SeasonMapKakadu (Jabiru) weather in May
Australia
May in Kakadu: sweltering, dry, with clean air — a gamble, with 35°C afternoons.
#3 of 12 months in Kakadu · #1123 of 1383 destinations to visit in May · comfort 62/100 (tier C)
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Traveller notes on Kakadu in May
Other months in Kakadu
Kakadu's forum calls July hot, very dry and one of the best months to visit — one of the driest stretches of the year, with a steady south-easterly breeze keeping the humidity down. Regulars still recommend packing something warmer for early mornings, since nights can drop into the high teens even after a 30°C-plus day.
Add your own note from Kakadu's card on the map.
Kakadu climate normals — May
| Daytime high | 34°C / 93°F | 🔥 sweltering |
|---|---|---|
| Nighttime low | 23°C / 73°F | |
| Feels like (high) | 35°C / 95°F | |
| Rainfall | 11 mm / 0.4 in | ☀️ dry |
| Rainy days | 2 days | |
| Humidity | 53% | 🍃 comfortable |
| Dew point | 17°C / 63°F | |
| Sunshine | 10.1 h/day | |
| Daylight | 11.5 h | |
| Wind | 16 km/h / 10 mph | |
| Air quality (US AQI) | 24 | 🍃 good |
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Kakadu in May
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusyDry season(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Kakadu's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Best weatherKakadu's weather peaks May–July.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Kakadu in May
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Rule
Swim only where it is checked
1 Jan – 31 DecRiskSaltwater crocodiles move all over the park with the water, and rangers survey and clear the few plunge pools that open each dry. Everywhere else is closed to swimming, permanently and for good reason. Source ↗
- Season
Dry season
1 May – 31 OctCrowdedFrom May the floodplains drop, the unsealed roads dry out and the park opens up properly. Bininj count six seasons here, not two, and this covers three of them.
- Rule
Park pass, dry-season price
15 May – 31 OctEveryone needs a pass and it costs more in the dry than in the wet (an adult pass is $40 in the dry, $25 in the wet). Buy it online before you drive in; the ranger stations are a long way apart and there is no boom gate to sell you one. Source ↗
- Closure
Southern roads and falls close
1 Nov – 31 May · usuallyThe four-wheel-drive tracks to the big falls and most of the unsealed south shut with the first rains and reopen only once the crossings drop, which is often well into the dry. Source ↗
Where is Kakadu?
Kakadu in May — FAQ
- Is May a good time to visit Kakadu?
- May in Kakadu: sweltering, dry, with clean air — a gamble, with 35°C afternoons. It ranks #3 of 12 months for Kakadu on SeasonMap's comfort score (62/100).
- What is the weather like in Kakadu in May?
- In May, Kakadu averages a daily high of 33.9°C and a low of 22.7°C, with about 11.1 mm of rain over roughly 2.2 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Kakadu in May?
- Kakadu has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 24 in May.