Sōja weather in May

In May, Sōja sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 133 mm of rain across 10.4 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 25°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 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Sōja's 10th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sōja's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
5th warmest
Overnight low
14°
8th coldest
Rainfall
133 mm
10.4 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:07 AM – 6:55 PM
Cloud cover
64%
10th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.62 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Sōja is City in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.

Density
326/km²
people per km²
Founded
2005

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 22°C in the first days to 25°C by the end.

A typical May day in Sōja reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 5°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12212
22212
32212
42312
52312
62312
72313
82313
92313
102313
112313
122313
132413
142413
152414
162414
172414
182414
192414
202414
212514
222515
232515
242515
252515
262515
272515
282515
292516
302516
312616

How May really feels in Sōja

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.

Sōja weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 425.60.69.92.0
Feb10° / 506.6110.72.4
Mar14° / 969.90.211.74.0
Apr19° / 11510012.86.1
May24° / 14°13310.4013.86.7
Jun27° / 19°18312.6014.35.7
Jul31° / 23°19914.1014.14.1
Aug32° / 24°12311.1013.33.7
Sep28° / 20°18211.4012.25.6
Oct23° / 13°1158.1011.17.1
Nov17° / 596.5010.25.9
Dec11° / 495.50.29.73.3

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 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 59%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24654
34456
44456
54456
64357
74357
84357
94159
104258
114159
124258
134258
144357
154159
164159
174258
184258
194258
204258
214357
224159
234159
244159
254060
263961
273961
283862
293664
303565
313565

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Sōja gets around 133 mm of rain over 10.4 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 33% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
233
333
433
533
634
734
834
934
1035
1135
1235
1335
1435
1534
1634
1734
1833
1933
2033
2133
2232
2332
2432
2531
2631
2731
2831
2931
3031
3131

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 64% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1781651
2771751
3761761
4751861
5751861
6721972
7721972
8721972
9712072
10702082
11702082
12692182
13692182
14692182
15672292
16672292
176622102
186523102
196423112
206324112
216124123
225925133
235825143
245626153
255427163
265327173
275128183
284929193
294730203
304531213
314232224

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 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 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:21 AM to 4:58 AM, and sunset from 6:43 PM to 7:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:216:43
213.45:206:44
313.45:196:45
413.55:186:46
513.55:176:47
613.55:166:47
713.65:156:48
813.65:146:49
913.65:136:50
1013.65:126:51
1113.75:116:52
1213.75:106:52
1313.75:096:53
1413.85:096:54
1513.85:086:55
1613.85:076:55
1713.85:066:56
1813.95:066:57
1913.95:056:58
2013.95:046:59
2113.95:046:59
2214.05:037:00
2314.05:027:01
2414.05:027:02
2514.05:017:02
2614.05:017:03
2714.15:007:04
2814.15:007:04
2914.14:597:05
3014.14:597:06
3114.14:587:06

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.62 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.36 kWh/m² to a high of 5.62 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.62 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.6Bright
95.6Bright
105.6Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Sōja

In seasonPeak

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

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

Sōja'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 Sōja?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
5.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Sōja for sightseeing.

What to pack for Sōja in May

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

In May, Sōja sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Sōja in May

The nearest coast averages about 18°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 35 km away) is warmest in August at about 28°C and coldest in February near 13°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 3 to Nov 12 — about 5.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan14Bracing
Feb13Bracing
Mar13Bracing
Apr15Bracing
May18Cool
Jun22Refreshing
Jul25Warm
Aug28Warm
Sep27Warm
Oct23Refreshing
Nov20Cool
Dec16Cool

UV index in Sōja 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 Sōja peaks around July 15 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 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 highExtremeVery highModerateJul 15UV 10Dec 23UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Sōja 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 Sōja is worst in April — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.7× the cleanest month (December, 14 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateApr 1324 µg/m³Dec 1414 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan16Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar23Moderate
Apr24Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sōja?

Sōja sits at 34.7°N, 133.8°E, 19 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Kurashiki, 10 km away.

Topography around Sōja

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sōja has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 292 m around an average of 27 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 588 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,692 m.

The land around Sōja is covered by artificial surfaces (40%), trees (25%) and cropland (24%) within 3 km, trees (59%) and artificial surfaces (23%) within 16 km, and trees (65%) and water (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
292 m
16 km
588 m
80 km
1,692 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Kurashiki 10 km · Okayama 17 km · Takahashi 17 km · Asakuchi 21 km · Kamogatachō-kamogata 21 km · Tamano 25 km · Ibara 27 km · Akaiwa 29 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 Sōja (34.6753°, 133.7509°, elevation 19 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).