Langkawi (Pantai Cenang) weather in May

May in Langkawi: sweltering, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 26 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Langkawi🇲🇾 Malaysia · Andaman Coast · Island69
  1. 88Jan
  2. 89Feb
  3. 86Mar
  4. 76Apr
  5. 69May
  6. 78Jun
  7. 80Jul
  8. 71Aug
  9. 67Sep
  10. 65Oct
  11. 58Nov
  12. 77Dec

#9 of 12 months in Langkawi · #1048 of 1413 destinations to visit in May · comfort 69/100 (tier C)

Days
32°C
Nights
26°C
Wet days
26
Sun
9.6 h
Humidity
83%
Daylight
12 h
Langkawi, Malaysia
Photo: Joerg Hartmann · Pexels

Traveller notes on Langkawi in May

Other months in Langkawi

Regulars are consistent this technically falls within the December-to-February dry season, hotel prices climbing accordingly as the calmest, clearest stretch of the year draws the crowds - even when rain does arrive, regulars are specific it typically lasts under an hour, morning or afternoon, rather than settling in. Our row backs that hot, still-showery read, 31.9C reading as a hot 37C, over 25.4C nights, with 131.9mm of rain across 15 days and humidity at 80 percent. Regulars are consistent evening thunderstorms remain a real possibility even on an otherwise settled day, and that water visibility for snorkeling is genuinely at its best this time of year. The sea sits at a warm, swimmable 28.9C. The record: 9 hours of sun, a 20.4 kph wind and AQI 38.
DrySeasonPricesPeakButShowersStayBrief · December · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars describe a genuinely unpredictable month, ranging from very rainy, windy days with rough seas to lovely sunny stretches, and are specific that location on the island matters: hotels tucked into the rainforest interior see meaningfully more rain than those on the west coast or in the north and south. Our row backs the intensity, 154.6mm of rain across a striking 20.9 days, alongside real heat, 31.8C reading as a hot 38C at 81.7 percent humidity, over 25.6C nights. The typical daily pattern regulars describe is sun through the morning, clouds building after lunch, and an afternoon shower that passes within a couple of hours rather than settling in for the day. The sea stays warm at 31C. The trade for the unpredictability is genuinely thin crowds. The record: 9.7 hours of sun, a 14.4 kph wind and AQI 44.
RainforestSideWetterThanTheCoast · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Langkawi-forum threads on September visits describe the island's west coast as sitting in its rainier stretch, running roughly May through September, but posters are consistent that this doesn't mean rain all day - a shower usually passes within an hour or two, and no trip gets fully derailed by weather even in this wetter window. The island's own microclimate is repeatedly flagged as a real factor: one side can be pouring while the other stays clear at the same hour, so a rained-out morning at one beach doesn't necessarily mean a washed-out day overall. Heat and humidity stay high regardless of rain, described as the more constant discomfort than the showers themselves. Regulars are unanimous that plenty of sunny days still show up through September, and beach time remains very much on the table for the whole month. The record: 31.1C days feeling like a punishing 37C, 25C nights, a notably high 244mm across 24.1 days, 83 percent humidity, a 30.4C sea and 9.1 hours of sun.
PantaiCenangSeptemberRegular · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
March sits at the end of Langkawi's dry run - November to March, with March and April the driest of them - and regulars immediately qualify it twice. First, the island has its own internal geography: the rainforest side, Datai, Andaman and Berjaya, takes noticeably more rain than the south, which is the dry corner. Second, nobody should come to a monsoon region expecting none at all; our row records 70.9mm across 13.1 precipitation days even in this month. The haze that reaches Malaysia is a May-to-September problem, so March is usually clear of it. The heat is the constant: 33.9C reads as 40C. The record: 25.9C nights, humidity 71 percent, 10.7 hours of sun and a 29.5C sea.
TheSouthIsTheDrySide · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Langkawi climate normals — May

Daytime high32°C / 90°F🔥 sweltering
Nighttime low26°C / 78°F
Feels like (high)39°C / 102°F
Sea temperature31°C / 88°F♨️ bath-warm
Rainfall244 mm / 9.6 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days26 days
Humidity83%💦 very humid
Dew point26°C / 78°F
Sunshine9.6 h/day
Daylight12.4 h
Wind14 km/h / 9 mph
Air quality (US AQI)40🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Langkawi 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.

Peak crowdsLIMA aerospace exhibition, Mid-year break in Malaysia, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Langkawi'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).

Fair weatherLangkawi's weather peaks January–March, best around February.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Langkawi in May

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Season

    Southwest monsoon

    1 May – 15 Oct · usually

    Rain comes as heavy late-afternoon bursts rather than all day, and mornings usually stay usable. Sea crossings get bumpy and the island-hopping boats cancel more often than they run late.

  • Festival

    LIMA aerospace exhibition

    15–31 May · usuallyMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

    The maritime and aerospace show runs at the airport and over Cenang bay every second year, in odd-numbered ones. Display flying for a week and the island's beds gone months ahead of it. Source ↗

  • Season

    Wet season

    MonsoonRisk

    26 rainy days and about 244 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.

    from the climate normals

What's on around the world in May →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Langkawi — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Langkawi?

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Langkawi in May — FAQ

Is May a good time to visit Langkawi?
May in Langkawi: sweltering, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 26 rainy days. It ranks #9 of 12 months for Langkawi on SeasonMap's comfort score (69/100).
What is the weather like in Langkawi in May?
In May, Langkawi averages a daily high of 32.2°C and a low of 25.8°C, with about 243.9 mm of rain over roughly 26.3 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Langkawi in May?
Langkawi has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 40 in May.

Within 300 km: Penang's Wesak Day on 31 May, and Ko Lipe's High season, flat Andaman around 1 Nov – 15 May.