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Coldest sea in United Kingdom in May

914 coastal locations in United Kingdom ranked by typical May sea temperature, coldest first. Region-wide average in May: 11.3°C.

Coldest in May

Scalloway

8.8°C May mean in United Kingdom

Regional May average

11.3°C

across all 914 coastal locations in United Kingdom

Vs annual mean

-0.6°C

below the year-round regional average

What the United Kingdom sea feels like in May

Water at this temperature is cold and will feel very cold initially, but the body will get used to it and longer swims are possible. Experienced swimmers can manage several hours of swimming, however hypothermia is still a real risk.

United Kingdom monthly average 8.1°C to 16.5°C
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  • Warmest month August 16.5°C
  • Coldest month February 8.1°C
  • Annual mean 12.0°C
  • Months above 20°C 0 of 12

Where May fits in the year

May sits inside the regional pattern shown on the left. Pick a different month to see how the ranking shifts.

All twelve United Kingdom month rankings:

United Kingdom sea temperature map (live)

The map shows today's latest reading at every United Kingdom location. The list below is based on the typical May mean.

Zoom in to see individual locations. Click a pin for water temperatures. View list →
°C -2 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 24 27 30 35

Top 50 coldest United Kingdom locations in May

Sorted by typical May mean from a decade of daily readings, coldest first. Click any place for the full location page.

# Location May mean
1 Scalloway Shetland Islands 8.8°C
2 Sumburgh Scotland 8.9°C
3 Bay of Quendale Shetland Islands 8.9°C
4 Sumburgh (Grutness Voe) Shetland Islands 8.9°C
5 Shetland Shetland Islands 8.9°C
6 Fair Isle Shetland Islands 8.9°C
7 Lerwick Scotland 8.9°C
8 Sandwick Scotland 8.9°C
9 River Don Aberdeen City 9.0°C
10 Aberdeen Scotland 9.0°C
11 Newtonhill Scotland 9.0°C
12 Portlethen Scotland 9.0°C
13 Newburgh Aberdeenshire 9.0°C
14 Kirkwall Scotland 9.1°C
15 Orkney Scotland 9.1°C
16 West Burra Firth Shetland Islands 9.1°C
17 Bur Wick Orkney 9.2°C
18 Burray Ness Orkney 9.2°C
19 Deer Sound Orkney 9.2°C
20 Newark Bay Orkney 9.2°C
21 St Mary's Bay Orkney 9.2°C
22 St. Mary's Orkney 9.2°C
23 Stonehaven Scotland 9.2°C
24 Widewall Bay Orkney 9.2°C
25 Boddam Scotland 9.2°C
Show 25 more ▸
26 Kettletoft Pier Orkney 9.2°C
27 Loth Orkney 9.2°C
28 Pierowall Orkney 9.2°C
29 Port Erroll Scotland 9.2°C
30 Rapness Orkney 9.2°C
31 Whitehall Orkney 9.2°C
32 Out Skerries Orkney 9.2°C
33 Egilsay Orkney 9.2°C
34 Foula Shetland Islands 9.2°C
35 Muckle Skerry Orkney 9.2°C
36 Scapa Flow Scotland 9.2°C
37 Castletown Highland Council 9.3°C
38 Inverbervie Scotland 9.3°C
39 Burra Voe (Yell Sound) Shetland Islands 9.3°C
40 Dury Voe Shetland Islands 9.3°C
41 Mid Yell Shetland Islands 9.3°C
42 Toft Pier Shetland Islands 9.3°C
43 Tofts Voe Shetland Islands 9.3°C
44 Peterhead Scotland 9.4°C
45 Stromness Scotland 9.4°C
46 Hillswick Shetland Islands 9.4°C
47 Scrabster Highland Council 9.4°C
48 Sullom Voe Shetland Islands 9.4°C
49 Esha Ness (Hamna Voe) Shetland Islands 9.4°C
50 Thurso Scotland 9.4°C

Warmest 10 in United Kingdom in May

Same data the other way. The warmest spots for the same month.

# Location May mean
1 Llanfair Gwynedd 13.2°C
2 Galgate Lancashire 13.1°C
3 Lancaster Lancashire 13.1°C
4 Preston Lancashire 13.1°C
5 River Lune Lancashire 13.1°C
6 Isles of Scilly Cornwall 13.1°C
7 Saint Mary's Isles of Scilly 13.1°C
8 St. Mary's Isles of Scilly 13.1°C
9 Lizard Point Cornwall 13.0°C
10 Connahs Quay Flintshire 12.9°C

More on this region