May is one of the cooler months of the year in Gisborne, with average highs near 15.2°C and lows around 6.1°C (mean 10.6°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 50 mm of rainfall and 81% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Gisborne. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Gisborne was 2007 — when the month averaged 12.3°C — while the coldest was 2020 at 9.1°C. Typical May days reach 15.2°C with nights near 6.1°C. The long-term May temperature trend is broadly flat.
May is about average for rainfall in Gisborne, averaging 50 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1988 with 102 mm, while the driest was 2025 at 12 mm.
Relative humidity in Gisborne during May averages 81%. The most humid May was 1989 at 89%, and the least humid was 2025 at 74%.
May receives about 2.4 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Gisborne. The sunniest May was 2025 at 2.9 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1988 at 2.
Average wind speed in Gisborne during May is 2.6 m/s. The windiest Mays were 1994 and 2016 at 3.6 m/s, while the calmest was 1991 at 1.9 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 10.6°C | 10.4°C | 10.9°C | 10.8°C | 10.5°C | -0.1°C |
| Avg High | 15.0°C | 15.0°C | 15.5°C | 15.2°C | 15.3°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Low | 6.1°C | 5.9°C | 6.2°C | 6.3°C | 5.7°C | -0.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 74 mm | 46 mm | 41 mm | 51 mm | 32 mm | -41 mm |
May temperatures in Gisborne have risen by about 0.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of -0.5°C (1997) to a record high of 25.2°C (1988).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 50 mm, with a wettest year of 102 mm.
A good time to visit Gisborne
May is a good time to visit Gisborne, with days averaging 15.2°C and nights around 6.1°C (mean 10.6°C, cooler than Gisborne's yearly average) and moderate rainfall. February and January are marginally more temperate, but May still suits most travellers.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17.2°C | 11.7°C | 6.2°C | 22.7°C | 0.7°C | 12 mm | 74% | 2.5 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2024 | 16.6°C | 11.4°C | 6.1°C | 20.7°C | 1.8°C | 34 mm | 81% | 2 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2023 | 14.3°C | 9.8°C | 5.4°C | 19.5°C | 2.3°C | 35 mm | 82% | 2.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2022 | 15.1°C | 10.6°C | 6.0°C | 19.6°C | 2.6°C | 26 mm | 84% | 2.3 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2021 | 15.6°C | 10.6°C | 5.6°C | 22.5°C | 0.4°C | 52 mm | 78% | 2.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2020 ❄️ | 13.0°C | 9.1°C | 5.1°C | 17.3°C | 1.2°C | 35 mm | 86% | 3 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2019 | 15.6°C | 11.1°C | 6.5°C | 20.6°C | 3.2°C | 66 mm | 80% | 3.1 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2018 | 15.5°C | 11.1°C | 6.7°C | 24.1°C | 2.8°C | 50 mm | 78% | 3.1 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2017 | 14.9°C | 10.4°C | 5.8°C | 18.9°C | 1.4°C | 25 mm | 82% | 2.4 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2016 | 16.0°C | 11.4°C | 6.9°C | 23.3°C | -0.3°C | 55 mm | 77% | 3.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2015 | 14.7°C | 10.4°C | 6.0°C | 20.5°C | 2.6°C | 57 mm | 82% | 3.3 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2014 | 16.4°C | 11.8°C | 7.2°C | 21.3°C | 0.6°C | 37 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2013 | 15.7°C | 11.1°C | 6.4°C | 24.4°C | 2.7°C | 46 mm | 78% | 2.8 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2012 | 14.4°C | 10.0°C | 5.5°C | 20.2°C | 1.5°C | 74 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2011 | 13.5°C | 9.4°C | 5.4°C | 19.2°C | 2.7°C | 50 mm | 85% | 2.4 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2010 | 15.6°C | 11.1°C | 6.6°C | 19.7°C | 0.9°C | 48 mm | 83% | 2.3 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2009 | 15.9°C | 11.1°C | 6.4°C | 19.5°C | 4.2°C | 22 mm | 82% | 2.3 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2008 | 15.1°C | 10.2°C | 5.3°C | 19.6°C | 2.5°C | 39 mm | 82% | 2 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2007 🔥 | 16.6°C | 12.3°C | 8.0°C | 21.0°C | 4.4°C | 81 mm | 80% | 3.4 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2006 | 14.1°C | 9.7°C | 5.3°C | 19.2°C | 2.1°C | 41 mm | 85% | 2.5 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 16.9°C | 11.7°C | 6.5°C | 22.2°C | 3.1°C | 12 mm | 74% | 2.4 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2004 | 14.7°C | 9.8°C | 5.0°C | 19.4°C | 1.6°C | 37 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2003 | 16.7°C | 11.6°C | 6.4°C | 23.2°C | 2.3°C | 33 mm | 78% | 2.