Port Elizabeth weather in May

In May, Port Elizabeth sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 38 mm of rain across 6.3 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°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 Port Elizabeth's 7th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Port Elizabeth's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
7th warmest
Overnight low
15°
5th coldest
Rainfall
38 mm
6.3 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
7:07 AM – 5:21 PM
Cloud cover
44%
7th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
3.09 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Port Elizabeth is city in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Density
569/km²
people per km²
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

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month.

A typical May day in Port Elizabeth reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 25°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)
12116
22115
32115
42115
52115
62115
72115
82115
92115
102115
112115
122115
132115
142115
152115
162115
172115
182115
192115
202115
212115
222114
232114
242114
252114
262014
272014
282014
292014
302014
312014

Port Elizabeth weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan24° / 19°346.9147.8
Feb24° / 20°376.813.37.7
Mar23° / 19°447.512.37.7
Apr22° / 17°437.511.27.3
May21° / 15°386.310.37.3
Jun20° / 13°416.59.87.1
Jul19° / 12°386.4107.1
Aug19° / 13°527.910.76.8
Sep19° / 14°386.811.86.8
Oct20° / 15°487.812.96.8
Nov21° / 16°537.913.86.9
Dec23° / 18°426.914.27.5

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 33%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16931
26931
36931
46931
56931
66931
76931
86931
96931
106832
116931
126832
136832
146733
156634
166634
176535
186535
196535
206436
216436
226535
236535
246535
256535
266634
276634
286832
296832
306931
317030

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Port Elizabeth gets around 38 mm of rain over 6.3 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 20% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
123
223
322
422
521
621
720
820
920
1019
1119
1218
1318
1418
1518
1618
1718
1818
1918
2019
2119
2220
2320
2420
2520
2621
2721
2821
2922
3022
3122

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 52% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13448170
23549161
33549151
43650141
53650131
63750121
73751111
83851101
93950101
10395191
11405181
12415171
13425071
14445060
15454960
16474850
17494650
18514540
19534340
20564130
21583930
22603730
23643420
24663220
25683020
26712720
27732520
28762310
29782110
30801910
31811810

Wind in May

Winds average 18 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
217light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
917light breeze
1017light breeze
1117light breeze
1217light breeze
1317light breeze
1417light breeze
1517light breeze
1617light breeze
1717light breeze
1817light breeze
1917light breeze
2017light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light 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 6:55 AM to 7:17 AM, and sunset from 5:35 PM to 5:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.76:555:35
210.66:565:34
310.66:565:33
410.66:575:32
510.56:585:31
610.56:595:30
710.57:005:29
810.57:005:28
910.47:015:27
1010.47:025:26
1110.47:035:25
1210.37:045:24
1310.37:045:23
1410.37:055:23
1510.37:065:22
1610.27:075:21
1710.27:075:20
1810.27:085:20
1910.27:095:19
2010.17:105:18
2110.17:105:18
2210.17:115:17
2310.17:125:16
2410.17:125:16
2510.07:135:15
2610.07:145:15
2710.07:155:14
2810.07:155:14
2910.07:165:13
309.97:165:13
319.97:175:13

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.09 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.66 kWh/m² to a high of 7.23 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.09 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
93.3Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.2Moderate
123.2Moderate
133.2Moderate
143.1Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.0Moderate
223.0Moderate
232.9Moderate
242.9Moderate
252.9Moderate
262.9Moderate
272.8Moderate
282.8Moderate
292.8Moderate
302.8Moderate
312.8Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Port Elizabeth?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Port Elizabeth in May

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

In May, Port Elizabeth sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 15°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 6 days see rain.

Sea temperature near Port Elizabeth 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 offshore 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 Port Elizabeth 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 Elizabeth 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 highModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 15UV 13Jun 23UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth?

Port Elizabeth sits at 34.0°S, 25.6°E, 61 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Kariega, 30 km away.

Fort Beaufort

Topography around Port Elizabeth

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Port Elizabeth has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 105 m around an average of 38 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 285 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,357 m.

The land around Port Elizabeth is covered by artificial surfaces (46%) and water (26%) within 3 km, water (51%) within 16 km, and water (41%), grassland (26%) and trees (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
105 m
16 km
285 m
80 km
1,357 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Kariega 30 km · Jeffreys Bay 65 km · Humansdorp 78 km · Kruisfontein 82 km · Grahamstown 112 km · Port Alfred 124 km · Somerset East 138 km · Fort Beaufort 162 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 Elizabeth (-33.9611°, 25.6149°, elevation 61 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).