May is one of the cooler months of the year in Whakatane, with average highs near 15.9°C and lows around 9.9°C (mean 12.9°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 102 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Whakatane. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Whakatane was 2016 — when the month averaged 14.9°C — while the coldest was 1992 at 10.8°C. Typical May days reach 15.9°C with nights near 9.9°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is about average for rainfall in Whakatane, averaging 102 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1989 with 262 mm, while the driest was 2007 at 27 mm.
Relative humidity in Whakatane during May averages 83%. The most humid May was 2004 at 89%, and the least humid was 2002 at 77%.
May receives about 2.4 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Whakatane. The sunniest Mays were 2007, 2014 and 2024, among others at 2.7 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1988 at 2.1.
Average wind speed in Whakatane during May is 1.7 m/s. The windiest May was 1994 at 2.1 m/s, while the calmest was 1997 at 1.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 12.5°C | 12.6°C | 13.1°C | 13.2°C | 13.3°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg High | 15.5°C | 15.5°C | 16.0°C | 16.2°C | 16.4°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg Low | 9.4°C | 9.7°C | 10.2°C | 10.0°C | 10.4°C | +1°C |
| Avg Rain | 100 mm | 97 mm | 101 mm | 99 mm | 121 mm | +21 mm |
May temperatures in Whakatane have risen by about 1.2°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 2.8°C (2009) to a record high of 21.3°C (2002).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 102 mm, with a wettest year of 262 mm.
A good time to visit Whakatane
May is a good time to visit Whakatane, with days averaging 15.9°C and nights around 9.9°C (mean 12.9°C, cooler than Whakatane's yearly average) and higher 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 | 16.7°C | 13.6°C | 10.6°C | 18.6°C | 6.9°C | 105 mm | 84% | 1.6 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 15.5°C | 12.1°C | 8.8°C | 18.5°C | 5.2°C | 111 mm | 81% | 1.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2023 | 16.2°C | 14.1°C | 12.0°C | 19.2°C | 6.7°C | 218 mm | 89% | 2 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2022 | 17.0°C | 13.9°C | 10.9°C | 20.9°C | 6.3°C | 105 mm | 84% | 1.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2021 | 16.4°C | 13.3°C | 10.2°C | 21.1°C | 5.7°C | 119 mm | 82% | 1.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2020 | 16.4°C | 13.0°C | 9.6°C | 20.2°C | 6.2°C | 69 mm | 81% | 1.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2019 | 17.2°C | 13.8°C | 10.4°C | 19.2°C | 6.5°C | 36 mm | 81% | 1.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2018 | 16.2°C | 13.2°C | 10.1°C | 20.4°C | 5.3°C | 118 mm | 85% | 1.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2017 | 15.3°C | 12.3°C | 9.2°C | 19.3°C | 3.5°C | 122 mm | 83% | 1.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2016 🔥 | 17.7°C | 14.9°C | 12.0°C | 21.0°C | 7.2°C | 83 mm | 84% | 1.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2015 | 16.1°C | 12.7°C | 9.3°C | 19.6°C | 5.3°C | 54 mm | 80% | 1.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2014 | 16.1°C | 12.8°C | 9.4°C | 19.8°C | 4.1°C | 40 mm | 81% | 1.5 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2013 | 15.8°C | 12.9°C | 10.1°C | 19.1°C | 2.9°C | 116 mm | 84% | 1.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2012 | 15.2°C | 11.8°C | 8.3°C | 18.2°C | 3.0°C | 78 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2011 | 16.6°C | 14.0°C | 11.4°C | 19.7°C | 5.3°C | 160 mm | 88% | 1.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2010 | 16.3°C | 13.3°C | 10.2°C | 19.5°C | 5.5°C | 185 mm | 83% | 1.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2009 | 14.0°C | 11.1°C | 8.2°C | 17.9°C | 2.8°C | 98 mm | 84% | 1.8 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2008 | 14.7°C | 11.8°C | 9.0°C | 17.2°C | 5.7°C | 114 mm | 85% | 1.5 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2007 | 17.6°C | 14.1°C | 10.6°C | 20.4°C | 5.3°C | 27 mm | 80% | 1.5 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2006 | 15.3°C | 12.8°C | 10.2°C | 18.2°C | 6.2°C | 87 mm | 87% | 1.