Southampton 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
Good
Best time to visit: May – September
What is the weather like in Southampton in May?
In May, Southampton is mild: daytime highs average 16 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. The sea averages 11.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 56 mm in total. All in all, May is a good month for a holiday in Southampton.
May compared
How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.
More details for May
- Daylight
- 15 h 29 min05:17 – 20:46
- UV index
- 7 · highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 24 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 63 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+1Europe/London
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %80 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %70 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %57 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in May
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Southampton in May: quick answers
Is Southampton hot in May?
No. In May, Southampton is mild: daytime highs average 16 °C and nights drop to about 9 °C.
Can you swim in Southampton in May?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 11.6 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Southampton in May?
Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 56 mm in total.
Southampton month by month
The whole year in SouthamptonAll destinations: United KingdomWhere to go in MaySea temperature in May
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences