Napier weather in May

In May, Napier sees average daytime highs of 16°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 65 mm of rain across 9.1 wet days and about 9.9 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 5th-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 41% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 24 min at the start of May to 9 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Napier's 1st-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Napier's year-round climate.

Daytime high
16°
8th warmest
Overnight low
11°
5th coldest
Rainfall
65 mm
9.1 wet days
Daylight
9 h 48 min
8:13 AM – 6:04 PM
Cloud cover
51%
1st clearest
Wind
15 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
2.3 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.2
out of 10

Napier is city in the North Island of New Zealand.

Air quality
Excellent
PM10 13.7 µg/m³ · 2012
Density
626/km²
people per km²
Founded
1851

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 Napier reaches about 16°C in the afternoon and slips back to 11°C overnight — a 5°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 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11712
21712
31712
41712
51712
61712
71712
81711
91711
101711
111611
121611
131611
141611
151611
161611
171611
181611
191611
201611
211611
221610
231510
241510
251510
261510
271510
281510
291510
301510
311510

Napier weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 16°637.714.57.0
Feb22° / 17°56813.66.8
Mar20° / 15°658.212.36.7
Apr18° / 13°808.8116.1
May16° / 11°659.19.95.2
Jun14° / 7910.19.34.1
Jul13° / 9211.19.53.5
Aug13° / 7110.610.43.8
Sep15° / 629.411.74.6
Oct16° / 11°639.3135.4
Nov18° / 13°588.814.26.1
Dec20° / 15°589.314.76.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in May, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25347
35347
45347
55446
65446
75446
85446
95644
105644
115743
125842
135842
146040
156040
166040
176139
186139
196040
206139
216139
226139
236040
246040
255941
265941
275842
285842
295743
305743
315743

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Napier gets around 65 mm of rain over 9.1 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 29% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
132
232
331
431
531
631
730
829
929
1028
1127
1226
1326
1426
1526
1626
1726
1826
1927
2027
2128
2229
2329
2430
2530
2631
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 91% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
182171
282171
383161
483161
584151
684151
785141
887130
988120
1088120
1189110
1290100
139190
149190
159190
169280
179280
189280
199370
209370
219460
229460
239460
249550
259550
269550
279550
289640
299640
309640
319730

Wind in May

Winds average 15 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 14 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
114light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 24 min at the start of May to 9 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 7:59 AM to 8:26 AM, and sunset from 6:20 PM to 5:53 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.47:596:20
210.38:006:19
310.38:016:18
410.28:026:17
510.28:036:15
610.28:046:14
710.18:056:13
810.18:066:12
910.18:076:11
1010.08:086:10
1110.08:096:09
1210.08:106:08
139.98:116:07
149.98:126:06
159.98:136:05
169.88:136:04
179.88:146:03
189.88:156:02
199.78:166:01
209.78:176:00
219.78:185:59
229.78:195:59
239.68:205:58
249.68:215:57
259.68:225:57
269.68:225:56
279.58:235:55
289.58:245:55
299.58:255:54
309.58:265:54
319.48:265:53

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.3 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.8 kWh/m² to a high of 6.98 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 2.3 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.6Moderate
22.6Moderate
32.6Moderate
42.6Moderate
52.5Moderate
62.5Moderate
72.5Moderate
82.5Moderate
92.5Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.4Moderate
122.4Moderate
132.4Moderate
142.4Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.3Moderate
192.2Moderate
202.2Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.2Moderate
232.1Moderate
242.1Moderate
252.1Moderate
262.1Moderate
272.0Moderate
282.0Moderate
292.0Moderate
302.0Dim
312.0Dim
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Napier?

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

5.2
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.7
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Napier for sightseeing.

What to pack for Napier in May

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

In May, Napier sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 11°C. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Napier in May

The nearest coast averages about 16°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 22 km away) is warmest in February at about 20°C and coldest in August near 13°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb20Cool
Mar19Cool
Apr18Cool
May16Cool
Jun14Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct14Bracing
Nov16Cool
Dec17Cool

UV index in Napier in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Napier peaks around January 13 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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateLowModerateExtremeJan 13UV 12Jun 17UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar7High
Apr5Moderate
May2Moderate
Jun2Low
Jul2Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep4Moderate
Oct7High
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Napier?

Napier sits at 39.5°S, 176.9°E, 6 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Hastings, 17 km away.

TaupoGisbornePalmerston NorthRotoruaWhanganuiWhakataneLevin

Topography around Napier

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Napier has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 97 m around an average of 6 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 366 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,719 m.

The land around Napier is covered by water (52%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 3 km, water (51%) and grassland (30%) within 16 km, and grassland (37%), water (32%) and trees (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
97 m
16 km
366 m
80 km
1,719 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Hastings 17 km · Taupo 115 km · Gisborne 133 km · Palmerston North 147 km · Rotorua 161 km · Whanganui 167 km · Whakatane 171 km · Levin 188 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 Napier (-39.4926°, 176.9123°, elevation 6 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. 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).