May is one of the cooler months of the year in Invercargill, with average highs near 11.8°C and lows around 8.3°C (mean 10.1°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 116 mm of rainfall and 84% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Invercargill. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Invercargill was 1999 — when the month averaged 11.9°C — while the coldest was 1992 at 7.8°C. Typical May days reach 11.8°C with nights near 8.3°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is a relatively wet time of year in Invercargill, averaging 116 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1982 with 171 mm, while the driest was 2020 at 47 mm.
Relative humidity in Invercargill during May averages 84%. The most humid May was 2001 at 87%, and the least humid was 1982 at 82%.
May receives about 1.4 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Invercargill. The sunniest Mays were 2020, 2021 and 2025, among others at 1.5 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1998, 2001 and 2011 at 1.2.
Average wind speed in Invercargill during May is 4.5 m/s. The windiest May was 1990 at 5.7 m/s, while the calmest was 1981 at 3.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 9.4°C | 10.0°C | 9.8°C | 10.3°C | 10.8°C | +1.4°C |
| Avg High | 11.2°C | 11.7°C | 11.6°C | 12.1°C | 12.7°C | +1.5°C |
| Avg Low | 7.6°C | 8.3°C | 8.1°C | 8.6°C | 9.0°C | +1.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 115 mm | 114 mm | 125 mm | 117 mm | 103 mm | -12 mm |
May temperatures in Invercargill have risen by about 1.3°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 2.6°C (1989) to a record high of 19°C (2023).
Rainfall in May is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 116 mm, with a wettest year of 171 mm.
A good time to visit Invercargill
May is a good time to visit Invercargill, with days averaging 11.8°C and nights around 8.3°C (mean 10.1°C, close to Invercargill'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 | 13.4°C | 11.6°C | 9.8°C | 18.1°C | 6.8°C | 86 mm | 83% | 5 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2024 | 10.5°C | 8.9°C | 7.4°C | 14.9°C | 3.2°C | 98 mm | 83% | 4.5 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2023 | 13.7°C | 11.7°C | 9.8°C | 19.0°C | 6.8°C | 160 mm | 86% | 3.9 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2022 | 13.7°C | 11.7°C | 9.8°C | 17.8°C | 5.9°C | 107 mm | 83% | 4.2 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2021 | 12.3°C | 10.3°C | 8.2°C | 16.0°C | 3.1°C | 119 mm | 84% | 4.3 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2020 | 12.7°C | 10.8°C | 9.0°C | 17.4°C | 6.1°C | 47 mm | 85% | 3.5 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2019 | 13.5°C | 11.8°C | 10.1°C | 16.7°C | 6.2°C | 142 mm | 84% | 4.8 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2018 | 11.2°C | 9.5°C | 7.7°C | 17.2°C | 2.9°C | 106 mm | 83% | 4.7 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2017 | 12.0°C | 10.2°C | 8.4°C | 16.2°C | 5.2°C | 81 mm | 84% | 3.7 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2016 | 12.9°C | 11.1°C | 9.3°C | 17.7°C | 5.6°C | 143 mm | 84% | 4.4 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2015 | 11.9°C | 10.1°C | 8.3°C | 16.7°C | 4.3°C | 87 mm | 82% | 5.4 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2014 | 12.5°C | 10.6°C | 8.7°C | 15.5°C | 4.9°C | 163 mm | 83% | 4.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2013 | 11.9°C | 10.2°C | 8.6°C | 16.2°C | 3.6°C | 124 mm | 86% | 4.3 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2012 | 12.1°C | 9.9°C | 7.8°C | 16.0°C | 5.4°C | 114 mm | 84% | 4.1 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2011 | 12.1°C | 10.4°C | 8.7°C | 15.0°C | 6.4°C | 126 mm | 86% | 4.7 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2010 | 11.2°C | 9.6°C | 7.9°C | 15.0°C | 4.3°C | 79 mm | 87% | 3.8 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2009 | 10.2°C | 8.5°C | 6.8°C | 13.7°C | 2.6°C | 164 mm | 85% | 4 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2008 | 10.8°C | 9.0°C | 7.3°C | 14.4°C | 3.4°C | 107 mm | 85% | 3.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2007 | 13.1°C | 11.3°C | 9.5°C | 16.1°C | 5.2°C | 102 mm | 83% | 5.