Edinburgh weather in May
Temperature, sea and sunshine in May: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in May
Fair
Best time to visit: July – August
What is the weather like in Edinburgh in May?
In May, Edinburgh is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 9.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 59 mm in total. All in all, May is a so-so month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
May compared
How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.
More details for May
- Daylight
- 16 h 15 min05:01 – 21:16
- UV index
- 6 · highclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 20 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 70 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 0 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC+1Europe/London
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %54 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %53 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %35 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in May
- Sunscreen
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Edinburgh in May: quick answers
Is Edinburgh hot in May?
No. In May, Edinburgh is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C and nights drop to about 7 °C.
Can you swim in Edinburgh in May?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 9.8 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Edinburgh in May?
Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 59 mm in total.
Edinburgh month by month
The whole year in EdinburghAll destinations: United Kingdom
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)