Sun, sea & sand

St Andrews weather in May

Temperature, sea and sunshine in May: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.

22

Holiday weather in May

Poor

Best time to visit: April – July

What is the weather like in St Andrews in May?

In May, St Andrews is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 9.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 54 mm in total. All in all, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in St Andrews.

May compared

How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.

AprilAprMayMayJuneJun
Score202219
Day10°13°15°
Night5°7°10°
Sea7°9°12°
Sun6 h7 h6 h
Rain days101112

More details for May

Daylight
16 h 19 min04:58 – 21:17
UV index
6 · highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
Muggy days
0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
Wind
23 km/haverage daily peakAll months
Cloud cover
67 %on averageAll months
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 35 %0 %
  • Seaweight 25 %0 %
  • Sunshineweight 20 %63 %
  • Few rainy daysweight 20 %48 %

Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.

What to pack in May

  • Sunscreen
  • A jumper for the evenings
  • Rain jacket or umbrella

St Andrews in May: quick answers

Is St Andrews hot in May?

No. In May, St Andrews is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C and nights drop to about 7 °C.

Can you swim in St Andrews in May?

Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 9.4 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.

Does it rain much in St Andrews in May?

Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 54 mm in total.

St Andrews month by month

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