Chikuma weather in May

In May, Chikuma sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 9°C, with 193 mm of precipitation across 16.4 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 20°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Chikuma's 8th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chikuma's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Precipitation
193 mm
16.4 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
4:46 AM – 6:42 PM
Cloud cover
66%
8th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.7 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 20°C by the end.

A typical May day in Chikuma reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 9°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 23°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 6°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1176
2176
3176
4176
5177
6187
7187
8187
9187
10188
11188
12188
13188
14198
15199
16199
17199
18199
19199
20199
211910
222010
232010
242010
252010
262010
272011
282011
292011
302011
312011

How May really feels in Chikuma

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 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
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Chikuma weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -7°15220.121.79.80.0
Feb / -6°12916.716.910.60.0
Mar / -3°18017.814.111.70.5
Apr13° / 15815.53.912.93.1
May19° / 19316.40.113.95.1
Jun22° / 14°28820.6014.44.7
Jul25° / 18°33823.2014.24.6
Aug27° / 18°22519.7013.45.1
Sep23° / 14°25619012.25.1
Oct17° / 22318.50.211.14.3
Nov10° / 14916.85.310.12.1
Dec / -4°15519.717.39.60.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14456
24456
34357
44357
54258
64258
74258
84258
94159
104258
114159
124159
134060
144060
154060
164060
173961
183862
193862
203862
213763
223763
233664
243664
253565
263466
273367
283367
293268
303367
313268

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Chikuma gets around 193 mm of rain and snow over 16.4 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 53% and peaks near 57% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1482
2482
3482
4481
5481
6491
7491
8501
9511
10510
11520
12530
13540
14540
15550
16550
17550
18550
19550
20550
21550
22550
23550
24550
25550
26550
27550
28550
29560
30560
31570

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 94% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19820
29820
39820
49820
59730
69730
79730
89640
99640
109640
119640
129550
139550
149550
159550
169550
179550
189460
199460
209460
219460
229460
239361
249271
259271
269181
279181
289091
2989101
3088111
3186131

Wind in May

Winds average 6 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:01 AM to 4:36 AM, and sunset from 6:29 PM to 6:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:016:29
213.55:006:30
313.54:586:31
413.64:576:32
513.64:566:33
613.64:556:33
713.74:546:34
813.74:536:35
913.74:526:36
1013.84:516:37
1113.84:506:38
1213.84:496:39
1313.94:486:40
1413.94:476:40
1513.94:476:41
1613.94:466:42
1714.04:456:43
1814.04:446:44
1914.04:436:45
2014.04:436:45
2114.14:426:46
2214.14:416:47
2314.14:416:48
2414.14:406:49
2514.24:396:49
2614.24:396:50
2714.24:386:51
2814.24:386:52
2914.24:376:52
3014.34:376:53
3114.34:366:54

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.7 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.27 kWh/m² to a high of 5.7 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.7 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Chikuma?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
2.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Chikuma for sightseeing.

What to pack for Chikuma in May

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

In May, Chikuma sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 9°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 16 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Chikuma in May

The nearest coast averages about 15°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 67 km away) is warmest in August at about 27°C and coldest in March near 10°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 20 to Nov 1 — about 4.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan13Bracing
Feb11Bracing
Mar10Bracing
Apr11Bracing
May15Bracing
Jun20Cool
Jul23Refreshing
Aug27Warm
Sep25Warm
Oct22Refreshing
Nov19Cool
Dec15Cool

UV index in Chikuma in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Chikuma peaks around July 20 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highModerateJul 20UV 10Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Chikuma 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 Chikuma is worst in April — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (December, 10 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 1721 µg/m³Dec 1510 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar20Moderate
Apr21Moderate
May20Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct11Good
Nov11Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Chikuma?

Chikuma sits at 36.5°N, 138.1°E, 388 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Sakaki, 11 km away.

Topography around Chikuma

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chikuma has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 635 m around an average of 539 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,102 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,130 m.

The land around Chikuma is covered by trees (54%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 3 km, trees (78%) within 16 km, and trees (78%) within 80 km.

3 km
635 m
16 km
1,102 m
80 km
3,130 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Sakaki 11 km · Nagano 16 km · Ōmachi 20 km · Ueda 22 km · Suzaka 24 km · Hotaka 28 km · Kamimaruko 28 km · Toyoshina 30 km

Japan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
100 V · 50 / 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 65% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$35,951
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 446
Religion
Shintoism 49%Buddhism 46%other 4%Christianity 1%

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 Chikuma (36.5271°, 138.0894°, elevation 388 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).