May is one of the cooler months of the year in New Plymouth, with average highs near 14.9°C and lows around 9.8°C (mean 12.4°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 122 mm of rainfall and 86% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in New Plymouth. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in New Plymouth was 2016 — when the month averaged 14.3°C — while the coldest was 1992 at 9.7°C. Typical May days reach 14.9°C with nights near 9.8°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is a relatively wet time of year in New Plymouth, averaging 122 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1994 with 248 mm, while the driest was 2007 at 34 mm.
Relative humidity in New Plymouth during May averages 86%. The most humid May was 2023 at 89%, and the least humid was 2002 at 83%.
May receives about 2.2 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in New Plymouth. The sunniest Mays were 1985 and 2008 at 2.4 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 2013, 2016 and 2023, among others at 2.
Average wind speed in New Plymouth during May is 4.1 m/s. The windiest May was 1983 at 5.3 m/s, while the calmest were 1987 and 2020 at 3.2 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.9°C | 12.1°C | 12.5°C | 12.8°C | 12.7°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg High | 14.6°C | 14.4°C | 15.0°C | 15.2°C | 15.3°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 9.2°C | 9.7°C | 9.9°C | 10.3°C | 10.1°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg Rain | 91 mm | 134 mm | 102 mm | 141 mm | 150 mm | +59 mm |
May temperatures in New Plymouth have risen by about 1.1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 2.3°C (1984) to a record high of 20.2°C (1989).
Rainfall in May is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 122 mm, with a wettest year of 248 mm.
A good time to visit New Plymouth
May is a good time to visit New Plymouth, with days averaging 14.9°C and nights around 9.8°C (mean 12.4°C, close to New Plymouth'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 | 15.5°C | 12.8°C | 10.1°C | 18.4°C | 5.2°C | 131 mm | 87% | 3.9 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2024 | 13.9°C | 11.3°C | 8.7°C | 16.9°C | 3.3°C | 103 mm | 86% | 3.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2023 | 16.1°C | 14.0°C | 11.9°C | 20.1°C | 6.8°C | 224 mm | 89% | 4.6 m/s | 2 |
| 2022 | 16.1°C | 13.6°C | 11.0°C | 18.6°C | 4.3°C | 165 mm | 87% | 3.9 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2021 | 15.2°C | 12.5°C | 9.8°C | 18.6°C | 2.9°C | 135 mm | 86% | 4.4 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2020 | 15.1°C | 12.1°C | 9.1°C | 17.3°C | 3.7°C | 141 mm | 85% | 3.2 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2019 | 16.0°C | 13.7°C | 11.3°C | 17.8°C | 7.3°C | 107 mm | 86% | 3.9 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2018 | 15.1°C | 12.7°C | 10.3°C | 18.3°C | 5.7°C | 189 mm | 87% | 4.4 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2017 | 14.7°C | 12.2°C | 9.8°C | 17.8°C | 5.3°C | 142 mm | 86% | 4 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2016 🔥 | 16.4°C | 14.3°C | 12.2°C | 19.1°C | 6.9°C | 182 mm | 87% | 4.6 m/s | 2 |
| 2015 | 14.6°C | 12.2°C | 9.8°C | 18.0°C | 4.2°C | 135 mm | 85% | 4.1 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2014 | 15.1°C | 12.6°C | 10.1°C | 17.6°C | 3.8°C | 72 mm | 86% | 3.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2013 | 15.2°C | 12.6°C | 10.0°C | 18.3°C | 4.5°C | 173 mm | 87% | 3.8 m/s | 2 |
| 2012 | 14.1°C | 11.2°C | 8.4°C | 17.1°C | 3.1°C | 105 mm | 86% | 3.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2011 | 15.8°C | 13.7°C | 11.7°C | 18.5°C | 6.9°C | 151 mm | 89% | 4.7 m/s | 2 |
| 2010 | 15.1°C | 12.3°C | 9.5°C | 18.6°C | 4.3°C | 150 mm | 85% | 3.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2009 | 12.8°C | 10.3°C | 7.8°C | 16.4°C | 3.9°C | 135 mm | 86% | 4.7 m/s | 2 |
