Grabouw weather in May

In May, Grabouw sees average daytime highs of 18°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 64 mm of rain across 8.6 wet days and about 10.2 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-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 41% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 42 min at the start of May to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Grabouw's 11th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Grabouw's year-round climate.

Daytime high
18°
8th warmest
Overnight low
13°
5th coldest
Rainfall
64 mm
8.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
7:33 AM – 5:47 PM
Cloud cover
49%
11th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
2.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Grabouw is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Density
5,638/km²
people per km²
Founded
1856

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 Grabouw reaches about 18°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°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)
11913
21913
31913
41913
51913
61913
71913
81913
91913
101913
111913
121913
131913
141913
151813
161813
171813
181813
191813
201813
211813
221812
231812
241712
251712
261712
271712
281712
291712
301712
311712

Grabouw weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 17°255148.2
Feb23° / 18°235.113.38.2
Mar22° / 17°265.512.37.8
Apr20° / 14°496.411.27.1
May18° / 13°648.610.26.3
Jun16° / 11°10210.99.85.1
Jul16° / 10°999.8105.0
Aug16° / 10°8611.110.74.9
Sep17° / 11°568.611.85.6
Oct18° / 13°467.112.96.6
Nov20° / 14°436.613.87.0
Dec22° / 16°265.414.27.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 39%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26436
36436
46436
56436
66436
76436
86436
96436
106337
116436
126337
136337
146238
156238
166139
176139
186040
196040
205941
215941
225842
235842
245842
255842
265842
275743
285743
295743
305743
315842

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Grabouw gets around 64 mm of rain over 8.6 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 28% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
124
223
323
423
523
623
723
823
923
1023
1123
1223
1323
1424
1524
1625
1726
1827
1928
2029
2130
2231
2332
2433
2534
2635
2736
2836
2937
3037
3137

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 76% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
160391
261381
361381
462371
564360
665350
766340
867330
968320
1069310
1170300
1271290
1372280
1473270
1574260
1675250
1776240
1877230
1979210
2080200
2181190
2282180
2383170
2485150
2586140
2687130
2788120
2890100
299190
309280
319370

Wind in May

Winds average 13 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 42 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 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 7:22 AM to 7:44 AM, and sunset from 6:01 PM to 5:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.77:226:01
210.67:226:00
310.67:235:59
410.67:245:58
510.57:255:57
610.57:265:56
710.57:265:55
810.47:275:54
910.47:285:53
1010.47:295:52
1110.47:295:51
1210.37:305:50
1310.37:315:49
1410.37:325:49
1510.37:335:48
1610.27:335:47
1710.27:345:46
1810.27:355:46
1910.27:365:45
2010.17:365:44
2110.17:375:44
2210.17:385:43
2310.17:395:42
2410.07:395:42
2510.07:405:41
2610.07:415:41
2710.07:415:40
2810.07:425:40
299.97:435:39
309.97:435:39
319.97:445:39

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.43 kWh/m² to a high of 7.92 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 2.93 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.4Moderate
33.4Moderate
43.3Moderate
53.3Moderate
63.3Moderate
73.2Moderate
83.2Moderate
93.2Moderate
103.1Moderate
113.1Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.1Moderate
143.0Moderate
153.0Moderate
163.0Moderate
172.9Moderate
182.9Moderate
192.9Moderate
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

Hazard calendar for Grabouw

In seasonPeak

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

Grabouw's rainy season runs April–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Grabouw?

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
2.2
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Grabouw for sightseeing.

What to pack for Grabouw in May

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

In May, Grabouw sees daytime highs around 18°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near Grabouw 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 13 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°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr16Cool
May16Cool
Jun15Cool
Jul15Bracing
Aug15Bracing
Sep15Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov17Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Grabouw in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Grabouw peaks around January 13 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateExtremeJan 13UV 13Jun 21UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Grabouw 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 Grabouw is worst in June — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (December, 11 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateModerateGoodJun 1228 µg/m³Dec 1211 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb11Good
Mar19Moderate
Apr21Moderate
May27Moderate
Jun28Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct17Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Grabouw?

Grabouw sits at 34.2°S, 19.0°E, 332 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Somerset West, 19 km away.

Topography around Grabouw

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Grabouw has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 217 m around an average of 328 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,583 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,997 m.

The land around Grabouw is covered by trees (40%) and grassland (26%) within 3 km, grassland (61%) and trees (21%) within 16 km, and water (35%) and grassland (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
217 m
16 km
1,583 m
80 km
1,997 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Somerset West 19 km · Stellenbosch 28 km · Franschhoek 28 km · Le Roux 30 km · Hermanus 36 km · Kuils River 37 km · Caledon 39 km · Kraaifontein 44 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 Grabouw (-34.1515°, 19.0151°, elevation 332 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).