Caledon weather in May

In May, Caledon sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 38 mm of rain across 6.2 wet days and about 10.2 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 21°C in the first days to 18°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 36 min at the start of May to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Caledon's 10th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Caledon's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
8th warmest
Overnight low
10°
5th coldest
Rainfall
38 mm
6.2 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
7:32 AM – 5:45 PM
Cloud cover
49%
10th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
2.96 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.0
out of 10

Caledon is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Density
928/km²
people per km²
Founded
1811

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 21°C in the first days to 18°C by the end.

A typical May day in Caledon reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C cooler than April and about 3°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12111
22111
32111
42111
52111
62111
72111
82111
92111
102111
112111
122111
132111
142111
152110
162010
172010
182010
192010
202010
212010
222010
231910
241910
251910
26199
27199
28199
29189
30189
31189

Caledon weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 16°255147.8
Feb27° / 17°225.513.37.6
Mar26° / 15°28612.37.7
Apr23° / 13°386.211.27.6
May20° / 10°386.210.27.0
Jun17° / 568.69.85.9
Jul17° / 5889.95.7
Aug17° / 518.910.75.8
Sep19° / 357.211.86.5
Oct21° / 11°386.712.97.2
Nov23° / 13°385.813.87.7
Dec26° / 15°235.314.27.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 38%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16238
26238
36238
46337
56337
66337
76436
86436
96436
106436
116535
126535
136535
146436
156436
166436
176436
186337
196238
206139
216139
226139
236040
246040
256040
266139
276139
286040
296040
306040
316139

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Caledon gets around 38 mm of rain over 6.2 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 20% and peaks near 28% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
119
218
318
417
517
617
717
816
916
1016
1116
1217
1317
1417
1517
1618
1719
1819
1920
2021
2122
2223
2323
2424
2525
2626
2726
2827
2927
3028
3128

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 (%)
18416
28515
38515
48614
58614
68713
78812
88812
98911
109010
119010
12919
13928
14928
15937
16937
17946
18946
19955
20955
21955
22964
23964
24964
25973
26973
27982
28982
29982
30991
31991

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 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
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 36 min at the start of May to 9 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 7:20 AM to 7:43 AM, and sunset from 5:59 PM to 5:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.67:205:59
210.67:215:58
310.67:225:57
410.67:225:56
510.57:235:55
610.57:245:54
710.57:255:53
810.47:265:52
910.47:265:51
1010.47:275:50
1110.47:285:49
1210.37:295:48
1310.37:305:48
1410.37:305:47
1510.27:315:46
1610.27:325:45
1710.27:335:44
1810.27:335:44
1910.17:345:43
2010.17:355:42
2110.17:365:42
2210.17:365:41
2310.17:375:41
2410.07:385:40
2510.07:395:39
2610.07:395:39
2710.07:405:38
2810.07:415:38
299.97:415:38
309.97:425:37
319.97:435:37

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.96 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.48 kWh/m² to a high of 7.68 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 2.96 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.4Moderate
33.4Moderate
43.3Moderate
53.3Moderate
63.3Moderate
73.3Moderate
83.2Moderate
93.2Moderate
103.2Moderate
113.1Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.1Moderate
143.0Moderate
153.0Moderate
163.0Moderate
173.0Moderate
182.9Moderate
192.9Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Caledon?

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

7.0
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
3.7
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Caledon for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Caledon in May

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

In May, Caledon sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 10°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 6 days see rain.

Sea temperature near Caledon 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 17 km away) is warmest in January at about 19°C and coldest in July near 15°C.

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

14°16°18°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb19Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr16Cool
May16Cool
Jun16Cool
Jul15Bracing
Aug15Bracing
Sep15Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov17Cool
Dec19Cool

UV index in Caledon in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Caledon peaks around January 13 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateExtremeJan 13UV 13Jun 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May3Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Caledon 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 Caledon is worst in June — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodGoodModerateGoodJun 1718 µg/m³Nov 177 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb8Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr11Good
May16Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov7Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Caledon?

Caledon sits at 34.2°S, 19.4°E, 260 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Hermanus, 27 km away.

Topography around Caledon

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Caledon has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 486 m around an average of 292 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,037 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,046 m.

The land around Caledon is covered by cropland (44%) within 3 km, cropland (53%) and grassland (32%) within 16 km, and grassland (31%) and water (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
486 m
16 km
1,037 m
80 km
2,046 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Hermanus 27 km · Grabouw 39 km · Gansbaai 40 km · Franschhoek 45 km · Le Roux 48 km · Somerset West 58 km · Stellenbosch 61 km · Robertson 64 km

South Africa travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / M / N
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,598
2025
Happiness
5.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
68%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
43.7
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
22.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 602
Religion
Christian 86%or other traditional African religions 5%nothing in particular 5%Muslim 2%

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 Caledon (-34.23°, 19.4265°, elevation 260 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. 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).