Minami-Sōma weather in May

In May, Minami-Sōma sees average daytime highs of 16°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 121 mm of rain across 11.2 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 15°C in the first days to 18°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% 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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Minami-Sōma's 8th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Minami-Sōma's year-round climate.

Daytime high
16°
6th warmest
Overnight low
13°
7th coldest
Rainfall
121 mm
11.2 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
4:32 AM – 6:33 PM
Cloud cover
65%
8th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.4 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.0
out of 10

Minami-Sōma is city in Fukushima prefecture, Japan.

Density
148/km²
people per km²
Founded
2006

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 15°C in the first days to 18°C by the end.

A typical May day in Minami-Sōma reaches about 16°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 13°C and 19°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11511
21511
31511
41511
51511
61511
71512
81512
91612
101612
111612
121612
131612
141613
151613
161613
171613
181613
191713
201713
211714
221714
231714
241714
251714
261714
271815
281815
291815
301815
311815

How May really feels in Minami-Sōma

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.

Minami-Sōma weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 628.22.89.70.7
Feb / 527.42.910.50.7
Mar / 9810.21.511.71.6
Apr12° / 11310.50.212.93.3
May16° / 13°12111.20145.0
Jun20° / 17°13512.8014.55.5
Jul23° / 21°19116.2014.35.6
Aug25° / 23°14813.2013.46.2
Sep23° / 21°19414.1012.36.0
Oct19° / 16°19111.60115.8
Nov14° / 10°788.10104.3
Dec / 588.71.29.42.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% 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 59%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14555
24555
34456
44357
54357
64258
74159
84159
94060
104060
114060
123961
133961
143961
154060
163961
173961
184060
194159
204060
214060
224159
234060
244060
254159
264060
274060
284060
294060
304060
313961

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Minami-Sōma gets around 121 mm of rain over 11.2 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 35% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
233
333
433
533
634
734
835
935
1035
1136
1236
1337
1437
1537
1637
1737
1837
1937
2037
2137
2237
2336
2436
2536
2635
2735
2834
2934
3034
3134

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 68% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
193700
292800
391900
491900
5901000
6891100
7891100
8881200
9871300
10861400
11851500
12831700
13811810
14792010
15772210
16752410
17722710
18692920
19663220
20623530
21593740
22563950
23524260
24494470
25464690
264347100
273949120
283651130
293451150
303152170
312852191

Wind in May

Winds average 14 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light 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
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:47 AM to 4:22 AM, and sunset from 6:19 PM to 6:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.54:476:19
213.64:466:20
313.64:456:21
413.64:446:22
513.74:436:23
613.74:426:24
713.74:406:25
813.84:396:26
913.84:386:27
1013.84:376:28
1113.94:366:28
1213.94:356:29
1313.94:346:30
1414.04:346:31
1514.04:336:32
1614.04:326:33
1714.04:316:34
1814.14:306:35
1914.14:296:36
2014.14:296:36
2114.24:286:37
2214.24:276:38
2314.24:266:39
2414.24:266:40
2514.34:256:40
2614.34:256:41
2714.34:246:42
2814.34:236:43
2914.34:236:44
3014.44:226:44
3114.44:226:45

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.4 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 5.4 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.4 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
65.4Bright
75.4Bright
85.4Bright
95.4Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.3Bright
135.3Bright
145.3Bright
155.3Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Minami-Sōma

In seasonPeak

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

Minami-Sōma sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Minami-Sōma's rainy season runs March–October, 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 Minami-Sōma?

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

5.0
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.8
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Minami-Sōma for sightseeing.

What to pack for Minami-Sōma in May

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

In May, Minami-Sōma sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Minami-Sōma in May

The nearest coast averages about 14°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 23°C and coldest in March near 10°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 9 to Oct 11 — about 3.1 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan12Bracing
Feb10Bracing
Mar10Bracing
Apr11Bracing
May14Bracing
Jun18Cool
Jul21Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep23Refreshing
Oct20Cool
Nov17Cool
Dec15Bracing

UV index in Minami-Sōma 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 Minami-Sōma peaks around July 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highModerateJul 20UV 9Jan 10UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Minami-Sōma 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 Minami-Sōma is worst in April — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 1720 µg/m³Dec 169 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul12Good
Aug10Good
Sep10Good
Oct10Good
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Minami-Sōma?

Minami-Sōma sits at 37.6°N, 141.0°E, 27 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Namie, 16 km away.

Topography around Minami-Sōma

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Minami-Sōma has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 80 m around an average of 22 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 725 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,031 m.

The land around Minami-Sōma is covered by artificial surfaces (38%) and cropland (35%) within 3 km, trees (43%) and water (36%) within 16 km, and trees (52%) and water (35%) within 80 km.

3 km
80 m
16 km
725 m
80 km
2,031 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Namie 16 km · Sōma 19 km · Tamura 40 km · Funehikimachi-funehiki 41 km · Yanagawamachi-saiwaichō 41 km · Kakuda 42 km · Hobaramachi 43 km · Watari 47 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 Minami-Sōma (37.6291°, 140.9787°, elevation 27 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).