Gansbaai weather in May

In May, Gansbaai sees average daytime highs of 18°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 52 mm of rain across 8.2 wet days and about 10.2 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 19°C in the first days to 17°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% 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 Gansbaai's 11th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gansbaai's year-round climate.

Daytime high
18°
7th warmest
Overnight low
14°
5th coldest
Rainfall
52 mm
8.2 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
7:33 AM – 5:45 PM
Cloud cover
49%
11th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
2.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Gansbaai is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Founded
1881

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 19°C in the first days to 17°C by the end.

A typical May day in Gansbaai reaches about 18°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 21°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11915
21915
31915
41914
51914
61914
71914
81914
91814
101814
111814
121814
131814
141814
151814
161814
171814
181814
191814
201814
211814
221814
231814
241814
251713
261713
271713
281713
291713
301713
311713

Gansbaai weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 18°224.914.17.9
Feb22° / 19°215.313.37.9
Mar21° / 18°275.912.37.5
Apr20° / 16°426.411.26.9
May18° / 14°528.210.26.3
Jun16° / 12°8410.29.75.3
Jul16° / 12°859.79.95.1
Aug16° / 12°7310.510.75.0
Sep16° / 13°488.411.85.5
Oct18° / 14°407.112.96.4
Nov19° / 16°386.413.86.9
Dec21° / 17°245.114.37.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16337
26436
36436
46436
56436
66535
76535
86535
96436
106436
116535
126535
136436
146436
156436
166337
176337
186337
196238
206238
216238
226238
236238
246238
256238
266139
276238
286238
296238
306238
316238

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Gansbaai gets around 52 mm of rain over 8.2 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 26% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
123
223
323
423
523
622
722
822
922
1022
1122
1222
1322
1422
1523
1623
1724
1824
1925
2026
2127
2228
2330
2431
2532
2632
2733
2834
2935
3035
3136

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 52% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
141554
241554
341554
441563
541563
641563
741563
841572
942562
1042562
1142562
1243552
1343561
1444551
1545541
1646531
1748511
1849501
1952480
2054460
2156440
2258420
2360400
2462380
2564360
2667330
2769310
2871290
2973270
3075250
3177230

Wind in May

Winds average 16 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 17 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
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2217light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2617light breeze
2717light breeze
2817light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light breeze

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 7:21 AM to 7:44 AM, and sunset from 5:59 PM to 5:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.67:215:59
210.67:225:58
310.67:235:57
410.57:235:56
510.57:245:55
610.57:255:54
710.47:265:53
810.47:275:52
910.47:275:51
1010.47:285:50
1110.37:295:49
1210.37:305:48
1310.37:315:47
1410.37:315:46
1510.27:325:46
1610.27:335:45
1710.27:345:44
1810.17:345:43
1910.17:355:43
2010.17:365:42
2110.17:375:41
2210.17:375:41
2310.07:385:40
2410.07:395:40
2510.07:405:39
2610.07:405:38
279.97:415:38
289.97:425:38
299.97:425:37
309.97:435:37
319.97:445:36

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.91 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.44 kWh/m² to a high of 7.76 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 2.91 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.4Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.3Moderate
53.3Moderate
63.2Moderate
73.2Moderate
83.2Moderate
93.1Moderate
103.1Moderate
113.1Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.0Moderate
143.0Moderate
153.0Moderate
162.9Moderate
172.9Moderate
182.9Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.7Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.6Moderate
262.6Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Gansbaai?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
2.1
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Gansbaai for sightseeing.

What to pack for Gansbaai in May

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

In May, Gansbaai sees daytime highs around 18°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near Gansbaai 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 offshore is warmest in January at about 20°C and coldest in August near 15°C.

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

14°16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Cool
Feb19Cool
Mar18Cool
Apr17Cool
May16Cool
Jun16Cool
Jul15Cool
Aug15Cool
Sep16Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov18Cool
Dec19Cool

UV index in Gansbaai 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 Gansbaai 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 Gansbaai 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 Gansbaai 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 Gansbaai?

Gansbaai sits at 34.6°S, 19.4°E, 27 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Hermanus, 21 km away.

Topography around Gansbaai

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Gansbaai has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 359 m around an average of 33 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 501 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,771 m.

The land around Gansbaai is covered by water (37%) and shrubs (34%) within 3 km, water (64%) and shrubs (23%) within 16 km, and water (42%) and grassland (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
359 m
16 km
501 m
80 km
1,771 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Hermanus 21 km · Caledon 40 km · Grabouw 57 km · Bredasdorp 63 km · Somerset West 74 km · Franschhoek 78 km · Le Roux 80 km · Stellenbosch 85 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 Gansbaai (-34.583°, 19.3505°, elevation 27 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).