Kuils River weather in May

In May, Kuils River sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 90 mm of rain across 9 wet days and about 10.3 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 42% 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 Kuils River's 11th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kuils River's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
8th warmest
Overnight low
12°
5th coldest
Rainfall
90 mm
9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
7:34 AM – 5:49 PM
Cloud cover
49%
11th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
2.98 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

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 Kuils River reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 23°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)
12013
21913
31913
41913
51912
61912
71912
81912
91912
101912
111912
121912
131912
141912
151912
161912
171912
181912
191812
201812
211812
221812
231811
241811
251811
261711
271711
281711
291711
301711
311711

Kuils River 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
Jan24° / 17°213.4148.8
Feb25° / 17°183.213.38.7
Mar24° / 16°213.512.38.6
Apr21° / 14°565.711.27.4
May19° / 12°90910.36.4
Jun16° / 10°138119.85.1
Jul16° / 12210.3105.1
Aug16° / 10510.910.75.1
Sep17° / 11°688.811.85.8
Oct19° / 12°456.612.96.9
Nov21° / 14°415.813.87.5
Dec23° / 16°244.214.28.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% 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
96337
106436
116337
126337
136238
146139
156238
166139
176139
186040
195941
205941
215743
225743
235743
245743
255743
265743
275743
285743
295743
305743
315743

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Kuils River gets around 90 mm of rain over 9 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 39% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
124
224
324
424
524
624
724
824
924
1023
1123
1223
1323
1424
1524
1624
1725
1826
1927
2028
2129
2231
2332
2434
2535
2636
2737
2837
2938
3038
3139

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 88% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
17822
27921
38020
48119
58119
68218
78317
88416
98416
108515
118614
128614
138713
148713
158812
168812
178911
188911
199010
209010
21919
22919
23928
24928
25937
26937
27946
28955
29955
30964
31964

Wind in May

Winds average 12 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112light breeze
212light breeze
312light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612calm
712calm
812calm
912calm
1012calm
1112calm
1212calm
1312calm
1412calm
1512calm
1612calm
1712calm
1812calm
1912calm
2012calm
2112light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light 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 7:45 AM, and sunset from 6:02 PM to 5:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.77:226:02
210.67:236:01
310.67:246:00
410.67:255:59
510.57:265:58
610.57:265:57
710.57:275:56
810.57:285:55
910.47:295:54
1010.47:305:54
1110.47:305:53
1210.37:315:52
1310.37:325:51
1410.37:335:50
1510.37:335:49
1610.27:345:49
1710.27:355:48
1810.27:365:47
1910.27:365:47
2010.17:375:46
2110.17:385:45
2210.17:395:45
2310.17:395:44
2410.17:405:44
2510.07:415:43
2610.07:415:43
2710.07:425:42
2810.07:435:42
2910.07:435:41
309.97:445:41
319.97:455:40

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 2.98 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.47 kWh/m² to a high of 8.15 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 2.98 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.5Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.4Moderate
43.4Moderate
53.4Moderate
63.3Moderate
73.3Moderate
83.3Moderate
93.2Moderate
103.2Moderate
113.2Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.1Moderate
143.1Moderate
153.0Moderate
163.0Moderate
173.0Moderate
182.9Moderate
192.9Moderate
202.9Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Kuils River

In seasonPeak

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

Kuils River's rainy season runs May–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 Kuils River?

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

6.4
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
2.4
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Kuils River for sightseeing.

What to pack for Kuils River in May

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

In May, Kuils River sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near Kuils River 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 22 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
Mar18Cool
Apr16Cool
May16Cool
Jun15Cool
Jul15Bracing
Aug15Bracing
Sep15Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov17Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Kuils River 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 Kuils River 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 11 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 Kuils River 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 Kuils River is worst in May — around 52 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.4× the cleanest month (December, 15 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMay 2152 µg/m³Dec 1516 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan20Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar28Moderate
Apr41Poor
May52Poor
Jun50Poor
Jul47Poor
Aug41Poor
Sep33Moderate
Oct29Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Kuils River?

Kuils River sits at 33.9°S, 18.7°E, 93 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Kraaifontein, 10 km away.

Topography around Kuils River

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kuils River has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 309 m around an average of 111 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 502 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,997 m.

The land around Kuils River is covered by artificial surfaces (38%) and grassland (36%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (38%) and grassland (31%) within 16 km, and water (39%) and grassland (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
309 m
16 km
502 m
80 km
1,997 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Kraaifontein 10 km · Durbanville 13 km · Stellenbosch 15 km · Somerset West 19 km · Athlone 19 km · Lansdowne 20 km · Rondebosch 21 km · Retreat 25 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 Kuils River (-33.9421°, 18.7066°, elevation 93 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).