May is one of the cooler months of the year in Te Anau, with average highs near 7.7°C and lows around 2.7°C (mean 5.2°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 181 mm of rainfall and 94% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Te Anau. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Te Anau was 2019 — when the month averaged 7.4°C — while the coldest was 1988 at 2.1°C. Typical May days reach 7.7°C with nights near 2.7°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
May is a relatively wet time of year in Te Anau, averaging 181 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2023 with 430 mm, while the driest was 1992 at 77 mm.
Relative humidity in Te Anau during May averages 94%. The most humid May was 1991 at 95%, and the least humid was 1985 at 92%.
May receives about 1.4 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Te Anau. The sunniest Mays were 1992 and 2024 at 1.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 2016, 2019 and 2023, among others at 1.2.
Average wind speed in Te Anau during May is 2.5 m/s. The windiest May was 2007 at 3.5 m/s, while the calmest were 1981, 2006 and 2008 at 1.7 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 4.4°C | 5.1°C | 5.1°C | 5.5°C | 6.1°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg High | 7.1°C | 7.4°C | 7.5°C | 8.1°C | 8.6°C | +1.5°C |
| Avg Low | 1.8°C | 2.7°C | 2.7°C | 3.0°C | 3.5°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg Rain | 141 mm | 168 mm | 188 mm | 204 mm | 214 mm | +72 mm |
May temperatures in Te Anau have risen by about 1.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of -8.4°C (1988) to a record high of 16.6°C (2011).
Rainfall in May is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 181 mm, with a wettest year of 430 mm.
A good time to visit Te Anau
May is a good time to visit Te Anau, with days averaging 7.7°C and nights around 2.7°C (mean 5.2°C, cooler than Te Anau'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 | 8.8°C | 6.7°C | 4.5°C | 13.5°C | -0.4°C | 117 mm | 94% | 3 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2024 | 6.1°C | 3.7°C | 1.3°C | 11.4°C | -2.9°C | 191 mm | 93% | 2 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2023 🌧️ | 9.6°C | 7.1°C | 4.6°C | 16.4°C | 0.5°C | 430 mm | 94% | 2.5 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2022 | 9.6°C | 7.1°C | 4.6°C | 14.0°C | -0.8°C | 129 mm | 94% | 2.4 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2021 | 8.3°C | 5.5°C | 2.8°C | 13.6°C | -2.7°C | 265 mm | 94% | 2.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2020 | 8.9°C | 6.2°C | 3.5°C | 13.3°C | -1.4°C | 149 mm | 94% | 2.3 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2019 🔥 | 9.7°C | 7.4°C | 5.1°C | 14.2°C | 0.4°C | 328 mm | 95% | 2.7 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2018 | 7.1°C | 4.5°C | 1.9°C | 13.3°C | -2.4°C | 123 mm | 94% | 2.6 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2017 | 8.1°C | 5.4°C | 2.7°C | 13.3°C | -1.7°C | 213 mm | 94% | 1.8 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2016 | 8.6°C | 6.3°C | 4.0°C | 14.7°C | -2.0°C | 275 mm | 94% | 3.1 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2015 | 7.0°C | 4.6°C | 2.3°C | 14.2°C | -2.2°C | 266 mm | 95% | 3.1 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2014 | 8.3°C | 5.5°C | 2.6°C | 12.6°C | -2.3°C | 261 mm | 94% | 2.7 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2013 | 7.7°C | 5.2°C | 2.8°C | 13.1°C | -3.2°C | 151 mm | 95% | 2.3 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2012 | 8.0°C | 5.1°C | 2.3°C | 11.9°C | -1.3°C | 150 mm | 94% | 2.1 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2011 | 8.3°C | 6.1°C | 3.8°C | 16.6°C | -1.6°C | 162 mm | 93% | 2.6 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2010 | 7.7°C | 5.3°C | 2.9°C | 11.4°C | -1.1°C | 112 mm | 95% | 2.5 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2009 | 5.5°C | 3.3°C | 1.0°C | 10.0°C | -1.7°C | 202 mm | 94% | 2.3 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2008 | 6.6°C | 4.0°C | 1.4°C | 11.4°C | -3.5°C | 143 mm | 94% | 1.7 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2007 | 9.1°C | 6.7°C | 4.3°C | 12.2°C | 0.0°C | 218 mm | 94% | 3.5 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2006 | 7.6°C | 5.1°C | 2.7°C | 10.6°C | -1.1°C | 157 mm | 94% | 1.7 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2005 | 7.7°C | 5.1°C | 2.5°C | 12.3°C | -2.8°C | 203 mm | 94% | 2.7 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2004 | 8.0°C | 5.4°C | 2.9°C | 12.7°C | -0.7°C | 177 mm | 95% | 2.7 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2003 | 7.3°C | 5.1°C | 2.9°C | 12.6°C | -1.3°C | 222 mm | 95% | 2.