Cañas weather in May

In May, Cañas sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 221 mm of rain across 21.8 wet days and about 12.5 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Cañas's 7th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cañas's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
22°
12th coldest
Rainfall
221 mm
21.8 wet days
Daylight
12 h 30 min
5:22 AM – 5:51 PM
Cloud cover
83%
7th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.79 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.7
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.

A typical May day in Cañas reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13022
23022
33022
43022
53022
63022
73022
83022
93022
103022
113022
122922
132922
142922
152922
162922
172922
182922
192922
202922
212922
222922
232922
242922
252922
262922
272922
282922
292922
302922
312922

How May really feels in Cañas

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 19 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
19
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Cañas weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 20°164.811.57.6
Feb28° / 20°82.311.77.9
Mar29° / 20°72.211.96.9
Apr30° / 21°377.212.25.2
May29° / 22°22121.812.53.7
Jun28° / 22°26525.612.63.5
Jul28° / 22°17822.712.54.2
Aug28° / 22°20924.312.33.8
Sep28° / 21°29027.712.13.3
Oct28° / 21°31227.611.83.6
Nov27° / 21°1341811.55.0
Dec27° / 21°429.211.46.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 86%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12872
22773
32773
42476
52476
62476
72377
82278
92080
102080
111981
121882
131783
141684
151486
161387
171387
181189
191090
20991
21991
22793
23793
24694
25694
26694
27694
28694
29694
30694
31694

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Cañas gets around 221 mm of rain over 21.8 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 70% and peaks near 88% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
145
246
348
449
551
652
753
855
957
1059
1161
1263
1366
1468
1571
1673
1775
1877
1979
2080
2182
2283
2385
2486
2586
2687
2788
2888
2988
3088
3188

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 77% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
125246
215049
314752
414554
514257
614059
713861
813663
913465
1013168
1112970
1212772
1312475
1412277
1501981
1601783
1701585
1801486
1901288
2001189
2101090
2201090
230991
240892
250793
260793
270694
280694
290595
300595
310595

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:27 AM to 5:21 AM, and sunset from 5:49 PM to 5:55 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.45:275:49
212.45:265:49
312.45:265:49
412.45:265:49
512.45:255:49
612.45:255:49
712.45:255:49
812.45:245:49
912.45:245:50
1012.45:245:50
1112.45:235:50
1212.45:235:50
1312.55:235:50
1412.55:235:51
1512.55:235:51
1612.55:225:51
1712.55:225:51
1812.55:225:51
1912.55:225:52
2012.55:225:52
2112.55:225:52
2212.55:215:52
2312.55:215:53
2412.55:215:53
2512.55:215:53
2612.55:215:53
2712.55:215:54
2812.55:215:54
2912.65:215:54
3012.65:215:54
3112.65:215:55

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.79 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.89 kWh/m² to a high of 6.1 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 4.79 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.2Bright
85.2Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
134.9Bright
144.8Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.6Bright
204.6Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.4Bright
304.4Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Cañas

In seasonPeak

In May, Cañas sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Cañas's rainy season runs May–October, 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 Cañas?

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

3.7
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
4.9
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Cañas.

What to pack for Cañas in May

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

In May, Cañas sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 22 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Cañas in May

The nearest coast averages about 29°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 61 km away) is warmest in May at about 29°C and coldest in February near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov28Warm
Dec27Warm

UV index in Cañas in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cañas peaks around March 19 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 10 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highMar 19UV 14Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Cañas in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Cañas is worst in May — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (January, 10 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMay 1623 µg/m³Jan 1210 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb11Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr21Moderate
May23Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul22Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct15Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Cañas?

Cañas sits at 10.4°N, 85.1°W, 86 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is Monteverde, 34 km away.

MonteverdeLiberiaNicoyaLa FortunaPuntarenasSan JoséChacaritaEsparza

Topography around Cañas

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Cañas has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 181 m around an average of 83 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 723 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,977 m.

The land around Cañas is covered by grassland (46%) and trees (41%) within 3 km, trees (46%) and grassland (40%) within 16 km, and trees (59%) and grassland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
181 m
16 km
723 m
80 km
1,977 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
May weather nearby: Monteverde 34 km · Liberia 44 km · Nicoya 50 km · La Fortuna 50 km · Puntarenas 58 km · San José 58 km · Chacarita 61 km · Esparza 68 km

Costa Rica travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 59% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$19,970
2025
Happiness
7.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
81%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
17.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 516
Religion
Roman Catholic 48%none 27%Evangelical and Pentecostal 20%other 3%

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 Cañas (10.4311°, -85.0982°, elevation 86 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).