Port Alfred weather in May

In May, Port Alfred sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 24 mm of rain across 4.8 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% 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 Port Alfred's 4th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Port Alfred's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
6th warmest
Overnight low
15°
5th coldest
Rainfall
24 mm
4.8 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
7:01 AM – 5:17 PM
Cloud cover
42%
4th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
3.11 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.8
out of 10

Port Alfred is place in Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Founded
1821

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 22°C through the month.

A typical May day in Port Alfred reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12216
22216
32216
42216
52216
62216
72315
82315
92315
102315
112315
122315
132315
142315
152315
162315
172215
182215
192215
202215
212215
222215
232214
242214
252214
262214
272214
282214
292214
302114
312114

Port Alfred weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 20°538.2147.2
Feb26° / 20°568.613.26.9
Mar25° / 19°598.812.37.3
Apr23° / 17°547.911.27.4
May22° / 15°244.810.37.8
Jun21° / 13°274.39.87.8
Jul20° / 12°274.1107.7
Aug20° / 13°416.210.87.3
Sep20° / 14°42611.87.1
Oct21° / 15°518.412.86.8
Nov22° / 17°568.913.76.9
Dec24° / 18°589.414.27.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% 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 32%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16634
26634
36634
46634
56733
66733
76634
86733
96733
106832
116733
126832
136832
146832
156832
166733
176733
186733
196733
206733
216832
226832
236931
246931
257030
267129
277129
287228
297327
307426
317426

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Port Alfred gets around 24 mm of rain over 4.8 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 16% and peaks near 20% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
120
220
319
418
518
617
717
816
916
1016
1115
1215
1314
1414
1514
1614
1714
1814
1915
2015
2115
2215
2315
2416
2516
2616
2716
2816
2916
3017
3117

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 50% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13144242
23244231
33245221
43345211
53446201
63446190
73547180
83647170
93747160
103847150
113947140
124047130
134146120
144346120
154445110
164644100
17484390
18504280
19524080
20543970
21573760
22593560
23623350
24643150
25682840
26702640
27722530
28742330
29772120
30791920
31801820

Wind in May

Winds average 15 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light 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 6:49 AM to 7:11 AM, and sunset from 5:30 PM to 5:09 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.76:495:30
210.76:505:29
310.66:515:28
410.66:525:27
510.66:525:26
610.56:535:25
710.56:545:24
810.56:555:23
910.46:555:22
1010.46:565:21
1110.46:575:21
1210.46:585:20
1310.36:585:19
1410.36:595:18
1510.37:005:17
1610.37:015:17
1710.27:015:16
1810.27:025:15
1910.27:035:15
2010.27:045:14
2110.17:045:13
2210.17:055:13
2310.17:065:12
2410.17:075:12
2510.17:075:11
2610.07:085:11
2710.07:095:10
2810.07:095:10
2910.07:105:09
3010.07:115:09
3110.07:115:09

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.11 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.74 kWh/m² to a high of 6.48 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.11 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.4Moderate
33.4Moderate
43.4Moderate
53.4Moderate
63.3Moderate
73.3Moderate
83.3Moderate
93.3Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.2Moderate
123.2Moderate
133.2Moderate
143.2Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.0Moderate
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 Port Alfred?

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

7.8
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.5
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Port Alfred in May

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

In May, Port Alfred sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 5 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Port Alfred 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 offshore 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 Port Alfred 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 Port Alfred peaks around January 15 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 — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 15UV 13Jun 22UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Port Alfred?

Port Alfred sits at 33.6°S, 26.9°E, 35 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Grahamstown, 45 km away.

Topography around Port Alfred

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Port Alfred has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 128 m around an average of 45 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 332 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 906 m.

The land around Port Alfred is covered by trees (39%) and grassland (28%) within 3 km, water (41%), trees (33%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and water (36%), grassland (31%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
128 m
16 km
332 m
80 km
906 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Grahamstown 45 km · Alice 89 km · Dimbaza 89 km · Qonce 92 km · Fort Beaufort 93 km · Ndevana 95 km · Bhisho 97 km · Mdantsane 110 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 Port Alfred (-33.586°, 26.8833°, elevation 35 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).