Gordon Head weather in May

In May, Gordon Head sees average daytime highs of 12°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 38 mm of rain across 7 wet days and about 15 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 11°C in the first days to 13°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 18 min at the start of May to 15 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Gordon Head's 5th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gordon Head's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12°
5th warmest
Overnight low
10°
7th coldest
Rainfall
38 mm
7 wet days
Daylight
15 hours
4:39 AM – 7:40 PM
Cloud cover
58%
5th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.6
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 11°C in the first days to 13°C by the end.

A typical May day in Gordon Head reaches about 12°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 10°C and 15°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C warmer than April and about 2°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1119
2119
3119
4129
5129
6129
7129
8129
9129
10129
111210
121210
131210
141210
151310
161310
171310
181310
191310
201310
211310
221310
231310
241310
251311
261311
271311
281311
291311
301311
311311

Gordon Head weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 14616.61.18.60.8
Feb / 8612.31.19.91.0
Mar / 8913.70.411.61.4
Apr10° / 5310.1013.42.3
May12° / 10°3870153.6
Jun14° / 12°275.7015.84.7
Jul16° / 13°143.1015.56.3
Aug16° / 14°223.2014.16.4
Sep15° / 12°396.5012.44.9
Oct12° / 10°10311.9010.62.9
Nov / 15316.30.491.5
Dec / 13916.21.48.20.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
25050
35149
45149
55149
65050
75050
85050
95050
105050
114951
124951
134951
144951
154852
164852
174852
184753
194753
204753
214753
224852
234852
244753
254852
264852
274852
284852
294852
304852
314852

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Gordon Head gets around 38 mm of rain over 7 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 22% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
126
225
324
423
523
622
722
821
921
1021
1120
1220
1320
1420
1520
1621
1721
1822
1922
2022
2123
2223
2324
2424
2524
2624
2724
2824
2924
3024
3123

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

Winds average 13 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 18 min at the start of May to 15 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 78 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:03 AM to 4:24 AM, and sunset from 7:18 PM to 7:58 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.35:037:18
214.35:017:20
314.44:597:21
414.44:577:23
514.54:567:24
614.54:547:26
714.64:537:27
814.64:517:29
914.74:497:30
1014.74:487:31
1114.84:467:33
1214.84:457:34
1314.94:447:36
1414.94:427:37
1515.04:417:38
1615.04:397:40
1715.04:387:41
1815.14:377:42
1915.14:367:43
2015.24:347:45
2115.24:337:46
2215.34:327:47
2315.34:317:49
2415.34:307:50
2515.44:297:51
2615.44:287:52
2715.44:277:53
2815.54:267:54
2915.54:257:55
3015.54:257:56
3115.64:247:58

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.88 kWh/m² to a high of 6.73 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.93 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
125.9Bright
135.9Bright
146.0Bright
156.0Bright
166.0Bright
176.0Bright
186.0Bright
196.0Bright
206.0Intense
216.0Intense
226.0Intense
236.0Intense
246.0Intense
256.0Intense
266.0Intense
276.0Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Gordon Head

In seasonPeak

None of Gordon Head's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Gordon Head's rainy season runs October–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Gordon Head?

Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.6
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Gordon Head.

What to pack for Gordon Head in May

From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In May, Gordon Head sees daytime highs around 12°C and nights near 10°C. Worth packing: a warm layer and sun protection. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layersun protection

Sea temperature near Gordon Head in May

The nearest coast averages about 10°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 13 km away) is warmest in August at about 12°C and coldest in January near 8°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

6°8°10°12°14°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan8Bracing
Feb8Bracing
Mar8Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May10Bracing
Jun11Bracing
Jul12Bracing
Aug12Bracing
Sep11Bracing
Oct10Bracing
Nov9Bracing
Dec9Bracing

UV index in Gordon Head in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Gordon Head peaks around July 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 18UV 8Dec 18UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun6High
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Gordon Head?

Gordon Head sits at 48.5°N, 123.3°W, 74 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is Oak Bay, 4.0 km away.

Topography around Gordon Head

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Gordon Head.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Gordon Head has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 214 m around an average of 32 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 446 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,322 m.

The land around Gordon Head is covered by trees (41%) and water (39%) within 3 km, water (62%) and trees (26%) within 16 km, and trees (46%) and water (44%) within 80 km.

3 km
214 m
16 km
446 m
80 km
2,322 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Oak Bay 4.0 km · Victoria 6.0 km · Carey 6.0 km · Victoria-Downtown 7.0 km · Saanich 8.0 km · Esquimalt 9.0 km · Central Saanich 12 km · Colwood 14 km

Canada travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 83% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$55,698
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 53%none 35%Muslim 5%Hindu 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Gordon Head (48.4833°, -123.3167°, elevation 74 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).