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2002 | 16.5°C | 11.8°C | 7.1°C | 25.0°C | 3.6°C | 37 mm | 77% | 2.3 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2001 | 14.5°C | 10.5°C | 6.5°C | 20.1°C | 4.2°C | 19 mm | 85% | 2 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2000 | 13.9°C | 9.8°C | 5.7°C | 19.4°C | 1.7°C | 85 mm | 84% | 3 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1999 | 16.0°C | 11.0°C | 6.0°C | 21.8°C | 0.0°C | 65 mm | 75% | 3 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1998 | 15.2°C | 10.6°C | 6.1°C | 21.1°C | 0.0°C | 26 mm | 82% | 2.5 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1997 | 14.5°C | 10.4°C | 6.2°C | 23.9°C | -0.5°C | 72 mm | 83% | 2.5 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1996 | 15.1°C | 10.2°C | 5.3°C | 22.3°C | 1.4°C | 31 mm | 84% | 2.2 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1995 | 13.4°C | 9.7°C | 6.0°C | 18.9°C | 2.3°C | 61 mm | 87% | 2.4 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1994 | 14.5°C | 10.1°C | 5.7°C | 21.2°C | 1.7°C | 48 mm | 78% | 3.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1993 | 15.6°C | 10.8°C | 6.1°C | 23.2°C | 2.7°C | 37 mm | 80% | 2.4 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1992 | 14.2°C | 10.1°C | 6.0°C | 20.1°C | 1.3°C | 86 mm | 85% | 2.3 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1991 | 15.7°C | 10.9°C | 6.1°C | 20.8°C | 2.5°C | 15 mm | 81% | 1.9 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1990 | 15.3°C | 10.6°C | 5.8°C | 22.5°C | 2.2°C | 19 mm | 80% | 2.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1989 | 14.9°C | 11.1°C | 7.2°C | 19.5°C | 2.0°C | 74 mm | 89% | 2.4 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1988 🌧️ | 16.2°C | 12.2°C | 8.1°C | 25.2°C | 2.9°C | 102 mm | 85% | 2.2 m/s | 2 |
| 1987 | 14.4°C | 10.1°C | 5.8°C | 20.2°C | -0.3°C | 98 mm | 84% | 2.9 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1986 | 14.5°C | 10.1°C | 5.7°C | 19.2°C | 2.3°C | 78 mm | 85% | 2.3 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1985 | 15.3°C | 10.7°C | 6.2°C | 23.6°C | 1.3°C | 56 mm | 80% | 2.4 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1984 | 15.4°C | 10.3°C | 5.2°C | 21.3°C | 2.0°C | 25 mm | 79% | 2.3 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1983 | 14.3°C | 10.3°C | 6.4°C | 18.0°C | 1.0°C | 100 mm | 88% | 2.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 14.7°C | 9.8°C | 4.9°C | 20.1°C | 1.9°C | 42 mm | 76% | 3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 15.0°C | 10.4°C | 5.7°C | 23.0°C | 0.6°C | 87 mm | 80% | 2.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 15.2°C with lows near 6.1°C (mean 10.6°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 50 mm of rainfall in Gisborne, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 102 mm in 1988.
The hottest May reached 25.2°C in 1988. The coldest dipped to -0.5°C in 1997.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 0.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 14.9°C to 15.8°C and overnight lows from 5.7°C to 5.9°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Gisborne and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 15.2°C daytime highs and 6.1°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 5th coolest month in Gisborne, averaging 10.6°C.
For May in Gisborne, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 15.2°C and lows of 6.1°C.
Relative humidity in May averages 81% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 2.6 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.6 m/s (1994).
The wettest May on record was 1988 with 102 mm. On average, May sees 50 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Gisborne behaves each May, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for May specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
