Honolulu, HI weather in May
May in Honolulu: warm and often humid, with some rain. Highs 85°F, lows 72°F, rain on about 6 days.
- Normal high
- 85°F
- Normal low
- 72°F
- Wet days
- 6
- 0.8 in total
- Muggy days
- 15
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 84°F | 86°F |
| Normal low | 71°F | 73°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 21% | 20% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:00 am / 6:56 pm | 5:49 am / 7:09 pm |
| Daylight | 12.9 h | 13.3 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Hawaii time (no daylight saving)).
A typical May day
- 6 am72°Fdew point 65°F
- 9 am79°Fdew point 65°F
- Noon83°Fdew point 65°F
- 3 pm83°Fdew point 65°F
- 6 pm79°Fdew point 65°F
- 9 pm76°Fdew point 65°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Honolulu Intl Airport (5 mi away); average wind 10 mph; clear or few clouds in 36% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 25%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F0 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph15 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more1 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more15 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow6 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in2 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per May, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in May
Normal precipitation is 0.8 in; a dry May brings about 0.1 in and a wet one about 1.1 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20202005: average high 88°F
- Coolest May2006: average high 81°F
- Wettest May2014: 3.4 in
- Driest May2000: 0.03 in
- Highest reading92°F (May 31, 2009)
- Lowest reading60°F (May 2, 2006)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
May compared with April and June
| April | May | June | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 83°F | 85°F | 87°F |
| Normal low | 70°F | 72°F | 74°F |
| Wet days | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Comfortable days | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylight | 12.7 h | 13.2 h | 13.4 h |
Highs change by +2°F from April and +2°F into June.
How Honolulu ranks in May
- Normal high71st warmest of 378 cities; 2nd of 7 in Hawaii
- Wet days94th driest of 378
- Comfortable days332nd most of 339
What to pack for Honolulu in May
- Light, breathable clothing – highs near 85°F and about 15 muggy days
- A swimsuit – about 15 beach days
Heating and cooling
May has 0 heating degree days and 408 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 9% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Honolulu in May?
The normal high is 85°F and the normal low is 72°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 92°F (most recently on May 31, 2009).
Does it rain a lot in Honolulu in May?
About 6 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.8 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2014 (3.4 in); the driest was in 2000 (0.03 in).
Is May a good time to visit Honolulu?
May ranks 5th of 12 months on our comfort score for Honolulu (54 out of 100). It has almost no comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. The best months are February, March and June.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Honolulu Intl Airport (USW00022521), 4.7 mi WNW of the city center, 7 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Beretania Pump Stn 705 (USC00510211), 0.3 mi E of the city center, 20 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Honolulu International Airport (911820-22521), 5.3 mi WNW of the city center, 6 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.