Kairaki Weather in May (1981–2025)

📍 43.38°S, 172.70°E •
📊

May at a Glance in Kairaki

(1981–2025)
Avg High
🔥
14.1°C
Avg Low
❄️
5.2°C
Avg Temp
🌡️
9.7°C
Avg Rain
🌧️
78 mm
Avg Humidity
💧
84%
Avg Wind
🌬️
2.5 m/s
Avg Solar
☀️
1.9
kWh/m²/day
vs Annual
📈
-2.2°C
temp difference
❄️Cool afternoons❄️Cold mornings☁️Cloudier skies🌧️Wet month🍃Light winds💦Humid air

Kairaki May Weather Overview

May is one of the cooler months of the year in Kairaki, with average highs near 14.1°C and lows around 5.2°C (mean 9.7°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 78 mm of rainfall and 84% relative humidity across the period.

Kairaki May Temperature History (1981–2025)

Range

May is one of the cooler months of the year in Kairaki. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Kairaki was 1999 — when the month averaged 11.6°C — while the coldest was 1992 at 7°C. Typical May days reach 14.1°C with nights near 5.2°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.

1981–1985 vs 2021–2025

Avg Temp9.0°C→10.2°C+1.2°C
Max Temp13.3°C→14.7°C+1.4°C
Min Temp4.7°C→5.7°C+1°C

Trend (per decade)

Avg Temp+0.3°C/decade ↗
Max Temp+0.2°C/decade ↗
Min Temp+0.3°C/decade ↗

Distribution of Avg Temp

7.0°C–8.3°C5 yr (11%)
8.3°C–9.5°C13 yr (29%)
9.5°C–10.8°C21 yr (47%)
10.8°C–12.0°C6 yr (13%)

Kairaki May Rainfall History (1981–2025)

Range

May is about average for rainfall in Kairaki, averaging 78 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2016 with 162 mm, while the driest was 2012 at 25 mm.

Kairaki May Humidity History (1981–2025)

Range

Relative humidity in Kairaki during May averages 84%. The most humid May was 2023 at 90%, and the least humid was 1988 at 77%.

Kairaki May Solar History (1981–2025)

Range

May receives about 1.9 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Kairaki. The sunniest Mays were 1991 and 2025 at 2.1 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2010 at 1.6.

Kairaki May Wind History (1981–2025)

Range

Average wind speed in Kairaki during May is 2.5 m/s. The windiest May was 1983 at 3.4 m/s, while the calmest was 1997 at 1.9 m/s.

What May Feels Like in Kairaki

🌅
Cold
Morning
🌞
Cool
Afternoon
🌆
Cold
Evening
Rain chanceModerate
Outdoor comfort★★★☆☆

How May Ranks in Kairaki

🥶5th coolest month of the year
🌧️6th wettest month of the year
☀️10th sunniest month of the year

Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.

Explore Kairaki Weather by Month

Kairaki May Averages by Decade

Metric1980s1990s2000s2010s2020sChange
Avg Temp9.1°C9.5°C9.6°C9.9°C10.2°C+1.1°C
Avg High13.6°C14.0°C13.9°C14.2°C14.7°C+1.1°C
Avg Low4.7°C5.1°C5.3°C5.6°C5.7°C+1°C
Avg Rain74 mm68 mm70 mm89 mm93 mm+19 mm

Extreme May Records in Kairaki

🔥Warmest May24.4°C2013
🧊Coldest May-1.8°C1988
🌧️Wettest May162 mm2016
🏜️Driest May25 mm2012
🌬️Windiest May3.4 m/s1983

Key Insights for May

✅

May temperatures in Kairaki have risen by about 1.2°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.

✅

May has ranged from a record low of -1.8°C (1988) to a record high of 24.4°C (2013).

✅

Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 78 mm, with a wettest year of 162 mm.

Is May a Good Time to Visit Kairaki?

A good time to visit Kairaki

May is a good time to visit Kairaki, with days averaging 14.1°C and nights around 5.2°C (mean 9.7°C, cooler than Kairaki's yearly average) and moderate rainfall. February and January are marginally more temperate, but May still suits most travellers.

See Kairaki's complete weather history All 12 months side by side, 1981–2025 records, annual trends and long-term averages in one place. View full history →

Kairaki Weather in May — In Depth

☀️ May climate overview

May is one of the cooler months of the year in Kairaki, with average highs near 14.1°C and lows around 5.2°C (mean 9.7°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 78 mm of rainfall and 84% relative humidity across the period.

🌧️ Rain, humidity & wind in May

May averages 78 mm of rainfall in Kairaki, about average for rainfall compared with the rest of the year. The wettest May on record saw 162 mm (2016), and the driest just 25 mm (2012). Humidity sits around 84% and average wind speed is 2.5 m/s, with solar radiation averaging 1.9 kWh/m²/day.

