Chennai weather in May
In May, Chennai has an average high of 36 °C97 °F and an average low of 27 °C81 °F, with about 55 mm2.2 in of precipitation. May is the warmest month of the year and ranks 8th for precipitation.
How May compares with other months
Compared with April, May is 1 °C1.8 °F warmer on average and wetter by 29 mm1.1 in. Compared with June, May is 0.9 °C1.6 °F warmer on average and drier by 13 mm0.5 in. Daylight lasts about 12.7 hours around the middle of the month. Average relative humidity is 65% and the average cloud amount 54%.
Is May a good time to visit Chennai?
May is not among the most comfortable months by our comfort score: it is hot (average high 36 °C97 °F). The most comfortable months in Chennai are January.
What to wear in May
For Chennai in May, pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
May in nearby places
| Place | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai | 3697 | 2781 | 552.2 |
| Pallavaram | 3697 | 2781 | 552.2 |
| Kanchipuram | 3696 | 2780 | 552.2 |
| Tirupati | 38101 | 2679 | 592.3 |
| Vellore | 3799 | 2678 | 672.6 |
| Chittoor | 3798 | 2577 | 672.6 |
| Puducherry | 3392 | 2882 | 692.7 |
| Nellore | 3799 | 2883 | 401.6 |
| Tiruvannamalai | 3697 | 2678 | 712.8 |
Nearby places that are more than 1 °C1.8 °F cooler: Puducherry.
Other months in Chennai
- January28 °C82 °F / 21 °C69 °F
- February30 °C87 °F / 21 °C70 °F
- March34 °C93 °F / 23 °C74 °F
- April36 °C96 °F / 26 °C79 °F
- May36 °C97 °F / 27 °C81 °F
- June35 °C95 °F / 27 °C80 °F
- July34 °C93 °F / 26 °C79 °F
- August33 °C91 °F / 25 °C78 °F
- September32 °C89 °F / 25 °C77 °F
- October30 °C87 °F / 25 °C77 °F
- November29 °C83 °F / 23 °C74 °F
- December27 °C81 °F / 22 °C71 °F
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Chennai in May?
In May the average high in Chennai is 36 °C (97 °F) and the average low is 27 °C (81 °F).
Does it rain a lot in Chennai in May?
On average about 55 mm (2.2 in) of precipitation falls in May; it ranks 8th of the 12 months.
Is May the warmest month in Chennai?
Yes. May is the warmest month in Chennai. The coldest month is January, with an average low of 21 °C (69 °F).
How long is the day in Chennai in May?
In the middle of May the day in Chennai lasts about 12.7 hours from sunrise to sunset. The value is calculated from the position of the city and the sun.
How humid is Chennai in May?
The average relative humidity in May is about 65%. This is a long-term average for the whole day.
How cloudy is Chennai in May?
On average about 54% of the sky is covered by cloud in May. This is the mean cloud amount from satellite data, not the number of sunny days.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.