Kariega weather in May

In May, Kariega sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 23 mm of rain across 4.5 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month. 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 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Kariega's 4th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kariega's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
8th warmest
Overnight low
12°
5th coldest
Rainfall
23 mm
4.5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
7:07 AM – 5:22 PM
Cloud cover
44%
4th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
3.14 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10

Kariega is South African city.

Founded
1804

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month.

A typical May day in Kariega reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°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)
12413
22413
32413
42413
52413
62413
72413
82413
92413
102413
112413
122413
132412
142412
152412
162412
172312
182312
192312
202312
212312
222312
232312
242312
252311
262211
272211
282211
292211
302211
312211

Kariega weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 18°407.9146.9
Feb28° / 18°447.813.36.8
Mar27° / 17°477.812.37.1
Apr25° / 15°407.211.27.5
May23° / 12°234.510.38.0
Jun21° / 10°244.19.87.8
Jul21° / 243.9107.9
Aug21° / 10°365.710.77.6
Sep22° / 11°315.511.87.5
Oct23° / 13°48712.87.4
Nov24° / 15°577.813.87.4
Dec26° / 17°45814.27.1

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 20% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 32%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26733
36733
46832
56832
66832
76931
86832
96832
106931
116931
126832
136832
146733
156733
166634
176634
186634
196634
206634
216634
226535
236634
246634
256733
266832
276832
286931
296931
307129
317228

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Kariega gets around 23 mm of rain over 4.5 wet days in May, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 14% and peaks near 20% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
120
219
319
418
517
616
716
815
914
1014
1113
1213
1312
1412
1511
1611
1711
1812
1912
2012
2112
2213
2313
2413
2514
2614
2714
2814
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 81% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
162317
264306
364306
466295
566295
668284
769274
870264
971254
1073243
1175223
1276213
1378202
1479192
1581172
1683161
1784151
1886131
1987121
2088111
2189101
229091
239181
249370
259460
269460
279550
289640
299640
309730
319730

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
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2712calm
2812calm
2912calm
3012calm
3112calm

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 6:55 AM to 7:17 AM, and sunset from 5:36 PM to 5:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.76:555:36
210.66:565:35
310.66:575:34
410.66:585:33
510.66:595:32
610.56:595:31
710.57:005:30
810.57:015:29
910.47:025:28
1010.47:025:27
1110.47:035:26
1210.47:045:25
1310.37:055:25
1410.37:055:24
1510.37:065:23
1610.37:075:22
1710.27:085:22
1810.27:095:21
1910.27:095:20
2010.27:105:20
2110.17:115:19
2210.17:115:18
2310.17:125:18
2410.17:135:17
2510.17:145:17
2610.07:145:16
2710.07:155:16
2810.07:165:15
2910.07:165:15
3010.07:175:14
319.97:175:14

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.14 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.72 kWh/m² to a high of 7.11 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.14 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.5Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.5Moderate
43.4Moderate
53.4Moderate
63.4Moderate
73.4Moderate
83.4Moderate
93.3Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.2Moderate
143.2Moderate
153.2Moderate
163.2Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.1Moderate
213.0Moderate
223.0Moderate
233.0Moderate
243.0Moderate
252.9Moderate
262.9Moderate
272.9Moderate
282.9Moderate
292.9Moderate
302.8Moderate
312.8Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Kariega?

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

8.0
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.2
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Kariega for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Kariega in May

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

In May, Kariega sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 5 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Kariega in May

The nearest coast averages about 19°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 25 km away) is warmest in January at about 21°C and coldest in August near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 26 to Mar 29 — about 3.1 months when the water holds above 20°C.

16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan21Refreshing
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr20Cool
May19Cool
Jun18Cool
Jul17Cool
Aug17Cool
Sep17Cool
Oct18Cool
Nov19Cool
Dec20Cool

UV index in Kariega 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 Kariega peaks around January 15 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 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 highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 15UV 13Jun 23UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Kariega 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 Kariega is worst in June — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (January, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 1621 µg/m³Jan 249 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr14Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kariega?

Kariega sits at 33.8°S, 25.4°E, 122 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Port Elizabeth, 30 km away.

Fort Beaufort

Topography around Kariega

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kariega has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 151 m around an average of 86 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 946 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,658 m.

The land around Kariega is covered by artificial surfaces (53%) and grassland (24%) within 3 km, trees (47%) and grassland (33%) within 16 km, and grassland (37%) and water (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
151 m
16 km
946 m
80 km
1,658 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Port Elizabeth 30 km · Jeffreys Bay 55 km · Humansdorp 66 km · Kruisfontein 68 km · Somerset East 116 km · Grahamstown 116 km · Port Alfred 138 km · Fort Beaufort 158 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 Kariega (-33.7556°, 25.4007°, elevation 122 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).