May is close to Christchurch's year-round average, with average highs near 13.3°C and lows around 10.2°C (mean 11.8°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 52 mm of rainfall and 85% relative humidity across the period.
May is close to Christchurch's year-round average. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Christchurch was 2025 — when the month averaged 13.3°C — while the coldest was 1996 at 9.7°C. Typical May days reach 13.3°C with nights near 10.2°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Christchurch, averaging 52 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2007 with 116 mm, while the driest was 2020 at 9 mm.
Relative humidity in Christchurch during May averages 85%. The most humid May was 1981 at 88%, and the least humid was 2020 at 79%.
May receives about 5.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Christchurch. The sunniest May was 2020 at 6.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1984 at 4.3.
Average wind speed in Christchurch during May is 4.9 m/s. The windiest May was 1996 at 6.4 m/s, while the calmest was 2004 at 3.4 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.0°C | 11.7°C | 11.9°C | 11.8°C | 12.6°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg High | 12.6°C | 13.4°C | 13.4°C | 13.3°C | 14.3°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg Low | 9.5°C | 10.0°C | 10.4°C | 10.3°C | 10.9°C | +1.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 52 mm | 42 mm | 63 mm | 49 mm | 53 mm | +1 mm |
May temperatures in Christchurch have risen by about 1.8°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 4.3°C (1996) to a record high of 21.1°C (1998).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 52 mm, with a wettest year of 116 mm.
A good time to visit Christchurch
May is a good time to visit Christchurch, with days averaging 13.3°C and nights around 10.2°C (mean 11.8°C, close to Christchurch's yearly average) and moderate rainfall. August and July 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 🔥 | 15.2°C | 13.3°C | 11.3°C | 18.0°C | 7.3°C | 32 mm | 83% | 4.6 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2024 | 14.6°C | 13.2°C | 11.9°C | 17.5°C | 10.6°C | 90 mm | 87% | 4 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2023 | 14.7°C | 12.7°C | 10.6°C | 17.2°C | 8.5°C | 43 mm | 85% | 4.8 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2022 | 14.5°C | 13.0°C | 11.5°C | 16.5°C | 9.7°C | 39 mm | 85% | 4.2 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2021 | 12.2°C | 10.9°C | 9.7°C | 15.2°C | 6.9°C | 107 mm | 82% | 5.8 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2020 | 14.5°C | 12.4°C | 10.4°C | 20.0°C | 6.4°C | 9 mm | 79% | 4.8 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2019 | 13.5°C | 11.9°C | 10.3°C | 16.2°C | 6.5°C | 39 mm | 82% | 4.3 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2018 | 14.3°C | 12.4°C | 10.4°C | 19.5°C | 6.8°C | 32 mm | 85% | 3.5 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2017 | 13.9°C | 12.5°C | 11.1°C | 18.0°C | 7.8°C | 60 mm | 87% | 4.9 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 13.6°C | 12.0°C | 10.4°C | 18.5°C | 7.6°C | 41 mm | 86% | 4.5 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2015 | 13.0°C | 11.6°C | 10.3°C | 17.5°C | 8.5°C | 73 mm | 84% | 5.9 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2014 | 13.6°C | 12.4°C | 11.2°C | 17.0°C | 7.9°C | 87 mm | 85% | 4.8 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2013 | 11.9°C | 10.3°C | 8.6°C | 16.1°C | 5.2°C | 52 mm | 85% | 5.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2012 | 13.4°C | 11.8°C | 10.3°C | 18.8°C | 6.8°C | 46 mm | 85% | 4.6 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2011 | 13.6°C | 12.2°C | 10.9°C | 14.4°C | 8.8°C | 36 mm | 83% | 6.1 m/s | 6 |