| 2008 | 14.1°C | 11.0°C | 8.0°C | 16.4°C | 5.0°C | 70 mm | 85% | 3.5 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2007 | 16.1°C | 13.4°C | 10.7°C | 18.7°C | 6.6°C | 34 mm | 88% | 3.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2006 | 14.9°C | 12.3°C | 9.8°C | 17.4°C | 5.6°C | 107 mm | 87% | 3.9 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2005 | 15.6°C | 13.3°C | 10.9°C | 18.7°C | 5.8°C | 155 mm | 88% | 3.9 m/s | 2 |
| 2004 | 15.1°C | 12.5°C | 9.9°C | 17.9°C | 5.6°C | 99 mm | 89% | 4.4 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2003 | 15.8°C | 13.1°C | 10.5°C | 18.8°C | 5.2°C | 130 mm | 85% | 3.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2002 | 15.1°C | 12.7°C | 10.2°C | 17.4°C | 6.9°C | 79 mm | 83% | 5 m/s | 2 |
| 2001 | 15.4°C | 13.0°C | 10.6°C | 19.8°C | 3.2°C | 114 mm | 86% | 4.7 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2000 | 15.5°C | 12.9°C | 10.3°C | 18.5°C | 6.3°C | 94 mm | 86% | 3.8 m/s | 2 |
| 1999 | 15.8°C | 13.4°C | 11.0°C | 18.6°C | 7.2°C | 104 mm | 86% | 4.1 m/s | 2 |
| 1998 | 15.1°C | 12.4°C | 9.7°C | 17.1°C | 6.0°C | 105 mm | 86% | 4.2 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1997 | 15.4°C | 13.0°C | 10.6°C | 18.6°C | 7.6°C | 87 mm | 88% | 3.3 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1996 | 14.1°C | 11.4°C | 8.7°C | 16.6°C | 4.2°C | 120 mm | 87% | 4.3 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1995 | 14.8°C | 12.2°C | 9.7°C | 20.2°C | 3.8°C | 159 mm | 88% | 4.1 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1994 🌧️ | 14.5°C | 12.4°C | 10.2°C | 17.2°C | 6.2°C | 248 mm | 87% | 4.9 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1993 | 14.1°C | 12.0°C | 9.9°C | 16.5°C | 5.9°C | 152 mm | 88% | 4.4 m/s | 2 |
| 1992 ❄️ | 12.2°C | 9.7°C | 7.3°C | 17.3°C | 2.5°C | 149 mm | 88% | 4.3 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1991 | 13.8°C | 11.5°C | 9.2°C | 16.8°C | 7.2°C | 80 mm | 88% | 3.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1990 | 14.6°C | 12.5°C | 10.4°C | 16.9°C | 5.8°C | 130 mm | 86% | 4.6 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1989 | 15.1°C | 12.4°C | 9.6°C | 20.2°C | 5.0°C | 115 mm | 87% | 3.6 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1988 | 14.7°C | 12.0°C | 9.3°C | 18.8°C | 4.2°C | 96 mm | 87% | 4.1 m/s | 2 |
| 1987 | 14.6°C | 12.1°C | 9.7°C | 17.2°C | 6.1°C | 89 mm | 87% | 3.2 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1986 | 15.1°C | 12.4°C | 9.7°C | 17.7°C | 3.8°C | 118 mm | 84% | 4.1 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1985 | 14.6°C | 11.5°C | 8.4°C | 17.4°C | 4.2°C | 37 mm | 85% | 3.5 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1984 | 14.2°C | 11.4°C | 8.6°C | 16.9°C | 2.3°C | 92 mm | 85% | 4.1 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1983 | 13.6°C | 11.4°C | 9.2°C | 17.7°C | 4.8°C | 101 mm | 86% | 5.3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 14.7°C | 12.1°C | 9.5°C | 16.6°C | 4.7°C | 113 mm | 84% | 4.6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 15.0°C | 12.1°C | 9.1°C | 18.4°C | 4.8°C | 60 mm | 86% | 3.8 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 14.9°C with lows near 9.8°C (mean 12.4°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 122 mm of rainfall in New Plymouth, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 248 mm in 1994.
The hottest May reached 20.2°C in 1989. The coldest dipped to 2.3°C in 1984.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.1°C. Daytime highs moved from 14.4°C to 15.4°C and overnight lows from 9°C to 10.3°C over the same span.
May is one of the cooler months of the year in New Plymouth and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 14.9°C daytime highs and 9.8°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 6th coolest month in New Plymouth, averaging 12.4°C.
For May in New Plymouth, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 14.9°C and lows of 9.8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 86% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 4.1 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 5.3 m/s (1983).
The wettest May on record was 1994 with 248 mm. On average, May sees 122 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 New Plymouth 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.
