Cambridge weather in May

In May, Cambridge sees average daytime highs of 16°C and overnight lows near 8°C, with 104 mm of rain across 11.1 wet days and about 10 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 15°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 30 min at the start of May to 9 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Cambridge's 2nd-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cambridge's year-round climate.

Daytime high
16°
8th warmest
Overnight low
5th coldest
Rainfall
104 mm
11.1 wet days
Daylight
10 hours
8:16 AM – 6:13 PM
Cloud cover
60%
2nd clearest
Wind
11 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
2.22 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.0
out of 10

Cambridge is town in the Waikato Region of the North Island of New Zealand.

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 15°C by the end.

A typical May day in Cambridge reaches about 16°C in the afternoon and slips back to 8°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 18°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1189
2179
3179
4179
5179
6179
7179
8178
9178
10178
11178
12178
13178
14168
15168
16168
17168
18168
19168
20168
21168
22168
23157
24157
25157
26157
27157
28157
29157
30157
31157

Cambridge weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 14°768.914.36.9
Feb23° / 14°757.713.57.1
Mar22° / 12°758.212.36.8
Apr19° / 10°959.5116.1
May16° / 10411.1105.0
Jun14° / 11211.59.43.9
Jul13° / 12013.19.63.5
Aug14° / 11713.910.53.6
Sep15° / 11313.811.74.2
Oct17° / 10412.7134.9
Nov19° / 10°9511.1145.7
Dec21° / 13°10612.114.66.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34654
44654
54753
64654
74654
84654
94555
104654
114654
124654
134654
144654
154753
164753
174852
184852
194852
204951
215050
225050
235050
245050
255149
265149
275149
285149
295149
305149
315149

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Cambridge gets around 104 mm of rain over 11.1 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 36% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
331
431
532
632
732
832
933
1033
1133
1233
1334
1434
1535
1636
1737
1838
1938
2039
2139
2240
2340
2440
2540
2640
2740
2840
2940
3039
3139

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 86% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
178175
278175
380164
480164
580164
680164
781154
882153
983143
1083143
1184133
1285123
1385123
1486113
1586113
1686113
1787103
1887103
1987103
2088102
218992
228992
239082
249082
259181
269181
279271
289271
299271
309271
319271

Wind in May

Winds average 11 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1812calm
1912calm
2012calm
2112calm
2212calm
2312calm
2412calm
2512calm
2612calm
2712calm
2812calm
2912calm
3012calm
3112calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 30 min at the start of May to 9 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 54 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 8:02 AM to 8:28 AM, and sunset from 6:29 PM to 6:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.58:026:29
210.48:036:28
310.48:046:27
410.38:056:25
510.38:066:24
610.38:076:23
710.28:076:22
810.28:086:21
910.28:096:20
1010.18:106:19
1110.18:116:18
1210.18:126:17
1310.18:136:16
1410.08:146:15
1510.08:156:14
1610.08:166:13
179.98:176:12
189.98:176:12
199.98:186:11
209.88:196:10
219.88:206:09
229.88:216:09
239.88:226:08
249.78:226:07
259.78:236:07
269.78:246:06
279.78:256:05
289.78:266:05
299.68:266:04
309.68:276:04
319.68:286:03

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.22 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.81 kWh/m² to a high of 6.6 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 2.22 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.6Moderate
22.6Moderate
32.6Moderate
42.5Moderate
52.5Moderate
62.5Moderate
72.5Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.2Moderate
162.2Moderate
172.2Moderate
182.1Moderate
192.1Moderate
202.1Moderate
212.1Moderate
222.1Moderate
232.0Moderate
242.0Moderate
252.0Moderate
262.0Moderate
272.0Dim
282.0Dim
292.0Dim
301.9Dim
311.9Dim
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Cambridge

In seasonPeak

None of Cambridge's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Cambridge sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

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

Is May a good time to visit Cambridge?

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

5.0
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
0.8
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Cambridge for sightseeing.

What to pack for Cambridge in May

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

In May, Cambridge sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 8°C. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Cambridge 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 57 km away) is warmest in February at about 21°C and coldest in August near 14°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jan 17 to Mar 15 — about 1.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Refreshing
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr19Cool
May17Cool
Jun15Cool
Jul14Bracing
Aug14Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct15Cool
Nov17Cool
Dec19Cool

UV index in Cambridge in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cambridge peaks around December 23 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateModerateVery highExtremeDec 23UV 12Jun 17UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar8Very high
Apr5Moderate
May3Moderate
Jun2Low
Jul2Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep5Moderate
Oct7Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Cambridge?

Cambridge sits at 37.9°S, 175.4°E, 67 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Hamilton East, 17 km away.

PapakuraTakaniniTaupo

Topography around Cambridge

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Cambridge has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 59 m around an average of 60 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 459 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,188 m.

The land around Cambridge is covered by grassland (64%) within 3 km, grassland (75%) within 16 km, and grassland (53%) and trees (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
59 m
16 km
459 m
80 km
1,188 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Hamilton East 17 km · Hamilton 17 km · Tauranga 67 km · Rotorua 76 km · Pukekohe East 87 km · Papakura 101 km · Takanini 104 km · Taupo 106 km

New Zealand travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 86% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$49,591
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
9.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
no religion 49%Christian 37%objected to answering 7%Hindu 3%

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 Cambridge (-37.8782°, 175.4402°, elevation 67 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).