| 2010 | 12.6°C | 10.8°C | 9.1°C | 18.9°C | 5.5°C | 20 mm | 82% | 4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2009 | 13.5°C | 12.0°C | 10.5°C | 18.6°C | 7.6°C | 32 mm | 84% | 5.6 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2008 | 14.4°C | 13.0°C | 11.5°C | 18.4°C | 8.8°C | 96 mm | 86% | 4.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2007 🌧️ | 14.2°C | 12.6°C | 10.9°C | 18.1°C | 7.7°C | 116 mm | 84% | 6.1 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2006 | 12.9°C | 11.5°C | 10.2°C | 17.7°C | 8.0°C | 83 mm | 88% | 5.4 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2005 | 12.6°C | 11.2°C | 9.9°C | 16.8°C | 7.4°C | 35 mm | 84% | 5.4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2004 | 14.0°C | 12.3°C | 10.6°C | 18.1°C | 7.4°C | 33 mm | 83% | 3.4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2003 | 12.8°C | 11.6°C | 10.3°C | 16.3°C | 7.9°C | 46 mm | 86% | 5.3 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2002 | 13.2°C | 11.9°C | 10.6°C | 15.1°C | 7.6°C | 83 mm | 85% | 5.9 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2001 | 13.5°C | 11.6°C | 9.6°C | 16.9°C | 5.6°C | 26 mm | 86% | 4.6 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2000 | 13.1°C | 11.7°C | 10.2°C | 15.5°C | 7.8°C | 78 mm | 88% | 5.1 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1999 | 14.0°C | 12.5°C | 11.1°C | 16.6°C | 8.5°C | 33 mm | 87% | 5.1 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1998 | 14.8°C | 12.9°C | 11.0°C | 21.1°C | 6.6°C | 24 mm | 85% | 4.2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1997 | 13.3°C | 11.7°C | 10.2°C | 17.6°C | 4.7°C | 48 mm | 84% | 5.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1996 ❄️ | 11.4°C | 9.7°C | 7.9°C | 15.0°C | 4.3°C | 72 mm | 82% | 6.4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1995 | 13.1°C | 11.6°C | 10.0°C | 19.5°C | 5.9°C | 33 mm | 83% | 4.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1994 | 12.1°C | 10.9°C | 9.7°C | 13.6°C | 8.0°C | 112 mm | 86% | 5 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1993 | 13.2°C | 11.6°C | 10.0°C | 16.5°C | 6.8°C | 53 mm | 85% | 5.8 m/s | 5 |
| 1992 | 14.0°C | 12.3°C | 10.5°C | 17.5°C | 6.7°C | 23 mm | 84% | 4.4 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1991 | 12.9°C | 10.9°C | 8.8°C | 17.7°C | 4.6°C | 12 mm | 84% | 3.9 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1990 | 14.9°C | 12.9°C | 10.9°C | 19.1°C | 8.6°C | 12 mm | 81% | 4 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1989 | 14.6°C | 12.7°C | 10.8°C | 18.0°C | 8.7°C | 11 mm | 83% | 3.9 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1988 | 13.5°C | 11.9°C | 10.4°C | 18.2°C | 8.5°C | 37 mm | 85% | 4.6 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1987 | 12.4°C | 10.5°C | 8.5°C | 16.4°C | 5.3°C | 27 mm | 82% | 5 m/s | 5 |
| 1986 | 11.4°C | 10.2°C | 9.0°C | 13.5°C | 7.0°C | 71 mm | 88% | 5.9 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1985 | 12.8°C | 11.1°C | 9.5°C | 17.1°C | 6.1°C | 42 mm | 85% | 4.5 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1984 | 12.2°C | 10.3°C | 8.5°C | 16.4°C | 5.7°C | 70 mm | 82% | 4.7 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1983 | 11.6°C | 10.4°C | 9.3°C | 14.6°C | 7.5°C | 68 mm | 87% | 4.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 12.7°C | 11.2°C | 9.8°C | 17.3°C | 5.6°C | 42 mm | 84% | 4.6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 12.2°C | 11.1°C | 10.0°C | 16.0°C | 6.9°C | 99 mm | 88% | 5.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 13.3°C with lows near 10.2°C (mean 11.8°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 52 mm of rainfall in Christchurch, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 116 mm in 2007.
The hottest May reached 21.1°C in 1998. The coldest dipped to 4.3°C in 1996.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.8°C. Daytime highs moved from 12.3°C to 14.2°C and overnight lows from 9.4°C to 11°C over the same span.
May is close to Christchurch's year-round average and one of the drier months, so plan for around 13.3°C daytime highs and 10.2°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 7th coolest month in Christchurch, averaging 11.8°C.
For May in Christchurch, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 13.3°C and lows of 10.2°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 85% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 4.9 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 6.4 m/s (1996).
The wettest May on record was 2007 with 116 mm. On average, May sees 52 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 Christchurch 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.