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2002 | 7.3°C | 5.1°C | 2.8°C | 12.3°C | -3.7°C | 161 mm | 94% | 2.5 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2001 | 7.3°C | 4.8°C | 2.2°C | 15.6°C | -5.0°C | 134 mm | 95% | 1.8 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2000 | 8.7°C | 6.4°C | 4.1°C | 11.8°C | -1.7°C | 261 mm | 94% | 3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1999 | 9.6°C | 7.3°C | 5.0°C | 13.3°C | 1.0°C | 194 mm | 94% | 3.2 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1998 | 7.9°C | 5.3°C | 2.6°C | 14.1°C | -2.6°C | 134 mm | 94% | 2.3 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1997 | 8.0°C | 5.7°C | 3.3°C | 13.9°C | -0.9°C | 145 mm | 95% | 2.5 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1996 | 7.2°C | 4.6°C | 2.1°C | 11.6°C | -2.9°C | 176 mm | 95% | 2.8 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1995 | 8.0°C | 5.6°C | 3.2°C | 11.9°C | -1.3°C | 277 mm | 93% | 2.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1994 | 6.8°C | 4.5°C | 2.1°C | 12.9°C | -1.8°C | 212 mm | 95% | 2.4 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1993 | 7.6°C | 5.2°C | 2.8°C | 11.9°C | -1.9°C | 151 mm | 94% | 2.7 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1992 | 5.2°C | 2.7°C | 0.1°C | 10.3°C | -2.7°C | 77 mm | 94% | 2.3 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1991 | 6.8°C | 4.7°C | 2.6°C | 10.1°C | -0.6°C | 123 mm | 95% | 2.3 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1990 | 7.2°C | 5.1°C | 3.1°C | 11.4°C | -0.8°C | 192 mm | 95% | 3.4 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1989 | 7.8°C | 4.9°C | 2.0°C | 14.1°C | -3.8°C | 89 mm | 94% | 2.1 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1988 ❄️ | 4.7°C | 2.1°C | -0.6°C | 12.1°C | -8.4°C | 182 mm | 95% | 2.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1987 | 8.4°C | 5.6°C | 2.9°C | 13.6°C | -1.8°C | 86 mm | 94% | 3 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1986 | 7.7°C | 5.1°C | 2.4°C | 13.7°C | -1.5°C | 174 mm | 94% | 2.3 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1985 | 7.7°C | 5.0°C | 2.3°C | 14.9°C | -2.3°C | 138 mm | 92% | 1.8 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1984 | 6.2°C | 3.6°C | 1.0°C | 11.0°C | -2.7°C | 128 mm | 93% | 2 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1983 | 5.8°C | 3.4°C | 1.0°C | 11.0°C | -3.1°C | 165 mm | 95% | 2.8 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 7.5°C | 4.9°C | 2.3°C | 12.1°C | -3.1°C | 194 mm | 94% | 2.9 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 8.1°C | 5.4°C | 2.6°C | 12.8°C | -1.4°C | 115 mm | 93% | 1.7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 7.7°C with lows near 2.7°C (mean 5.2°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 181 mm of rainfall in Te Anau, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 430 mm in 2023.
The hottest May reached 16.6°C in 2011. The coldest dipped to -8.4°C in 1988.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 7.1°C to 8.5°C and overnight lows from 1.8°C to 3.6°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in Te Anau and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 7.7°C daytime highs and 2.7°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 5th coolest month in Te Anau, averaging 5.2°C.
For May in Te Anau, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 7.7°C and lows of 2.7°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 94% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 2.5 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.5 m/s (2007).
The wettest May on record was 2023 with 430 mm. On average, May sees 181 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 Te Anau 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.
