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Edinburgh Weather in May

In May, Edinburgh averages a high of 15°C (59°F) and a low of 7°C (44°F), from 56 years of daily records (1971–2026).

15°C
Average high
59°F
7°C
Average low
44°F
26°C
Record high
78°F · May 24, 2026
-2°C
Record low
29°F · May 4, 1979

What May Is Like in Edinburgh

  • 9 of the 10 warmest Mays on record in Edinburgh have come since 2012.
  • Edinburgh's hottest May day on record is a recent one: 26°C (78°F) on May 24, 2026.
  • The coldest May reading, -2°C (29°F) on May 4, 1979, has not been matched in 47 years.
  • May 2026 was the 5th warmest May in 56 years of records, 1.3°C (2.3°F) above the long-run average.

At least 1 mm of rain falls on 31% of May days, and the month averages 48 mm in total.

Average daytime high in Edinburgh, every May since 1971
11°C15°C18°C19801990200020102020May 1971: 15.9°CMay 1972: 14.1°CMay 1973: 13.6°CMay 1974: 15.3°CMay 1975: 12.9°CMay 1976: 14.9°CMay 1977: 13.9°CMay 1978: 15.4°CMay 1979: 13.7°CMay 1980: 16.1°CMay 1981: 15.4°CMay 1982: 15.6°CMay 1983: 11.8°CMay 1984: 14.4°CMay 1985: 14.3°CMay 1986: 14.4°CMay 1987: 13.3°CMay 1988: 14.8°CMay 1989: 15.7°CMay 1990: 15.1°CMay 1991: 14.9°CMay 1992: 15.4°CMay 1993: 13.3°CMay 1994: 13.2°CMay 1995: 14.7°CMay 1996: 12.9°CMay 1997: 14.0°CMay 1998: 14.6°CMay 1999: 14.7°CMay 2000: 14.7°CMay 2001: 15.9°CMay 2002: 15.5°CMay 2003: 15.4°CMay 2004: 16.6°CMay 2005: 14.5°CMay 2006: 14.9°CMay 2007: 14.7°CMay 2008: 15.5°CMay 2009: 16.1°CMay 2010: 15.1°CMay 2011: 15.4°CMay 2012: 13.3°CMay 2013: 14.7°CMay 2014: 15.5°CMay 2015: 14.0°CMay 2016: 14.5°CMay 2017: 16.7°CMay 2018: 16.7°CMay 2019: 14.7°CMay 2020: 17.2°CMay 2021: 13.5°CMay 2022: 16.6°CMay 2023: 16.1°CMay 2024: 16.7°CMay 2025: 17.1°CMay 2026: 16.4°C
Warmest: 2020 (17.2°C)Latest: 2026 (16.4°C)10-year averageLong-run average (14.9°C)

Look Up a Day in May

See the weather in Edinburgh on any May date, year by year.

Source: NOAA GHCN-Daily, Edinburgh: Royal Botanic Garde (1971–2026). Averages cover 1971–2026. How we compute this

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