Grahamstown weather in May

In May, Grahamstown sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 22 mm of rain across 5 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% 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 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Grahamstown's 4th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Grahamstown's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
8th warmest
Overnight low
11°
5th coldest
Rainfall
22 mm
5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
7:02 AM – 5:19 PM
Cloud cover
43%
4th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
3.19 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.9
out of 10

Grahamstown is city in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Founded
1820

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 23°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical May day in Grahamstown reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 11°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12312
22311
32311
42311
52311
62311
72311
82311
92311
102311
112311
122311
132311
142311
152311
162311
172311
182311
192311
202310
212310
222310
232210
242210
252210
262210
272210
282210
29229
30219
31219

Grahamstown weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 16°639.2146.6
Feb28° / 17°649.913.26.4
Mar27° / 15°598.712.36.9
Apr24° / 13°498.111.27.3
May23° / 11°22510.37.9
Jun21° / 2249.87.7
Jul21° / 223.6107.8
Aug21° / 355.910.87.5
Sep22° / 10°406.211.87.5
Oct23° / 12°56912.87.1
Nov24° / 13°609.213.77.0
Dec26° / 15°629.814.26.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 34%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26436
36436
46436
56535
66535
76634
86634
96634
106634
116733
126634
136634
146634
156535
166535
176535
186535
196535
206535
216535
226535
236634
246733
256733
266832
276931
286931
297030
307030
317129

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Grahamstown gets around 22 mm of rain over 5 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 16% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
121
220
320
420
519
619
718
818
917
1017
1116
1216
1315
1415
1514
1614
1714
1814
1914
2014
2115
2215
2315
2415
2515
2615
2715
2815
2915
3015
3115

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 93% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
182162
284151
384151
485141
586131
687121
788111
889101
990100
109190
119280
129280
139370
149370
159460
169550
179550
189640
199640
209730
219730
229730
239820
249820
259820
269820
279820
289910
299910
309910
319910

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
1811calm
1912calm
2012calm
2112calm
2212calm
2312calm
2412calm
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 42 min at the start of May to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:50 AM to 7:12 AM, and sunset from 5:32 PM to 5:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.76:505:32
210.76:515:31
310.66:525:30
410.66:525:29
510.66:535:28
610.56:545:27
710.56:555:26
810.56:565:25
910.56:565:24
1010.46:575:23
1110.46:585:23
1210.46:595:22
1310.46:595:21
1410.37:005:20
1510.37:015:19
1610.37:025:19
1710.37:025:18
1810.27:035:17
1910.27:045:17
2010.27:045:16
2110.27:055:15
2210.17:065:15
2310.17:075:14
2410.17:075:14
2510.17:085:13
2610.17:095:13
2710.07:095:12
2810.07:105:12
2910.07:115:11
3010.07:115:11
3110.07:125:11

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.19 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.81 kWh/m² to a high of 6.46 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.19 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.5Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.5Moderate
43.5Moderate
53.4Moderate
63.4Moderate
73.4Moderate
83.4Moderate
93.4Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.2Moderate
153.2Moderate
163.2Moderate
173.2Moderate
183.2Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.1Moderate
213.1Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.0Moderate
243.0Moderate
253.0Moderate
263.0Moderate
273.0Moderate
283.0Moderate
292.9Moderate
302.9Moderate
312.9Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Grahamstown?

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

7.9
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.8
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Grahamstown in May

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

In May, Grahamstown sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 11°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 5 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Grahamstown in May

The nearest coast averages about 21°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 48 km away) is warmest in February at about 23°C and coldest in September near 19°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Nov 4 to Jun 16 — about 7.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

18°20°22°24°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swimcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan22Refreshing
Feb23Refreshing
Mar22Refreshing
Apr22Refreshing
May21Refreshing
Jun20Refreshing
Jul19Cool
Aug19Cool
Sep19Cool
Oct19Cool
Nov21Refreshing
Dec21Refreshing

UV index in Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown peaks around January 14 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighExtremeJan 14UV 13Jun 22UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep7High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown is worst in August — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (February, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1717 µg/m³Dec 236 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb6Good
Mar7Good
Apr10Good
May14Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul14Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Grahamstown?

Grahamstown sits at 33.3°S, 26.5°E, 551 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Port Alfred, 45 km away.

Topography around Grahamstown

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Grahamstown has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 240 m around an average of 595 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 697 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,453 m.

The land around Grahamstown is covered by grassland (54%) and trees (21%) within 3 km, grassland (50%) and trees (34%) within 16 km, and grassland (44%), trees (21%) and water (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
240 m
16 km
697 m
80 km
1,453 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Port Alfred 45 km · Fort Beaufort 60 km · Alice 64 km · Dimbaza 82 km · Qonce 93 km · Bhisho 99 km · Ndevana 101 km · Somerset East 109 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 Grahamstown (-33.3042°, 26.5328°, elevation 551 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).