Your May weather guide
WarmWeather in Costa Brava in May
May is a good time for Costa Brava if you want warm days for spending time outdoors, rather than reliable beach heat. Average highs are around 22°C, nights drop to around 13°C, and the sea is still cold at about 17°C. The catch is rain: you should leave room for wet weather in your plans. It suits travellers happy to pack layers and treat swimming as optional.
Long-term climate averages for Lloret de Mar, not a forecast · 1991-2020
Costa Brava, month by month
Your snapshot
At a glance
The useful details for Lloret de Mar.
- Average daytime high
- 21.6°C
- 9 in 10 days stay below 25°C
- Average night-time low
- 12.7°C
- coldest 10% of nights: 9°C or lower
- Compared with London
- +5.0°C
- London averages 16.6°C in May
- Sea temperature
- 16.6°C
- year to year: 16°C to 18°C
- Sunshine per day (est.)
- 6.8h
- 47% of 14.4 h of daylight
- Rainy days (1 mm+)
- 10
- 64 mm over the month
- Humidity
- 74%
- Days over 25°C
- 13%
- 1% over 30°C
- Record high 1991-2020
- 32.3°C
- 2001-05-30
- Record low 1991-2020
- 3.1°C
- 1991-05-06
- Flight from London
- ≈ 2 h 6 min
- 1076 km, short-haul (estimate for a direct flight)
Records are observed extremes within 1991-2020, not typical holiday conditions. Warm-day percentages are shares of days, not day counts.
How May compares
May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Costa Brava. Within Spain it is 57th of 87 (Spain in May). Against London's average high of 16.6°C in May, Costa Brava is 5.0°C warmer by day and 4.4°C warmer at night.
Daytime and night-time in May
The typical May day in Costa Brava peaks at 21.6°C, but that is an average: the warmest 10% of days reach 25.4°C or more. Roughly 1 in 7 days top 25°C and 1 in 143 pass 30°C. Nights average 12.7°C; one night in ten drops to 9.1°C or lower, so pack a layer for evenings - it is genuinely cool after dark. Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest May day here reached 32.3°C (2001-05-30) and the coldest night 3.1°C (1991-05-06).
Rain in May
Wet (more than 8 rainy days): about 10 days with 1 mm or more, 64 mm in total. Year to year it varies a lot - the wettest May was 2010 with 163 mm, the driest 2017 with 17 mm. Humidity averages 74%.
Sea temperature in May
The sea averages 16.6°C - too cold for most (under 18°c). Depending on the year it ranges from 15.9°C to 17.5°C. For the warmest sea here, come in August (24.8°C).
Sunshine and daylight
Around 6.8 hours of sunshine a day (estimated from cloud cover), 14.4 hours of daylight: the sun rises about 06:29 and sets about 21:01 local time in mid-May. Average cloud cover is 53%.
Is May a good time to visit Costa Brava?
May is not the strongest month here: warm days and frequent rain. The best months for Costa Brava on our scoring are July, June, August; months averaging 25°C or more: Jun, Jul, Aug.
Comfortable warmth, but not summer swimming
Light clothes should suit the warmer parts of the day, but bring a jumper and a jacket for evenings. Days reach 25°C only 13% of the time, so don't plan around sustained heat. The coldest nights can fall to around 9°C or below, making an extra layer useful if you stay out late. For time beside the sea, May makes more sense if you enjoy sitting outside or walking than if swimming is the main reason for your trip. Sea temperatures range from 16°C to 18°C between years, so even a warmer May leaves the water cold or bracing. A warm afternoon is not a reliable guide to how comfortable a swim will feel.
Leave some flexibility for rain
Expect about 10 rainy days during May, so this is not a month to book on the assumption of dry weather throughout. A light waterproof is a sensible addition to your bag, and plans that can move between indoors and outdoors will be easier to manage. There is still about 6.8 hours of sunshine a day, within 14.4 hours of daylight, giving you plenty of daylight for outdoor plans when conditions suit. The balance is useful warmth and sunshine, with a real risk of interruptions. If your holiday depends on spending every day outside, May is a less comfortable choice than it is for a flexible break.