📈 How May has changed

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 13.3°C to 14.7°C and overnight lows from 4.7°C to 5.7°C over the same span.
May Weather in Kairaki, Year by Year
🔥 warmest❄️ coldest🌧️ wettest
YearAvg HighAvg TempAvg LowHottest DayColdest DayRainfallHumidityWindSolar
202514.8°C10.2°C5.6°C18.5°C3.0°C92 mm87%2.4 m/s2.1
202412.8°C8.1°C3.3°C17.9°C0.1°C45 mm83%2.1 m/s2
202314.9°C11.2°C7.6°C21.3°C2.1°C131 mm90%2.3 m/s1.7
202216.1°C11.4°C6.7°C21.5°C2.1°C93 mm85%2.1 m/s2
202115.0°C10.2°C5.4°C23.0°C-0.2°C146 mm84%2.5 m/s2
202014.8°C10.1°C5.5°C21.1°C1.1°C52 mm86%2.1 m/s1.9
201916.5°C11.5°C6.6°C21.1°C2.8°C96 mm85%2.4 m/s1.9
201813.1°C9.4°C5.6°C18.1°C0.7°C82 mm87%2.4 m/s1.9
201713.1°C8.6°C4.0°C17.7°C-0.2°C69 mm89%2.1 m/s2
2016 🌧️15.1°C11.2°C7.2°C21.8°C4.1°C162 mm83%3 m/s1.8
201514.1°C9.4°C4.8°C19.6°C-1.3°C61 mm83%2.7 m/s2
201414.5°C9.8°C5.2°C19.5°C-1.3°C61 mm85%2.5 m/s2
201314.2°C10.0°C5.8°C24.4°C1.7°C71 mm84%2.5 m/s1.8
201213.5°C8.9°C4.4°C18.7°C0.6°C25 mm84%2.3 m/s1.9
201114.6°C10.5°C6.4°C19.2°C0.6°C98 mm87%2.2 m/s1.7
201013.8°C9.9°C5.9°C20.1°C0.4°C161 mm86%2.4 m/s1.6
200910.9°C7.2°C3.5°C17.3°C0.4°C132 mm87%3.2 m/s1.8
200812.5°C8.0°C3.6°C17.5°C-0.1°C46 mm86%2.1 m/s2
200716.4°C11.4°C6.3°C20.2°C2.9°C38 mm81%2.5 m/s2
200613.1°C9.4°C5.7°C19.0°C1.3°C103 mm90%2.3 m/s1.7
200514.4°C9.8°C5.2°C19.9°C0.3°C78 mm85%2.2 m/s2
200413.9°C10.0°C6.1°C21.0°C0.9°C80 mm86%2.7 m/s1.8
200314.3°C9.9°C5.5°C21.4°C1.1°C69 mm84%2.3 m/s1.8
200214.8°C10.0°C5.3°C22.4°C-0.9°C40 mm81%2.8 m/s1.9
200114.2°C10.2°C6.3°C21.3°C-0.9°C53 mm82%2.5 m/s1.7
200014.5°C9.8°C5.0°C21.1°C-0.2°C62 mm85%2.3 m/s1.7
1999 🔥16.5°C11.6°C6.7°C21.1°C1.9°C28 mm79%2.5 m/s1.8
199815.0°C10.5°C6.0°C21.1°C-0.3°C63 mm80%2.7 m/s1.8
199714.7°C10.3°C5.8°C21.0°C2.2°C73 mm84%1.9 m/s1.9
199614.1°C9.2°C4.4°C20.0°C0.5°C41 mm83%2.4 m/s1.9
199513.6°C9.4°C5.2°C19.2°C0.9°C71 mm87%2.3 m/s1.9
199413.6°C9.5°C5.4°C20.6°C1.0°C90 mm82%2.8 m/s1.9
199313.6°C9.1°C4.6°C18.2°C0.7°C87 mm86%2.4 m/s1.8
1992 ❄️11.2°C7.0°C2.9°C17.4°C-1.4°C96 mm83%2.8 m/s2
199113.6°C9.0°C4.4°C16.7°C2.1°C34 mm85%2.1 m/s2.1
199014.5°C9.8°C5.2°C21.2°C-0.5°C102 mm82%3 m/s2
198913.8°C9.8°C5.8°C20.2°C-0.5°C100 mm86%2.7 m/s1.7
198813.6°C8.3°C3.1°C19.6°C-1.8°C83 mm77%2.3 m/s2
198714.3°C10.0°C5.7°C19.4°C0.9°C95 mm86%2.4 m/s1.8
198614.1°C9.3°C4.5°C19.7°C-0.6°C50 mm84%2.4 m/s2
198513.6°C9.5°C5.5°C20.5°C1.5°C57 mm85%2.2 m/s1.9
198412.2°C8.0°C3.8°C18.3°C0.2°C66 mm83%2.4 m/s2
198312.9°C8.6°C4.4°C19.7°C0.4°C85 mm82%3.4 m/s—
198214.6°C9.9°C5.2°C19.1°C1.5°C87 mm79%2.9 m/s—
198113.2°C8.8°C4.5°C21.0°C0.4°C43 mm85%2.1 m/s—

Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.

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Kairaki May Weather — FAQ

What is the average temperature in Kairaki in May?▼

The average high in May is around 14.1°C with lows near 5.2°C (mean 9.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.

Does it rain a lot in Kairaki in May?▼

May averages 78 mm of rainfall in Kairaki, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 162 mm in 2016.

What was the hottest May on record in Kairaki?▼

The hottest May reached 24.4°C in 2013. The coldest dipped to -1.8°C in 1988.

Has May in Kairaki gotten warmer over time?▼

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 13.3°C to 14.7°C and overnight lows from 4.7°C to 5.7°C over the same span.

Is May a good time to visit Kairaki?▼

May is one of the cooler months of the year in Kairaki and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 14.1°C daytime highs and 5.2°C at night.

Is May the coldest month in Kairaki?▼

Not quite — May is the 5th coolest month in Kairaki, averaging 9.7°C.

What should I pack for Kairaki in May?▼

For May in Kairaki, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 14.1°C and lows of 5.2°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.

Is Kairaki humid in May?▼

Relative humidity in May averages 84% — quite humid.

How windy is Kairaki in May?▼

Average wind speed in May is 2.5 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.4 m/s (1983).

Which May had the most rainfall in Kairaki?▼

The wettest May on record was 2016 with 162 mm. On average, May sees 78 mm.

Where does this May weather data come from?▼

All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.

Other Canterbury cities

Explore how the weather in Kairaki 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.