Rio de Janeiro weather in May
In May, Rio de Janeiro has an average high of 25 °C77 °F and an average low of 20 °C69 °F, with about 71 mm2.8 in of precipitation. It is the 8th warmest month of the year and ranks 8th for precipitation.
How May compares with other months
Compared with April, May is 2 °C3.6 °F cooler on average and drier by 29 mm1.2 in. Compared with June, May is 0.8 °C1.4 °F warmer on average and wetter by 22 mm0.9 in. Daylight lasts about 11.0 hours around the middle of the month. Average relative humidity is 80% and the average cloud amount 56%.
Is May a good time to visit Rio de Janeiro?
Yes — May is one of the most comfortable months to visit Rio de Janeiro by our comfort score, which favours average highs of 21–28 °C, lows above 5 °C, little rain and moderate humidity.
What to wear in May
For Rio de Janeiro in May, pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
May in nearby places
| Place | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio de Janeiro | 2577 | 2069 | 712.8 |
| Nova Iguaçu | 2578 | 1967 | 702.8 |
| Maricá | 2577 | 2069 | 712.8 |
| Itaboraí | 2781 | 1763 | 592.3 |
| Queimados | 2882 | 1661 | 512.0 |
| Petrópolis | 2272 | 1254 | 592.3 |
| Araruama | 2578 | 2069 | 742.9 |
| Nova Friburgo | 2170 | 1254 | 662.6 |
| Volta Redonda | 2578 | 1560 | 491.9 |
Nearby places that are more than 1 °C1.8 °F cooler: Petrópolis, Nova Friburgo and Volta Redonda.
Other months in Rio de Janeiro
- January29 °C84 °F / 24 °C75 °F
- February29 °C84 °F / 24 °C75 °F
- March28 °C83 °F / 24 °C74 °F
- April27 °C81 °F / 22 °C72 °F
- May25 °C77 °F / 20 °C69 °F
- June25 °C77 °F / 19 °C66 °F
- July24 °C76 °F / 18 °C65 °F
- August25 °C77 °F / 18 °C65 °F
- September26 °C78 °F / 19 °C66 °F
- October26 °C80 °F / 20 °C68 °F
- November27 °C80 °F / 21 °C70 °F
- December28 °C82 °F / 23 °C73 °F
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Rio de Janeiro in May?
In May the average high in Rio de Janeiro is 25 °C (77 °F) and the average low is 20 °C (69 °F).
Does it rain a lot in Rio de Janeiro in May?
On average about 71 mm (2.8 in) of precipitation falls in May; it ranks 8th of the 12 months.
Is May the warmest month in Rio de Janeiro?
No. The warmest month in Rio de Janeiro is February, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F). The coldest month is August, with an average low of 18 °C (65 °F).
How long is the day in Rio de Janeiro in May?
In the middle of May the day in Rio de Janeiro lasts about 11.0 hours from sunrise to sunset. The value is calculated from the position of the city and the sun.
How humid is Rio de Janeiro in May?
The average relative humidity in May is about 80%. Combined with warm days, it can feel muggy.
How cloudy is Rio de Janeiro in May?
On average about 56% 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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 81 m, while Rio de Janeiro lies at about 12 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.