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2005 | 16.5°C | 13.6°C | 10.8°C | 18.6°C | 5.6°C | 226 mm | 88% | 1.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2004 | 15.7°C | 13.3°C | 11.0°C | 19.8°C | 7.5°C | 165 mm | 89% | 1.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2003 | 16.5°C | 13.6°C | 10.7°C | 18.6°C | 5.7°C | 81 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2002 | 16.8°C | 13.7°C | 10.6°C | 21.3°C | 5.3°C | 44 mm | 77% | 2 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2001 | 15.7°C | 13.3°C | 10.9°C | 19.1°C | 3.4°C | 125 mm | 87% | 2 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2000 | 17.2°C | 13.8°C | 10.4°C | 21.1°C | 7.2°C | 40 mm | 81% | 1.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1999 | 17.1°C | 14.2°C | 11.4°C | 19.6°C | 7.0°C | 54 mm | 79% | 1.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1998 | 16.9°C | 13.6°C | 10.2°C | 20.4°C | 5.6°C | 42 mm | 78% | 1.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1997 | 16.2°C | 13.7°C | 11.2°C | 19.7°C | 8.3°C | 98 mm | 83% | 1.3 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1996 | 14.9°C | 12.0°C | 9.2°C | 17.8°C | 4.9°C | 101 mm | 83% | 1.9 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1995 | 15.6°C | 12.8°C | 10.0°C | 19.0°C | 6.2°C | 119 mm | 86% | 1.8 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1994 | 15.6°C | 12.8°C | 10.1°C | 19.4°C | 4.8°C | 95 mm | 83% | 2.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1993 | 14.8°C | 11.8°C | 8.8°C | 17.3°C | 4.7°C | 78 mm | 86% | 1.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1992 ❄️ | 13.5°C | 10.8°C | 8.0°C | 19.1°C | 4.8°C | 201 mm | 84% | 1.8 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1991 | 14.1°C | 11.3°C | 8.5°C | 16.3°C | 5.9°C | 109 mm | 88% | 1.5 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1990 | 16.2°C | 12.9°C | 9.7°C | 18.9°C | 6.2°C | 74 mm | 81% | 1.9 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1989 🌧️ | 15.7°C | 12.8°C | 9.9°C | 20.0°C | 4.6°C | 262 mm | 85% | 1.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1988 | 16.0°C | 13.0°C | 9.9°C | 19.3°C | 6.1°C | 89 mm | 85% | 1.8 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1987 | 15.6°C | 12.3°C | 9.1°C | 17.7°C | 5.8°C | 74 mm | 84% | 1.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1986 | 16.5°C | 13.1°C | 9.6°C | 19.1°C | 5.2°C | 91 mm | 81% | 1.7 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1985 | 14.9°C | 12.2°C | 9.5°C | 19.3°C | 6.2°C | 103 mm | 85% | 1.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1984 | 15.4°C | 12.2°C | 8.9°C | 18.6°C | 3.2°C | 78 mm | 81% | 1.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1983 | 14.7°C | 11.8°C | 9.0°C | 18.7°C | 4.9°C | 53 mm | 84% | 1.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 15.6°C | 12.4°C | 9.2°C | 18.1°C | 5.6°C | 78 mm | 80% | 1.8 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 15.5°C | 12.5°C | 9.4°C | 19.1°C | 5.5°C | 73 mm | 83% | 1.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 15.9°C with lows near 9.9°C (mean 12.9°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 102 mm of rainfall in Whakatane, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 262 mm in 1989.
The hottest May reached 21.3°C in 2002. The coldest dipped to 2.8°C in 2009.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.2°C. Daytime highs moved from 15.2°C to 16.4°C and overnight lows from 9.2°C to 10.5°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Whakatane and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 15.9°C daytime highs and 9.9°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 5th coolest month in Whakatane, averaging 12.9°C.
For May in Whakatane, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 15.9°C and lows of 9.9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 1.7 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 2.1 m/s (1994).
The wettest May on record was 1989 with 262 mm. On average, May sees 102 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 Whakatane 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.