A little perspective
Costa Brava through the year
May is highlighted. See how it compares with the rest of the year.
| Month | Day | Night | Sea | Sun/day | Rain mm | Rainy days | Days 25°C+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.5°C | 4.5°C | 13.4°C | 4.7 | 51 | 7 | 0% |
| February | 13.3°C | 4.8°C | 12.8°C | 5.2 | 45 | 7 | 0% |
| March | 15.9°C | 7.0°C | 13.0°C | 5.7 | 57 | 8 | 0% |
| April | 18.0°C | 9.2°C | 14.0°C | 6.2 | 73 | 10 | 1% |
| MaySelected | 21.6°C | 12.7°C | 16.6°C | 6.8 | 64 | 10 | 13% |
| Junebest | 25.8°C | 16.7°C | 20.3°C | 8.5 | 47 | 7 | 59% |
| Julybest | 28.5°C | 19.6°C | 23.4°C | 9.7 | 38 | 6 | 87% |
| Augustbest | 28.7°C | 20.0°C | 24.8°C | 8.3 | 51 | 8 | 89% |
| September | 24.7°C | 16.9°C | 23.3°C | 6.0 | 85 | 11 | 48% |
| October | 20.7°C | 13.6°C | 20.1°C | 4.6 | 99 | 10 | 7% |
| November | 16.0°C | 8.8°C | 17.0°C | 4.5 | 69 | 8 | 0% |
| December | 13.1°C | 5.5°C | 14.7°C | 4.4 | 51 | 7 | 0% |
Day = average daytime high, night = average night-time low, 1991-2020.Sun is hours per day; rainy days count 1 mm or more.
Day, night and sea
Monthly average temperatures, 1991-2020
- Day
- Night
- Sea
Best months here
On warmth, low rainfall and sunshine, start with these.
Keep exploring
Similar in May
Closest matches on daytime temperature, sea temperature and sunshine, in other countries.
Portugal · 21°C by day · sea 17°C
Lisbon
Croatia · 22°C by day · sea 18°C
Split
France · 21°C by day · sea 17°C
Nice
Italy · 21°C by day · sea 18°C
Lido di Jesolo
Italy · 22°C by day · sea 17°C
Sardinia
A little more detail
Costa Brava in May FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
Is Costa Brava hot in May?
Costa Brava is warm in May: the average daytime high is 21.6°C and nights average 12.7°C. Roughly 1 in 7 May days reach 25°C.
Can you swim in the sea in Costa Brava in May?
The sea around Costa Brava averages 16.6°C in May, which is cold for swimming without a wetsuit. Between 1991 and 2020 it ranged from 16°C to 18°C depending on the year.
How much does it rain in Costa Brava in May?
Costa Brava sees about 10 rainy days (1 mm or more) and 64 mm of rain in a typical May. The wettest May between 1991 and 2020 was 2010 (163 mm) and the driest was 2017 (17 mm).
How sunny is Costa Brava in May?
Costa Brava gets around 6.8 hours of sunshine a day in May out of 14.4 hours of daylight (estimated from average cloud cover).
How does Costa Brava compare with the UK in May?
Costa Brava is on average 5.0°C warmer than London by day in May (21.6°C against 16.6°C).
What is the hottest May on record in Costa Brava?
Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest May day in Costa Brava reached 32.3°C on 2001-05-30, and the coldest night dropped to 3.1°C on 1991-05-06.
How much warmer is Costa Brava than London in May?
Costa Brava's average daytime high is 21.6°C, compared with 16.6°C in London, a difference of 5°C. That is a noticeable step up in daytime warmth, but cool evenings mean you should still bring layers.
Should I choose May or wait until summer?
Choose May if warm rather than hot weather suits you and you can accept rain and cold seawater. July, June and August rate better overall for weather here, so they are stronger alternatives if weather is your main deciding factor.
About these averages
ERA5-Land climate reanalysis via Open-Meteo (11 km grid) and NOAA Coral Reef Watch 5 km sea temperatures, 1991-2020
Averages computed from daily values at Lloret de Mar. Sea temperature from the nearest 5 km sea cell, 3 km from that point. Sunshine hours are estimated from average cloud cover.Records are the highest and lowest daily values in that 30-year period, not all-time records. These are climate averages, not a forecast for your trip. How we measure holiday weather
- Hot · 25°C+
- Warm · 20°C to below 25°C
- Mild · 15°C to below 20°C
- Cool · below 15°C