The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in London in May
On May 1 in London the sun rises at 05:34 and sets at 20:22; on day 31 it rises at 04:50 and sets at 21:06. Over the month the day grows 88 minutes longer.
Where does the sun rise and set in London in May?
Mid-May in London: the sun rises in the northeast — a bearing of 58°, measured from true north — and sets in the northwest, at 302°. That is 32° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 32° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 13° north.
Approximate bearings: they can be a couple of degrees out. They are measured from true north, not the north a phone compass points to.
Day by day
All times are local to London. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 04:55 | 05:34 | 20:22 | 21:00 | 14 h 48 min |
| 2 | 04:53 | 05:32 | 20:23 | 21:02 | 14 h 52 min |
| 3 | 04:51 | 05:30 | 20:25 | 21:04 | 14 h 55 min |
| 4 | 04:49 | 05:28 | 20:27 | 21:05 | 14 h 59 min |
| 5 | 04:47 | 05:26 | 20:28 | 21:07 | 15 h 02 min |
| 6 | 04:45 | 05:24 | 20:30 | 21:09 | 15 h 06 min |
| 7 | 04:43 | 05:22 | 20:32 | 21:11 | 15 h 09 min |
| 8 | 04:41 | 05:21 | 20:33 | 21:13 | 15 h 13 min |
| 9 | 04:39 | 05:19 | 20:35 | 21:15 | 15 h 16 min |
| 10 | 04:37 | 05:17 | 20:36 | 21:17 | 15 h 19 min |
| 11 | 04:35 | 05:16 | 20:38 | 21:18 | 15 h 23 min |
| 12 | 04:33 | 05:14 | 20:40 | 21:20 | 15 h 26 min |
| 13 | 04:31 | 05:12 | 20:41 | 21:22 | 15 h 29 min |
| 14 | 04:30 | 05:11 | 20:43 | 21:24 | 15 h 32 min |
| 15 | 04:28 | 05:09 | 20:44 | 21:26 | 15 h 35 min |
| 16 | 04:26 | 05:08 | 20:46 | 21:27 | 15 h 38 min |
| 17 | 04:24 | 05:06 | 20:47 | 21:29 | 15 h 41 min |
| 18 | 04:23 | 05:05 | 20:49 | 21:31 | 15 h 44 min |
| 19 | 04:21 | 05:03 | 20:50 | 21:33 | 15 h 47 min |
| 20 | 04:19 | 05:02 | 20:52 | 21:34 | 15 h 50 min |
| 21 | 04:18 | 05:01 | 20:53 | 21:36 | 15 h 53 min |
| 22 | 04:16 | 04:59 | 20:55 | 21:38 | 15 h 55 min |
| 23 | 04:15 | 04:58 | 20:56 | 21:39 | 15 h 58 min |
| 24 | 04:13 | 04:57 | 20:57 | 21:41 | 16 h 00 min |
| 25 | 04:12 | 04:56 | 20:59 | 21:43 | 16 h 03 min |
| 26 | 04:11 | 04:55 | 21:00 | 21:44 | 16 h 05 min |
| 27 | 04:09 | 04:54 | 21:01 | 21:46 | 16 h 08 min |
| 28 | 04:08 | 04:53 | 21:03 | 21:47 | 16 h 10 min |
| 29 | 04:07 | 04:52 | 21:04 | 21:49 | 16 h 12 min |
| 30 | 04:06 | 04:51 | 21:05 | 21:50 | 16 h 14 min |
| 31 | 04:05 | 04:50 | 21:06 | 21:51 | 16 h 16 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in May?
In May, the typical synthesis window in London runs from 10:00 to 17:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~9 min at the best moment is enough.
See the London vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in London in May
- Where does the sun set in London in May?
- Mid-May in London: the sun sets in the northwest, a bearing of 302° measured from true north, which is 32° north of due west. It rises in the northeast, at 58°. Over the month both points shift 13° north.
- How much daylight does London gain in May?
- Over May the day gets 88 minutes longer in London: on May 1 the sun rises at 05:34 and sets at 20:22, and on day 31 it rises at 04:50 and sets at 21:06.
- How many hours of daylight does London get in May?
- In mid-May the day lasts 15 h 35 min in London, from sunrise at 05:09 to sunset at 20:44. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in London in May?
- In mid-May the sky starts to get light at 04:28 in London, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 05:09. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in London in May?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-May in London the sun sets at 20:44, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 21:26, when the sun reaches 6° below the horizon and usable outdoor light runs out. The “Dusk” column of the table gives that time day by day.
- What time of day can you make vitamin D in London in May?
- In mid-May, between 10:00 and 17:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in London, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 9 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.