Rikuzen-Takata weather in May

In May, Rikuzen-Takata sees average daytime highs of 14°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 129 mm of rain across 11.8 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 16°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Rikuzen-Takata's 8th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rikuzen-Takata's year-round climate.

Daytime high
14°
6th warmest
Overnight low
11°
7th coldest
Rainfall
129 mm
11.8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
4:26 AM – 6:33 PM
Cloud cover
67%
8th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.56 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.0
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 16°C by the end.

A typical May day in Rikuzen-Takata reaches about 14°C in the afternoon and slips back to 11°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 11°C and 17°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1138
2139
3139
4139
5139
6139
7139
8139
91410
101410
111410
121410
131410
141410
151410
161411
171411
181511
191511
201511
211511
221511
231512
241512
251512
261612
271612
281612
291612
301613
311613

How May really feels in Rikuzen-Takata

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.

Rikuzen-Takata 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 / -1°557.74.39.60.0
Feb / -1°507.24.710.50.0
Mar / 9910.94.111.70.6
Apr10° / 10910.91132.4
May14° / 11°12911.8014.14.0
Jun18° / 15°13812.4014.75.1
Jul21° / 19°17615.5014.55.5
Aug23° / 21°16013.7013.56.1
Sep21° / 18°18814.1012.35.7
Oct17° / 13°16010.90115.3
Nov12° / 828.90.39.93.3
Dec / 709.52.99.30.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 60%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24555
34456
44357
54258
64159
74060
83961
93961
104060
113961
123961
133961
143961
154060
164060
173961
183961
194060
204060
214060
224060
234060
244060
254060
264060
274060
284060
293961
303961
313763

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Rikuzen-Takata gets around 129 mm of rain over 11.8 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 37% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
136
236
336
437
537
637
738
838
938
1038
1139
1239
1339
1439
1539
1639
1739
1839
1938
2038
2138
2238
2337
2437
2537
2636
2736
2836
2935
3035
3135

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 92% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19910
29910
39910
49910
59910
69910
79910
89910
99910
109910
119910
129820
139820
149820
159730
169730
179640
189550
199460
209370
219280
2290100
2388120
2486140
2584160
2682180
2779210
2877230
2974260
3071281
3168311

Wind in May

Winds average 15 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 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 4:42 AM to 4:16 AM, and sunset from 6:19 PM to 6:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.64:426:19
213.74:416:20
313.74:406:21
413.74:396:22
513.84:376:23
613.84:366:24
713.84:356:25
813.94:346:26
913.94:336:27
1013.94:326:28
1114.04:316:29
1214.04:306:30
1314.04:296:31
1414.14:286:32
1514.14:276:32
1614.14:266:33
1714.24:256:34
1814.24:246:35
1914.24:236:36
2014.24:226:37
2114.34:226:38
2214.34:216:39
2314.34:206:40
2414.34:206:40
2514.44:196:41
2614.44:186:42
2714.44:186:43
2814.44:176:44
2914.54:176:45
3014.54:166:45
3114.54:166:46

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.56 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.13 kWh/m² to a high of 5.56 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.56 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Rikuzen-Takata

In seasonPeak

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

Rikuzen-Takata sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

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

Is May a good time to visit Rikuzen-Takata?

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

4.0
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.1
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Rikuzen-Takata for sightseeing.

What to pack for Rikuzen-Takata in May

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

In May, Rikuzen-Takata sees daytime highs around 14°C and nights near 11°C. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Rikuzen-Takata in May

The nearest coast averages about 12°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 16 km away) is warmest in August at about 22°C and coldest in March near 7°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 21 to Oct 3 — about 2.5 months when the water holds above 20°C.

5°10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan11Bracing
Feb8Bracing
Mar7Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May12Bracing
Jun17Cool
Jul20Cool
Aug22Refreshing
Sep22Refreshing
Oct19Cool
Nov16Cool
Dec13Bracing

UV index in Rikuzen-Takata in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rikuzen-Takata peaks around August 19 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighVery highHighModerateLowAug 19UV 9Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul6High
Aug9Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Rikuzen-Takata 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 Rikuzen-Takata is worst in April — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 1319 µg/m³Dec 179 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar18Moderate
Apr19Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun12Moderate
Jul11Good
Aug9Good
Sep10Good
Oct10Good
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Rikuzen-Takata?

Rikuzen-Takata sits at 39.0°N, 141.7°E, 44 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Ōfunato, 8.0 km away.

Topography around Rikuzen-Takata

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Rikuzen-Takata has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 690 m around an average of 129 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 880 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,889 m.

The land around Rikuzen-Takata is covered by trees (53%) within 3 km, trees (67%) and water (26%) within 16 km, and trees (56%) and water (31%) within 80 km.

3 km
690 m
16 km
880 m
80 km
1,889 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Ōfunato 8.0 km · Kesennuma 15 km · Kamaishi 34 km · Tōno 35 km · Ōshū 44 km · Ichinoseki 46 km · Mizusawa 47 km · Kanegasaki 50 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 Rikuzen-Takata (39.0203°, 141.6542°, elevation 44 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).