May is one of the cooler months of the year in Napier, with average highs near 16.1°C and lows around 9.4°C (mean 12.8°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 74 mm of rainfall and 81% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Napier. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Napier was 2016 — when the month averaged 14.9°C — while the coldest were 1992 and 2009 at 10.7°C. Typical May days reach 16.1°C with nights near 9.4°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
May is about average for rainfall in Napier, averaging 74 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1989 with 249 mm, while the driest was 2007 at 12 mm.
Relative humidity in Napier during May averages 81%. The most humid May was 2023 at 87%, and the least humid was 2002 at 75%.
May receives about 2.2 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Napier. The sunniest May was 2019 at 2.5 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2006 at 1.9.
Average wind speed in Napier during May is 2.9 m/s. The windiest May was 1983 at 3.8 m/s, while the calmest were 1987 and 1997 at 2.2 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 12.5°C | 12.4°C | 13.0°C | 13.1°C | 13.1°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg High | 15.8°C | 15.7°C | 16.2°C | 16.6°C | 16.5°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 9.1°C | 9.1°C | 9.8°C | 9.5°C | 9.7°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 86 mm | 69 mm | 78 mm | 64 mm | 74 mm | -12 mm |
May temperatures in Napier have risen by about 0.9°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 3.4°C (2009) to a record high of 24.2°C (2021).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 74 mm, with a wettest year of 249 mm.
A good time to visit Napier
May is a good time to visit Napier, with days averaging 16.1°C and nights around 9.4°C (mean 12.8°C, cooler than Napier'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 | 16.9°C | 13.4°C | 9.8°C | 20.2°C | 7.3°C | 66 mm | 81% | 2.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2024 | 15.2°C | 11.9°C | 8.7°C | 19.4°C | 6.0°C | 112 mm | 81% | 2.9 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2023 | 16.9°C | 13.8°C | 10.7°C | 21.2°C | 6.2°C | 70 mm | 87% | 2.8 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2022 | 17.1°C | 13.5°C | 9.9°C | 21.5°C | 6.4°C | 71 mm | 83% | 2.5 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2021 | 16.6°C | 13.1°C | 9.6°C | 24.2°C | 6.2°C | 65 mm | 80% | 3 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2020 | 16.1°C | 12.8°C | 9.5°C | 21.8°C | 4.7°C | 59 mm | 80% | 2.4 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2019 | 17.9°C | 13.7°C | 9.5°C | 21.3°C | 5.7°C | 23 mm | 78% | 2.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2018 | 16.2°C | 13.1°C | 10.1°C | 20.6°C | 6.1°C | 72 mm | 82% | 3 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2017 | 15.5°C | 12.4°C | 9.3°C | 19.3°C | 5.2°C | 104 mm | 82% | 2.9 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2016 🔥 | 18.6°C | 14.9°C | 11.1°C | 23.7°C | 5.9°C | 41 mm | 77% | 2.8 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2015 | 16.3°C | 12.4°C | 8.5°C | 22.1°C | 4.0°C | 47 mm | 78% | 2.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2014 | 16.8°C | 13.0°C | 9.1°C | 21.0°C | 4.9°C | 34 mm | 77% | 2.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2013 | 16.2°C | 12.9°C | 9.6°C | 23.2°C | 4.8°C | 56 mm | 80% | 2.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2012 | 14.6°C | 11.5°C | 8.4°C | 19.0°C | 3.4°C | 52 mm | 82% | 3.1 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2011 | 17.5°C | 13.9°C | 10.4°C | 22.2°C | 5.4°C | 67 mm | 84% | 2.5 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2010 | 15.9°C | 12.7°C | 9.5°C | 20.0°C | 5.9°C | 141 mm | 83% | 2.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2009 | 13.5°C | 10.7°C | 8.0°C | 19.4°C | 3.4°C | 104 mm | 82% | 3.7 m/s | 2 |
| 2008 | 14.4°C | 11.6°C | 8.9°C | 17.8°C | 5.4°C | 115 mm | 81% | 2.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2007 | 18.5°C | 14.2°C | 9.9°C | 22.1°C | 6.4°C | 12 mm | 77% | 2.5 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2006 | 15.6°C | 12.8°C | 10.1°C | 19.2°C | 7.0°C | 76 mm | 84% | 2.9 m/s | 1.9 |
