Your trips
Organize your trips easily with tabs
New York
Shetland Islands
Any date
+ Search
background

Shetland Islands in May: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Take a look at past year’s weather for Shetland Islands in May and see if it is worth visiting.
Check flight prices to Shetland Islands on Avionero:
May

Weather in Shetland Islands in May 2025

OK Weather
Chill
🌧️
Rainy
Shetland Islands in May usually sees fair weather conditions, with an average daily high temperature of +50°F and roughly 2 sunny days. However, you should prepare for about 16 rainy days with an average precipitation of 44 mm. The weather is changeable so pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.

Average weather

☀️
+50°F
Avg. max. temperature
+23°F
Min.
+70°F
Max.
44 mm
Total precipitation
81%
Avg. humidity
6 m/s
Avg. wind
2 ☀️
Sunny Days
13 ⛅️
Cloudy
16 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Shetland Islands has OK weather in May.

Average temperature in Shetland Islands in May

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Shetland Islands for May based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The temperature in May is +48°F on average, with a range between a maximum of +50°F during the day and a minimum of +39°F at night.

The average maximum temperature goes up 50% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +45°F to +50°F.

Is Shetland Islands warm or cold in May?

Shetland Islands is typically chill in May.

Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +46°F to +50°F. The minimum temperature also goes up from +41°F to +43°F.

Pack a jumper and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.

Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Shetland Islands:

Climate in Shetland Islands in May

Shetland Islands weather looks like this, on average, in May and the surrounding months.
AprilMayJune
Avg. temperature
+46°F+50°F+54°F
Min. temperature
+3°F+23°F+36°F
Max. temperature
+64°F+70°F+73°F
Rainfall
54 mm44 mm46 mm
Wind
7 m/s6 m/s5 m/s
Humidity
79%81%83%
Air pressure
1012 HPa1013 HPa1013 HPa
Sunny days
121
Cloudy days
91314
Rainy days
171615
Snowy days
200

May weather is still as ok as in April. It’s getting warmer as May arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +46°F to +50°F during the day. As May arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 54 mm to 44 mm. Humidity rises from 79% to 81%. Winds are calmer in comparison to April, going down from 7 m/s to 6 m/s on average. The good news is there are likely to be more sunny days in May, from 1 to 2.

June brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in Shetland Islands in May based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 7 m/s getting up to 12 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.

The average wind speed in Shetland Islands is gradually decreasing during May, going from 9 m/s to 6 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during May in Shetland Islands based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
A chance of rain on a typical day in May stands at 35%, leading to total precipitation of around 32 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 8 mm, which is considered light rain. May is a pretty wet month with over 11 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
Here’s how May is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Shetland Islands wettest month is November, where a typical day has a 80% chance of precipitation and 121 mm of rainfall per day. May, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 52% chance of precipitation and 44 mm of rainfall per day.

How was the weather last May in Shetland Islands?

This is the weather in Shetland Islands in May 2023:
1 May
☁️
+44°F
2 May
☁️
+44°F
3 May
☁️
+45°F
4 May
☁️
+46°F
5 May
☁️
+47°F
6 May
☁️
+47°F
7 May
☁️
+47°F
8 May
☁️
+48°F
9 May
☁️
+49°F
10 May
☁️
+48°F
11 May
☁️
+48°F
12 May
☁️
+48°F
13 May
☁️
+48°F
14 May
🌧️
+49°F
15 May
☁️
+49°F
16 May
☁️
+49°F
17 May
☁️
+49°F
18 May
☁️
+50°F
19 May
☁️
+50°F
20 May
🌧️
+50°F
21 May
☁️
+49°F
22 May
☁️
+50°F
23 May
☁️
+51°F
24 May
☁️
+51°F
25 May
☁️
+49°F
26 May
☁️
+50°F
27 May
☁️
+51°F
28 May
☁️
+49°F
29 May
☁️
+50°F
30 May
☁️
+50°F
31 May
☁️
+50°F
In May 2023 Shetland Islands had 0 sunny days, 29 cloudy days, and 2 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +48°F, with an absolute maximum of +50°F and a minimum of +45°F. The average humidity was 85%, with a maximum of 100% and a minimum of 61%. The average wind speed was 7 m/s, with a maximum of 13 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in May?

Climate Change Over the Years

This is how Shetland Islands climate has changed over the last 43 years.

The climate in Shetland Islands in May has not changed that much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1979 (+47°F) and the highest in 2006 (+52°F). The driest year was 1996 with only 776 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2015 with 1280 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Shetland Islands in May:

Is May a good time to visit Shetland Islands?

It’s always a good time to visit Shetland Islands, but the weather is changeable in May, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in Shetland Islands in May?

Not really, May is not the best time to sunbathe, unless you visit a local solarium.

Is Shetland Islands rainy in May?

Shetland Islands is usually dry in May. Plan your packing around outdoor activities and exploring.

Is it sunny in Shetland Islands in May?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Shetland Islands in May, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in United Kingdom

Check out the weather for other cities in United Kingdom.

Monthly weather in Shetland Islands

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Shetland Islands, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.