Weather in Manchester in May
May in Manchester is cool outdoor weather: usable if you dress for it, not a beach brief.
In United Kingdom, this is how Manchester actually wears May, not how a country centroid would. Compared with July and January, May sits in the middle of Manchester's year.
Pack for Manchester in May, not for a brochure that was photographed in another season.
- Average temp
- 12°C
8–17°C
- Rainfall
- 59 mm
Showers likely
- Sunshine
- 5.9 h
hours per day
What to expect
Daytime
Cool days in Manchester: a jumper you can take off, a shell in the bag. Walking is fine. Lingering outside without a layer is optimism.
Mornings and evenings are colder than the postcard. Pack for both, especially if you leave the built-up centre.
Rain
May is on the drier side of the year in Manchester. Showers are possible. They do not define the month.
A shell that lives in the bag is enough. This is not October, and it should not be packed as if it were.
Evening
Evenings are cooler. A layer helps after sunset.
What to pack
Rain jacket
A layer for cooler evenings
Where to stay in Manchester
Dates are a starting point for May.
Travel guides for Manchester
What to read before you book.
Average weather in Manchester
TemperatureRainfall
Similar weather in May
Other destinations whose May averages sit close to this one.
Check another month
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FAQs about Manchester
Climate averages for Manchester, 1991–2020.
The best time to visit Manchester is between May and October, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.
July is the hottest month, with an average around 17°C.
October is the wettest month, with about 95 mm of rain.
No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.
