May 2026 Temperature Review

Compiled from 31 days of daily readings for 433 cities in May 2026; written once at the start of the following month.

May 2026 brought a national mean high of 26.4°C across 433 cities over 31 days, with the warmest provincial averages concentrated in the south. Hainan led the country with a mean high of 33.2°C, followed by Guangxi at 30.4°C and Taiwan at 30.3°C. At the cooler end, Qinghai averaged 16.4°C, Tibet 17.2°C and Heilongjiang 22°C. The coldest nights also stayed on the Qinghai Plateau, with Yushu falling to -8.7°C on 4 May, Guoluo to -8.3°C on 3 May and Haibei to -7°C on 3 May.

The month’s highest reading came at the very end, when Turpan in Xinjiang reached 41.5°C on 31 May. Earlier peaks included 39.1°C at Tunchang in Hainan on 26 May and 39°C at Panzhihua in Sichuan on 24 May. These were the standout city-day highs in a month when heat was already well established in the south and northwest before the closing days.

Days of 35°C or higher added up to 361 city-days in 104 cities during May. Hainan was prominent in the persistence rankings, with Changjiang recording 15 such days and Chengmai 14. Turpan in Xinjiang followed with 13 days, matching its role as the location of the month’s top single high. The distribution showed both repeated tropical heat in Hainan and sharp late-month intensity in Xinjiang.

Rainfall totals were heaviest along the southern and central-southern side of the country. Yangjiang in Guangdong was the wettest city with 726.9 mm over 20 rain days, while Zhangjiajie in Hunan recorded 584.5 mm over 23 rain days and Maoming in Guangdong had 578.8 mm over 19 rain days. At the dry end, Gansu dominated the lowest totals: Jiuquan received 0.1 mm, Jiayuguan 1.4 mm and Baiyin 7.4 mm.

The sharpest single-day temperature drops were led by two matching falls in Xinjiang on 12 May. Wujiaqu went from 33.3°C to 13.7°C, a drop of 19.6°C, and Urumqi recorded the same fall from 33.3°C to 13.7°C on the same date. Qiqihaer in Heilongjiang followed on 15 May, dropping from 31.8°C to 13.1°C, a fall of 18.7°C.

Overall, May 2026 was a warm month nationally, with Hainan setting the pace by average highs and repeated hot days, while Turpan delivered the highest reading. The month also showed strong contrasts, from subzero nights in Qinghai to heavy rain in Guangdong and abrupt mid-month cooling in Xinjiang and Heilongjiang.

← April 2026June 2026 →