Early May 1 May
73°F
Typical afternoon high
15% historical wet-day frequency
Italy · Beach
Sicily
in May.
Is May a good time?
Warm days.
More overnight stays than April.
May averages 76°F afternoons and 65°F seas, with about 4 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.
- Afternoons
- 76°F
- Sea
- 65°F
- Visitor demand
- 54%of August peak
Historical Sicilia regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Palermo, Taormina, Syracuse and Mount Etna; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
8.0/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#1 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather9.6/10Excellent
CrowdsModerate seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostPriceyfor Europe; Italy-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your May
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 76°F (24°C): T-shirt weather; nights around 56°F (13°C): a sweater and a light jacket. About 14 hours of daylight. About 4 rain days in a typical May.
Can I swim in May?
The sea averages 65°F. Our swimming guide: fresh: fine once you are in. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 14 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 05:55 and sets about 20:04 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 56°F (13°C); afternoons reach about 76°F (24°C). Expect rain on about 4 days in a typical May.
Typical afternoon
76°F (24°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
56°F (13°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
65°F (19°C)
fresh; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
14h 10m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late May?
Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 73°F on the 1st, versus 80°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 15% to 9% between those dates.
Mid May 15 May
76°F
Typical afternoon high
13% historical wet-day frequency
Late May 31 May
80°F
Typical afternoon high
9% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Public holidays · 2027: 1 May Labour Day.
Daily calendar & holiday datesMay 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
May 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 173° | 273° | |||||
| 373° | 474° | 574° | 674° | 774° | 874° | 975° |
| 1075° | 1175° | 1275° | 1375° | 1475° | 1576° | 1676° |
| 1776° | 1876° | 1976° | 2077° | 2177° | 2277° | 2377° |
| 2477° | 2578° | 2678° | 2778° | 2878° | 2979° | 3079° |
| 3180° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 74°F (23°C) in the first week to 78°F (26°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 9–16%.
No school holidays here in May 2027. Public holidays: 1 May Labour Day. Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 13%, Greece 29%. (School holidays: official calendar, compiled by Bigfoot Wanders; other countries from OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Moderate season. May averages 54% of August's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than April.
Overnight stays across Sicilia do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
A little above usual. The regional index has no room-rate baseline in euros.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Italy as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 107 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
The hotel-season index is regional (ISTAT, NIC consumer price index for accommodation services (ECOICOP 112), by region); the country price level is national. Neither is a room quote.
Year-to-year variation
How much does May vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 71°F (22°C) and 78°F (26°C); in 13 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 76°F (24°C). Rain days ranged from 1 to 11; half the years had 2–5.
Rain days in each May
Rain days
4
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 7 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
13 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no May in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
27 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MayHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 73°F | 6 |
| 2012 | 76°F | 1 |
| 2013 | 76°F | 1 |
| 2014 | 74°F | 4 |
| 2015 | 78°F | 4 |
| 2016 | 76°F | 5 |
| 2017 | 78°F | 1 |
| 2018 | 76°F | 4 |
| 2019 | 71°F | 7 |
| 2020 | 78°F | 3 |
| 2021 | 77°F | 2 |
| 2022 | 78°F | 4 |
| 2023 | 73°F | 11 |
| 2024 | 78°F | 4 |
| 2025 | 76°F | 4 |
Checked against official climate averages for Catania Sigonella and Palermo Boccadifalco. How we check
Compare dates
April, May
or June?
| Typical conditions | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 69°F | 76°F | 85°F |
| Sea | 61°F | 65°F | 73°F |
| Rain days | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Overnight demand | 43% | 54% | 69% |
April: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than May. Less overnight demand. April guide →
June: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and fewer rain days than May. More overnight demand. June guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with May Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. May stays as your reference.
No other scored month has a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than May.
Your comparison
May or April?
Overnight stays are 43% of the busiest month.
Historical regional hotel-price season: about usual. There is no room-rate baseline in euros.
Read the April guide →| Typical conditions | May | April |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 76°F | 69°F |
| Nights | 56°F | 51°F |
| Sea | 65°F | 61°F |
| Rain days | 4 | 5 |
| Visitor season | Moderate season | Moderate season |
| Overall / 10 | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| Month rank | #1 | #6 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.6 | #12 | 58°F | 45°F | 60°F | 9 | 4.6 | Low season |
| February | 6.7 | #11 | 59°F | 45°F | 59°F | 7 | 4.7 | Low season |
| March | 7.2 | #8 | 63°F | 47°F | 59°F | 8 | 6.0 | Low season |
| April | 7.5 | #6 | 69°F | 51°F | 61°F | 5 | 7.9 | Moderate season |
| May | 8.0 | #1 | 76°F | 56°F | 65°F | 4 | 9.6 | Moderate season |
| June | 7.9 | #2 | 85°F | 64°F | 73°F | 2 | 10.0 | Busy season |
| July | 7.5 | #5 | 91°F | 69°F | 79°F | 0 | 9.9 | Peak season |
| August | 7.0 | #10 | 91°F | 70°F | 81°F | 1 | 9.8 | Peak season |
| September | 7.6 | #4 | 84°F | 66°F | 79°F | 5 | 10.0 | Busy season |
| October | 7.7 | #3 | 76°F | 61°F | 74°F | 7 | 9.1 | Moderate season |
| November | 7.5 | #7 | 67°F | 54°F | 69°F | 9 | 6.8 | Low season |
| December | 7.1 | #9 | 61°F | 48°F | 64°F | 8 | 5.5 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby places in May
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Elsewhere in Europe
As good as Sicily in May, but quieter
Sicily's weather ranks 14 of 77 beach regions this month. Sicily already has excellent weather in May; these beach regions outside Italy are about as good and quieter for their season, nearest first.
Meteora, Pelion & the SporadesThessaly · Greece · about 460 miles
Excellent weather (9.3): 3°F warmer afternoons, 2 more rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
PeloponneseGreece · about 460 miles
Excellent weather (10.0): 3°F warmer afternoons, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Central Greece & EviaGreece · about 480 miles
Excellent weather (9.5): 3°F warmer afternoons, 2 more rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
Thessaloniki & HalkidikiGreece · about 520 miles
Excellent weather (9.1): 2°F warmer afternoons, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
North Aegean islandsGreece · about 650 miles
Excellent weather (9.9): about as warm, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's moderate season, 54% of the busiest month and 16% above its average month. That means about 64,000 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 35% of them from Italy itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 36,000 more: 57 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 83 |
| How our weather was checked | Official climate averages for Catania Sigonella and Palermo Boccadifalco from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.7°C), night lows within 2°F (1.1°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 13 |
| Busiest month here | August · 25 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.3% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 46th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 35% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 57 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 2.1% |
| Regional hotel-price season | A little above usual (+9% vs this region's average month). Historical index from ISTAT, NIC consumer price index for accommodation services (ECOICOP 112), by region; no euro room-rate baseline. |
| Population used | 4.8 million |
| Statistical region | ITG1 · Sicilia |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national; the first figure is regional (ISTAT, NIC consumer price index for accommodation services (ECOICOP 112), by region). Full method · this region's data.