Istanbul in May?
Climate in Istanbul in May
| April | May | June | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +15°C | +20°C | +25°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| +1°C | +6°C | +11°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +28°C | +34°C | +37°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 41 mm | 26 mm | 24 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 3 m/s | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | ||||
| Avg. water temperature | ||||||
| +10°C | +16°C | +21°C | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 69% | 69% | 66% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1013 HPa | 1013 HPa | 1012 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 12 | 15 | 18 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 7 | 6 | 2 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 10 | 8 | 6 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
May weather is still as good as in April. It’s getting warmer as May arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +15°C to +20°C during the day. As May arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 41 mm to 26 mm. Humidity levels don’t change as the month goes on, averaging around 69%. 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 12 to 15.
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 8 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Istanbul is gradually increasing during May, going from 3 m/s to 3 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
How was the weather last May in Istanbul?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in Istanbul in May has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1997 (+16°C) and the highest in 2019 (+20°C). The driest year was 1984 with only 361 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2010 with 859 mm.
FAQ
Is May a good time to visit Istanbul?
Can you sunbathe in Istanbul in May?
Can you swim in Istanbul in May?
Is Istanbul rainy in May?
Is it sunny in Istanbul in May?
Other cities in Turkey
Monthly weather in Istanbul
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Istanbul, 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.