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2006 | 11.5°C | 9.8°C | 8.0°C | 14.5°C | 5.0°C | 94 mm | 85% | 3.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2005 | 11.5°C | 9.7°C | 7.9°C | 16.1°C | 3.3°C | 125 mm | 84% | 4.3 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2004 | 11.4°C | 9.5°C | 7.6°C | 15.4°C | 4.6°C | 126 mm | 86% | 4 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2003 | 11.5°C | 10.0°C | 8.5°C | 15.3°C | 3.6°C | 149 mm | 85% | 5.3 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2002 | 11.4°C | 9.8°C | 8.2°C | 15.6°C | 3.8°C | 102 mm | 85% | 5.6 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2001 | 11.3°C | 9.6°C | 7.9°C | 15.9°C | 4.4°C | 135 mm | 87% | 4.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2000 | 13.1°C | 11.0°C | 8.9°C | 16.5°C | 4.3°C | 151 mm | 83% | 4.5 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1999 🔥 | 13.7°C | 11.9°C | 10.1°C | 17.5°C | 6.4°C | 100 mm | 83% | 4.9 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1998 | 11.6°C | 10.0°C | 8.3°C | 14.4°C | 4.8°C | 76 mm | 85% | 4.7 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1997 | 11.9°C | 10.1°C | 8.3°C | 16.2°C | 5.4°C | 95 mm | 86% | 4.1 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1996 | 12.0°C | 10.4°C | 8.8°C | 17.4°C | 4.9°C | 139 mm | 83% | 5.5 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1995 | 12.4°C | 10.7°C | 9.0°C | 16.7°C | 6.5°C | 154 mm | 83% | 4.4 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1994 | 11.3°C | 9.6°C | 7.9°C | 16.6°C | 5.7°C | 150 mm | 85% | 4.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1993 | 11.6°C | 9.8°C | 8.0°C | 15.3°C | 4.9°C | 95 mm | 85% | 4.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1992 ❄️ | 9.6°C | 7.8°C | 6.0°C | 13.5°C | 3.1°C | 59 mm | 84% | 4.5 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1991 | 11.1°C | 9.7°C | 8.3°C | 13.7°C | 5.4°C | 109 mm | 85% | 5.2 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1990 | 11.6°C | 10.1°C | 8.6°C | 15.8°C | 6.2°C | 167 mm | 83% | 5.7 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1989 | 11.3°C | 9.4°C | 7.4°C | 15.1°C | 2.6°C | 62 mm | 85% | 4 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1988 | 10.0°C | 8.3°C | 6.6°C | 15.3°C | 3.3°C | 163 mm | 84% | 5.2 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1987 | 11.9°C | 10.0°C | 8.1°C | 16.1°C | 4.3°C | 57 mm | 84% | 4.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1986 | 11.8°C | 10.0°C | 8.2°C | 15.9°C | 4.5°C | 150 mm | 83% | 4.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1985 | 11.7°C | 9.9°C | 8.2°C | 15.8°C | 3.6°C | 118 mm | 84% | 3.5 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1984 | 10.5°C | 8.8°C | 7.1°C | 15.0°C | 3.1°C | 104 mm | 84% | 4.5 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1983 | 10.1°C | 8.5°C | 6.8°C | 13.4°C | 3.1°C | 130 mm | 84% | 4.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 🌧️ | 12.2°C | 10.3°C | 8.5°C | 15.9°C | 4.6°C | 171 mm | 82% | 5 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 11.7°C | 9.8°C | 7.9°C | 16.5°C | 4.3°C | 83 mm | 85% | 3.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 11.8°C with lows near 8.3°C (mean 10.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 116 mm of rainfall in Invercargill, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 171 mm in 1982.
The hottest May reached 19°C in 2023. The coldest dipped to 2.6°C in 1989.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.3°C. Daytime highs moved from 11.2°C to 12.7°C and overnight lows from 7.7°C to 9°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Invercargill and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 11.8°C daytime highs and 8.3°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 5th coolest month in Invercargill, averaging 10.1°C.
For May in Invercargill, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 11.8°C and lows of 8.3°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 84% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 4.5 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 5.7 m/s (1990).
The wettest May on record was 1982 with 171 mm. On average, May sees 116 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 Invercargill 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.