| 2005 | 16.8°C | 13.6°C | 10.4°C | 20.6°C | 6.7°C | 149 mm | 84% | 2.6 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2004 | 16.1°C | 13.4°C | 10.7°C | 23.8°C | 7.6°C | 109 mm | 84% | 2.9 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2003 | 17.0°C | 13.6°C | 10.3°C | 21.2°C | 5.6°C | 102 mm | 77% | 2.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2002 | 16.6°C | 13.2°C | 9.8°C | 21.2°C | 5.4°C | 20 mm | 75% | 3.5 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2001 | 16.4°C | 13.3°C | 10.2°C | 20.9°C | 4.5°C | 54 mm | 83% | 3.3 m/s | 2 |
| 2000 | 17.0°C | 13.5°C | 9.9°C | 21.1°C | 6.8°C | 35 mm | 82% | 2.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1999 | 17.0°C | 13.9°C | 10.9°C | 21.5°C | 7.4°C | 63 mm | 83% | 2.8 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1998 | 16.4°C | 12.7°C | 9.0°C | 20.0°C | 5.1°C | 39 mm | 79% | 3.1 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1997 | 16.6°C | 13.5°C | 10.3°C | 19.7°C | 7.4°C | 75 mm | 84% | 2.2 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1996 | 14.8°C | 11.6°C | 8.5°C | 19.4°C | 4.6°C | 61 mm | 83% | 3.2 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1995 | 15.8°C | 12.6°C | 9.3°C | 21.3°C | 5.0°C | 73 mm | 83% | 2.9 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1994 | 15.7°C | 12.6°C | 9.5°C | 21.4°C | 4.9°C | 92 mm | 81% | 3.6 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1993 | 15.4°C | 11.8°C | 8.2°C | 18.9°C | 5.3°C | 67 mm | 83% | 2.8 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1992 ❄️ | 13.6°C | 10.7°C | 7.7°C | 19.6°C | 3.6°C | 42 mm | 80% | 3.5 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1991 | 15.0°C | 11.7°C | 8.4°C | 17.3°C | 4.8°C | 75 mm | 83% | 2.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1990 | 16.4°C | 12.7°C | 9.0°C | 20.1°C | 5.1°C | 100 mm | 80% | 3.1 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1989 🌧️ | 15.9°C | 13.0°C | 10.1°C | 20.3°C | 5.7°C | 249 mm | 84% | 3.1 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1988 | 16.5°C | 12.7°C | 9.0°C | 20.6°C | 5.6°C | 47 mm | 80% | 2.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1987 | 16.4°C | 12.7°C | 9.0°C | 18.9°C | 6.0°C | 65 mm | 80% | 2.2 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1986 | 16.3°C | 12.6°C | 9.0°C | 20.3°C | 4.7°C | 58 mm | 78% | 2.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1985 | 14.7°C | 12.0°C | 9.2°C | 20.9°C | 6.8°C | 70 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1984 | 15.5°C | 12.0°C | 8.6°C | 20.0°C | 4.8°C | 54 mm | 77% | 3 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1983 | 15.9°C | 12.4°C | 8.8°C | 22.5°C | 5.6°C | 64 mm | 76% | 3.8 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 15.7°C | 12.2°C | 8.6°C | 19.3°C | 5.7°C | 115 mm | 78% | 3.1 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 15.5°C | 12.5°C | 9.5°C | 21.7°C | 5.9°C | 54 mm | 80% | 2.7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 16.1°C with lows near 9.4°C (mean 12.8°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 74 mm of rainfall in Napier, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 249 mm in 1989.
The hottest May reached 24.2°C in 2021. The coldest dipped to 3.4°C in 2009.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 0.9°C. Daytime highs moved from 15.5°C to 16.5°C and overnight lows from 8.9°C to 9.7°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Napier and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 16.1°C daytime highs and 9.4°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 5th coolest month in Napier, averaging 12.8°C.
For May in Napier, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 16.1°C and lows of 9.4°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 81% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 2.9 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.8 m/s (1983).
The wettest May on record was 1989 with 249 mm. On average, May sees 74 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 Napier 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.
