Sanya (Hainan) weather in May

May in Sanya: sweltering, rainy, with clean air — fine if you can take 18 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Sanya🇨🇳 China · Southern China & Hong Kong · Beach80
  1. 84Jan
  2. 89Feb
  3. 93Mar
  4. 92Apr
  5. 80May
  6. 74Jun
  7. 65Jul
  8. 64Aug
  9. 67Sep
  10. 66Oct
  11. 85Nov
  12. 87Dec

#7 of 12 months in Sanya · #750 of 1413 destinations to visit in May · comfort 80/100 (tier A)

Days
30°C
Nights
23°C
Wet days
18
Sun
10.4 h
Humidity
84%
Daylight
13 h
Sanya, China
Photo: Michael Wang · Pexels

Traveller notes on Sanya in May

Other months in Sanya

Forum posters describe the first half of September in Sanya as genuinely stuffy - high humidity, little wind unless a typhoon is nearby, and rain most nights - while mid-September onward is generally rated as fully fine, with sunnier days and just occasional rain or thunderstorms. Posters are consistent that September sits within Hainan's official wet season (June through October), with real typhoon risk that increases the later into the season a visit falls. Posters specifically recommend late September and October, alongside April and early May, as the best overall windows, given the improving weather and easing typhoon risk as the month progresses. Posters generally rate September as a mixed month for Sanya - genuinely humid and typhoon-prone early on, meaningfully better by the back half.
Tripadvisor community · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Forum posters call March genuinely nice - already warm but not yet properly hot, with temperatures generally in the 25-32C range and around 30C reported by month's end. Rain is possible on occasion but not a constant feature, so posters recommend packing rain gear as a precaution rather than an expectation. March sits within Sanya's October-to-March peak season, meaning good weather comes paired with higher hotel, flight and cruise prices than the shoulder months. Posters describe swimming as comfortable essentially year-round here (sea temperatures rarely drop far below 25C even in the cooler months), making March a strong pick for beach time without the year's hottest, most humid stretch.
Tripadvisor community · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Sanya's card on the map.

Sanya climate normals — May

Daytime high30°C / 85°F🔥 sweltering
Nighttime low23°C / 74°F
Feels like (high)36°C / 97°F
Sea temperature30°C / 86°F♨️ bath-warm
Rainfall146 mm / 5.8 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days18 days
Humidity84%💦 very humid
Dew point24°C / 76°F
Sunshine10.4 h/day
Daylight13 h
Wind16 km/h / 10 mph
Air quality (US AQI)44🍃 good

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

Crowds in Sanya 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.

Shoulder seasonschool holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Sanya'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 weatherSanya's weather peaks February–April, best around March.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Sanya in May

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

  • Season

    Wet half of the year

    15 May – 31 Oct · usuallyMonsoon

    Hainan's rain is concentrated in the warm months and gets heavier towards the end of them, September and October being the wettest. It is also when the island is cheap and half-empty.

What's on around the world in May →

Nearby, and something's on

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

Where is Sanya?

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Sanya in May — FAQ

Is May a good time to visit Sanya?
May in Sanya: sweltering, rainy, with clean air — fine if you can take 18 rainy days. It ranks #7 of 12 months for Sanya on SeasonMap's comfort score (80/100).
What is the weather like in Sanya in May?
In May, Sanya averages a daily high of 29.5°C and a low of 23.4°C, with about 146.3 mm of rain over roughly 18.2 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Sanya in May?
Sanya has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 44 in May.

Within 300 km: Da Nang's Da Nang Fireworks Festival on 30 May – 11 Jul, and Hội An's Full moon lantern night on 1 Jan – 31 Dec.