Hōfu weather in May

In May, Hōfu sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 162 mm of rain across 10.1 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 18 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Hōfu's 8th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hōfu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
6th warmest
Overnight low
15°
7th coldest
Rainfall
162 mm
10.1 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:17 AM – 7:03 PM
Cloud cover
61%
8th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.51 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.5
out of 10

Hōfu is city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.

Density
617/km²
people per km²
Founded
1936

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical May day in Hōfu reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 23°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11913
21914
32014
42014
52014
62014
72014
82014
92015
102015
112115
122115
132115
142115
152115
162115
172116
182116
192116
202216
212216
222216
232216
242216
252217
262217
272217
282217
292317
302317
312317

How May really feels in Hōfu

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.

Hōfu weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 6610.41.2101.8
Feb10° / 759.91.110.72.1
Mar13° / 12310.90.111.73.5
Apr17° / 11°14110.2012.85.4
May21° / 15°16210.1013.76.5
Jun24° / 20°26014.2014.25.9
Jul28° / 24°25214.10145.2
Aug30° / 25°13511.8013.35.0
Sep27° / 22°15610.8012.26.4
Oct22° / 17°1027.4011.17.2
Nov17° / 12°788.2010.25.6
Dec11° / 6810.50.39.82.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34852
44753
54654
64654
74555
84555
94555
104555
114456
124456
134456
144456
154456
164357
174357
184357
194357
204357
214357
224357
234258
244258
254258
264258
274258
284159
294060
304060
313961

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Hōfu gets around 162 mm of rain over 10.1 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 32% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
232
332
433
533
633
733
833
933
1033
1133
1233
1332
1432
1532
1632
1731
1831
1931
2031
2131
2232
2332
2432
2532
2632
2732
2832
2933
3033
3133

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 39% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1642781
2622891
36128101
46029101
55830111
65731111
75432122
85233132
95233132
105034142
114935152
124735152
134536162
144437173
154238183
164039193
173740203
183541213
193341233
203141243
213041263
222841273
232641294
242441314
252340335
262139355
272038376
281837387
291635408
301534429
3114324410

Wind in May

Winds average 12 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
812light breeze
912light breeze
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1812light breeze
1912light breeze
2012calm
2112calm
2212calm
2312calm
2412calm
2512calm
2612calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 18 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 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 5:31 AM to 5:09 AM, and sunset from 6:51 PM to 7:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.35:316:51
213.45:306:52
313.45:296:53
413.45:286:54
513.55:276:54
613.55:266:55
713.55:256:56
813.65:246:57
913.65:236:58
1013.65:226:58
1113.65:216:59
1213.75:207:00
1313.75:197:01
1413.75:197:01
1513.75:187:02
1613.85:177:03
1713.85:167:04
1813.85:167:04
1913.85:157:05
2013.95:147:06
2113.95:147:07
2213.95:137:07
2313.95:127:08
2413.95:127:09
2514.05:117:10
2614.05:117:10
2714.05:107:11
2814.05:107:12
2914.05:097:12
3014.15:097:13
3114.15:097:14

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.51 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.21 kWh/m² to a high of 5.51 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.51 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.6Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Hōfu

In seasonPeak

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

Hōfu sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Hōfu's rainy season runs March–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Hōfu?

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

6.5
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
4.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Hōfu for sightseeing.

What to pack for Hōfu in May

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

In May, Hōfu sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Hōfu in May

The nearest coast averages about 17°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 20 km away) is warmest in August at about 27°C and coldest in February near 12°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 8 to Nov 13 — about 5.2 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan14Bracing
Feb12Bracing
Mar13Bracing
Apr14Bracing
May17Cool
Jun21Refreshing
Jul25Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct23Refreshing
Nov20Cool
Dec16Cool

UV index in Hōfu in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Hōfu peaks around June 21 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highModerateJun 21UV 10Dec 21UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Hōfu 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 Hōfu is worst in March — around 27 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 12 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMar 2026 µg/m³Oct 1212 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb20Moderate
Mar27Moderate
Apr24Moderate
May21Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov14Moderate
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Hōfu?

Hōfu sits at 34.0°N, 131.6°E, 4 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Ogōri-shimogō, 16 km away.

Topography around Hōfu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Hōfu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 225 m around an average of 14 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 649 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,369 m.

The land around Hōfu is covered by artificial surfaces (64%) within 3 km, trees (43%) and water (39%) within 16 km, and water (48%) and trees (45%) within 80 km.

3 km
225 m
16 km
649 m
80 km
1,369 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Ogōri-shimogō 16 km · Yamaguchi 17 km · Tokuyama 23 km · Shūnan 24 km · Kudamatsu 28 km · Ube 31 km · Mine 36 km · Onoda 36 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 Hōfu (34.05°, 131.5667°, elevation 4 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).