Positano (Amalfi Coast) weather in May

May in Positano: nice, a little rain, with muggy air — an excellent time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Positano🇮🇹 Italy · Central & Southern Italy · Beach80
  1. 53Jan
  2. 62Feb
  3. 68Mar
  4. 76Apr
  5. 80May
  6. 92Jun
  7. 95Jul
  8. 91Aug
  9. 85Sep
  10. 78Oct
  11. 56Nov
  12. 55Dec

#5 of 12 months in Positano · #745 of 1413 destinations to visit in May · comfort 80/100 (tier A)

Days
22°C
Nights
16°C
Wet days
10
Sun
11.9 h
Humidity
77%
Daylight
15 h
Positano, Italy
Photo: Josh Withers · Pexels

Traveller notes on Positano in May

Regulars are honest this month has grown less predictable in recent years, usually sunny with daytime temperatures in the low-to-high 20s Celsius, though a genuinely heavy rain spell is a real possibility some years, a waterproof windbreaker and packable umbrella the standard advice just in case. Our row backs that mild, genuinely wet read, 21.5C over 16C nights, with a substantial 76.3mm of rain across 10 days and humidity at 77 percent. Regulars are consistent this remains too early in the season for comfortable swimming, the sea itself staying around 18 to 19C, evenings cool enough that a cardigan or wrap over a summer dress is worth packing. Overall the read stays warm and pleasant for exploring the coast on foot despite the rain risk. The sea sits at 18.9C. The record: 11.9 hours of sun, a 16.1 kph wind and AQI 64.
LessPredictableNowWaterproofAdvised · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Positano

Positano-forum threads on April weather describe a genuine shoulder-season split: sunny days warm enough to sit out and enjoy without a jacket, paired with cooler, occasionally rainy stretches that call for real layers. One frequent visitor reports very little rain and daytime temperatures climbing into the 80s Fahrenheit with mild evenings, while other posters describe a more typical cool, breezy April closer to the seasonal average. Everyone agrees on one point: the sea itself is still too cold for real swimming this early, fine for sitting on a boat deck in the sun but not for getting in past a quick dip. The standing packing advice is layers regardless of the specific forecast - sunny days run warm, rainy days turn genuinely chilly, and a boat excursion along the coast is cooler than it looks from shore. The record: 18.2C days feeling like 17C, 12.8C nights, 57mm across 9.7 days, a 15.6C sea, 74 percent humidity and 11.1 hours of sun.
SpiaggiaGrandeAprilRegular · April · 1 month ago · Read more on tripadvisor.co.nz ↗
Positano-forum threads on September draw a line around mid-month: the first half runs warm and humid, similar to August, with storms typically arriving mid-month to usher in a cooler, less humid back half. Crowds don't follow the same pattern - the Amalfi Coast pulls an older crowd not tied to school calendars, so a drop-off around the 15th when kids head back to school is real but barely noticeable given how narrow the village's walkways are to begin with. The sea stays genuinely warm and swimmable through the whole month regardless. The record: 26.3C days feeling like 29C, 21.1C nights, 113mm of precipitation across nine days, a 25C sea, 71 percent humidity and 10.5 hours of sun - busy and sticky early, calmer and drier late.
SpiaggiaGrandeSeptember · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
August in Positano is the most expensive and most crowded month of its year, and the forum's advice amounts to timing your day rather than your trip. The middle weeks are the worst, with Ferragosto on the 15th a national holiday that fills the coast with Italian and European visitors on top of everybody else. What they all agree works is the edges of the day: early morning and early evening are delightful, because the day-trippers and the cruise passengers are not there yet or have gone. On the heat they split - one couple say it spoiled the trip, one regular comes back every late August precisely for the sea - and our row's 29.6C reads as 33C. The record: 24C nights, 5.2 precipitation days carrying 27.3mm, 12.3 hours of sun and a 25.5C sea.
BeforeTheDayTrippers · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
June on the Positano forum is warm without the humidity that arrives later, and busy without being July or August - regulars report early June coming out surprisingly quiet apart from the main drag down to the beach. Their real point is about the hours: once the day-trippers leave, the town is a different place, and early morning and evening are when it is breathable. The access warning is the one worth carrying: Positano has no seafront road, only a dock, so arriving by ferry and staying at sea level is the only way to see it without an uphill walk and steps, which matters if anyone in the party cannot manage that. The record: 26.5C days that feel like 30C, 20.9C nights, 4 precipitation days, 13.4 hours of sun and a 23.9C sea.
AfterTheDayTrippers · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Positano climate normals — May

Daytime high22°C / 71°F😎 nice
Nighttime low16°C / 61°F
Feels like (high)23°C / 73°F
Sea temperature19°C / 66°F🧊 bracing
Rainfall76 mm / 3 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days10 days
Humidity77%💦 very humid
Dew point14°C / 57°F
Sunshine11.9 h/day
Daylight14.5 h
Wind16 km/h / 10 mph
Air quality (US AQI)64🙂 moderate

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

Crowds in Positano 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.

BusySpring bank-holiday bridges, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Positano'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 weatherPositano's weather peaks June–August, best around July.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Positano in May

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

  • Opening

    Hotels and ferries reopen

    20 Mar – 1 May · usuallySummer season opens

    Most of the town wakes up around Easter: the beach clubs on Spiaggia Grande and Fornillo, the cliff hotels and the fast ferries from Sorrento and Amalfi all restart within a fortnight of each other. Source ↗

  • Season

    Path of the Gods walking window

    1 Apr – 10 Jun · usuallyTrail season

    The ridge path from Bomerano down to Nocelle walks best in spring and again from mid-September. In July it is exposed rock with no water and no shade for two and a half hours.

  • Holiday

    Spring bank-holiday bridges

    25 Apr – 2 JunNational holidayCrowdedBook early

    Liberation Day (25 April), Labour Day (1 May) and Republic Day (2 June) are public holidays, and when one falls near a weekend Italians bridge it into a long break, the ponte. Those weekends bring domestic crowds, fuller trains and higher room rates, and some shops close on the day. Source ↗

What's on around the world in May →

Nearby, and something's on

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

Where is Positano?

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Positano in May — FAQ

Is May a good time to visit Positano?
May in Positano: nice, a little rain, with muggy air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #5 of 12 months for Positano on SeasonMap's comfort score (80/100).
What is the weather like in Positano in May?
In May, Positano averages a daily high of 21.5°C and a low of 16°C, with about 76.3 mm of rain over roughly 10 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Positano in May?
Positano has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 64 in May.

Within 300 km: Sorrento's Lemon harvest around 15 Feb – 31 May, and Capri's Island season opens around 25 Mar – 15 May.