Jaffna weather in May
In May, Jaffna has daytime highs averaging 31 °C, nights around 28 °C, with 7.7 wet days, and a sea temperature of 30 °C. Figures are 1991–2020 climate normals.
- 31.2°C Average high
- 28.0°C Average low
- 7.7days Wet days
- 62mm Rainfall
- 29.7°C Sea temperature
- 13h Daylight
Daily temperatures through May
How May develops
Averages for the first, middle and last part of the month, from daily 1991–2020 normals. Chance of rain is the share of years in which that calendar day recorded more than 1 mm.
| Days | Avg high | Avg low | Chance of rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 May | 31.4 °C | 27.8 °C | 34 % |
| 11–20 May | 31.3 °C | 28.1 °C | 23 % |
| 21–31 May | 31.1 °C | 28.1 °C | 17 % |
- Rain is most likely over days 1–10 of May (34 % of days) and least likely over days 21–31 (17 %).
What to expect
| Measure | Typical May | Share of the month |
|---|---|---|
| Days above 25 °C | 31 of 31 | 100 % |
| Days above 30 °C | 28 of 31 | 90 % |
| Days below 0 °C | 0 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days with more than 1 mm rain | 7.7 of 31 | 25 % |
Conditions in May
| Measure | Average |
|---|---|
| Mean temperature | 29 °C |
| Record high (1991–2020) | 34 °C |
| Record low (1991–2020) | 25 °C |
| Relative humidity | 78 % |
| Wind speed | 32 km/h |
| Cloud cover | 63 % |
Where Jaffna ranks in May
| Ranking | Position | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Best beach destinations in Asia in May | 43rdof 50 | 76/100 |
May compared with the months around it
| Month | Avg high | Rainfall | Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 30.4 °C | 23 mm | 38 % |
| April | 31.5 °C | 48 mm | 50 % |
| May | 31.2 °C | 62 mm | 63 % |
| June | 30.6 °C | 28 mm | 80 % |
| July | 30.5 °C | 32 mm | 83 % |
See all twelve months for Jaffna
- May is the 2nd warmest month here.
- It is the 7th driest month of the year.
- It ranks 5th for least cloud cover.
- Days last about 13 hours from sunrise to sunset.
- It rains on 7.7 of 31 days — 25 % of the month.
- Nights are about 3.3 °C cooler than the middle of the day.
- The hottest May day on record since 1991 reached 34 °C, 3.0 °C above the usual daytime high.
- Beach score: 76 / 100 — see how this is calculated.
Nearby destinations in May
| Destination | Avg high | Wet days | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaffna | 31 °C | 7.7 | 30 |
| Kāraikkudi | 37 °C | 11 | – |
| Thanjavur | 38 °C | 11 | – |
| Kumbakonam | 38 °C | 9 | – |
| Tiruchirappalli | 38 °C | 10 | – |
QuestionsMay in Jaffna, answered
How warm is Jaffna in May?
Daily highs average 31 °C and nights fall to about 28 °C, a spread of 3.3 °C between afternoon and dawn. That makes May the 1st warmest month of the year here.
Does it rain much in Jaffna in May?
May averages 62 mm of rain, spread over about 8 of the 31 days — 25 % of the month. Cloud cover averages 63 % of the sky.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in May?
The sea averages 30 °C off Jaffna in May. Most people find water below 20 °C bracing and above 25 °C comfortable for a long swim; this figure is a monthly surface average, so a sheltered bay on a still afternoon can be warmer.
How long are the days in May?
Jaffna averages 13 hours between sunrise and sunset in May. Day length is computed from latitude and date, so it is exact rather than modelled — but it says nothing about how much of that time is sunny.
Data sources and method
- ERA5 / ERA5-Land reanalysis — Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), ECMWF. Copernicus Licence
- Open-Meteo — Open-Meteo.com. CC BY 4.0
- NOAA OISST v2.1 — NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Public domain
- GeoNames — GeoNames.org. CC BY 4.0
- Normal period
- 1991–2020
- Dataset version
- era5-1991-2020-scores1.1
- Last processed
Measured values come from ERA5 reanalysis and are reproduced unchanged. Calculated by us: daylight hours, beach and comfort scores, monthly rankings, threshold day counts, chance of a wet day by date, ten-day averages within the month. Full formulas are on the methodology page.
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.