Weather in Shetland Islands in May 2025
Average weather
Average temperature in Shetland Islands in May
Going from a maximum of +10°C during the day to a minimum of +4°C during the night, the temperature in May averages around +9°C.
The average maximum temperature goes up 50% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +7°C to +10°C.
Is Shetland Islands warm or cold in May?
Shetland Islands is typically cool in May.
Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +8°C to +10°C. The minimum temperature also goes up from +5°C to +6°C.
Pack a sweater and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.
Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Shetland Islands:
Climate in Shetland Islands in May
| April | May | June | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +8°C | +10°C | +12°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| -16°C | -5°C | +2°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +18°C | +21°C | +23°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 54 mm | 44 mm | 46 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 7 m/s | 6 m/s | 5 m/s | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 79% | 81% | 83% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1012 HPa | 1013 HPa | 1013 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 9 | 13 | 14 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 17 | 16 | 15 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
May weather is still as ok as in April. It’s getting warmer as May arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +8°C to +10°C during the day. As May arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 54 mm to 44 mm. Humidity rises from 79% to 81%. Winds are calmer in comparison to April, going down from 7 m/s to 6 m/s on average. The good news is there are likely to be more sunny days in May, from 1 to 2.
June brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind
The average wind speed is 7 m/s getting up to 12 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Shetland Islands is gradually decreasing during May, going from 9 m/s to 6 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
How was the weather last May in Shetland Islands?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in Shetland Islands in May has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1979 (+8°C) and the highest in 2006 (+11°C). The driest year was 1996 with only 776 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2015 with 1280 mm.
FAQ
Is May a good time to visit Shetland Islands?
Can you sunbathe in Shetland Islands in May?
Is Shetland Islands rainy in May?
Is it sunny in Shetland Islands in May?
Other cities in United Kingdom
Monthly weather in Shetland Islands
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Shetland Islands, 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.