Malaysia
Penang in May
🌧️ Rainy seasonHot, humid and very wet.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics
Why May scores 7.1What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort50%5.5
- ✓Hot (32°C highs / 26°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 24.7°C)
- !Wet: ~261 mm rain, ~9 heavy-rain days
- Air quality20%8.2
- ✓Moderate (PM2.5 ~16 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards20%9.5
- !Flood: ~9 heavy-rain days in an average May
- Safety baseline10%8.0
- ·Normal precautions
| May | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.1 Good | 8.1 Very good |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | 🌦️ Shoulder (showers) |
| High / low | 32° / 26° | 32° / 24° |
| Rain | 261 mm | 96 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 25° | dew pt 23° |
| PM2.5 | 16 µg/m³ | 16 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Penang weather-station normals. Rainfall: Penang weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Eid al-Adha 15–17 May · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Labor Day (1 May) · Vesak Day (20 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore PenangEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA Malaysian island state whose capital, George Town, is a UNESCO-listed multicultural port city known as one of Asia's best hawker food destinations.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
George Town Heritage DayEvery year7 July every year
Marks George Town's UNESCO listing with cultural performances.
Why go: It is a public holiday in Penang.
Where: George Town
Hungry Ghost FestivalDate variesLunar calendar — seventh lunar month, usually August to September
Offerings, street opera and getai performances for wandering spirits.
Why go: Do not step on roadside offerings.
Where: Neighbourhoods across George Town
Chinese New Year and Chap Goh MehDate variesLunar calendar — late January to February, with Chap Goh Meh 15 days later
Lantern displays, lion dances and the lighting up of Kek Lok Si.
Why go: Many hawker stalls close for the first days.
Where: George Town and Kek Lok Si
George Town street art
Murals and wrought-iron caricatures across the old town, including Ernest Zacharevic's works.
Khoo Kongsi
An ornately decorated Chinese clan house and temple.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
The indigo-blue 19th-century mansion of a Chinese tycoon, visited on guided tours.
Kek Lok Si Temple
A large Buddhist temple complex in Air Itam with a pagoda and giant Guanyin statue.
Penang Hill
A hill station reached by funicular railway, with cooler air and views.
Penang National Park
Forest trails leading to beaches and a turtle conservation centre.
Char kway teow
Flat rice noodles stir-fried over high heat with prawns, cockles and egg.
Penang assam laksa
Rice noodles in a sour, spicy fish broth with tamarind and mint.
Nasi kandar
Rice with a mix of curries poured over, a Tamil Muslim tradition.
Hokkien mee
Noodles in a rich prawn broth, known in Penang as prawn mee.
Cendol
Shaved ice with green rice-flour jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar.
Tau sar pneah
Flaky biscuits filled with sweet mung bean paste.
💡 Biscuit shops in George Town
Nutmeg products
Candied nutmeg, nutmeg balm and oil from Penang's spice heritage.
Nyonya crafts
Beaded slippers and kebaya blouses from the Peranakan tradition.