May Weather in London

May Weather Locations

Map illustrating the average weather maximum temperatures for London in May

In London in May on an average day, the temperture reaches about 15-19C in the afternoons.

London has the warmest weather of the UK in May. When the weather is sunny and the wind drops off, the temperature in london can easily go up to 25C in may, sometimes higher. On days when it's wet or windy, the temperature is more likely to be about 15C. London is further than much of the UK from the cooling influence of the cooler waters of the Atlantic ocean. Windspeeds are also typically slightly lower than in more western and northern parts of the UK. These two factors make London weather slightly warmer in may than anywhere else in the UK.

Nightime temperatures are typically about 9 or 10C in may. Frost is a very rare event in london in may, and if it occurs it's very light.

On average in may, the weather is sunny for about 40-45% of daylight hours. Long days at this time of year mean that it'll be sunny for about 6 or 7 hours a day on average, Although the weather can remain wet or cloudy for several consecutive days sometimes. At other times, there can be clear blue sky for several days continuously.

Rainfall will typically occur on about 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 days in an average may in london. At any one point in time, there's about a 6% chance that it will be raining. When the wind comes from the north or west, the weather can sometimes change rapidly. Visitors to the UK are sometimes suprised on windy days at the rapid speed that a full grey-skied showery downpour can change to clear blue sky.

When the weather and wind comes from the south-east in May, the temperature in london will often go up several degrees, as warmer air is brought up from continental europe where the weather is often much warmer in may.

Daylight hours are long in May, and by the end of the month, it's light from about 5am until about 9.45pm. Generally, it's jumper or light jacket weather in the afternoons, or t-shirt weather on sunnier days. If you're staying outside in the evening for much time, you'll need a coat on most evenings.