Vrede weather in May

In May, Vrede sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 6°C, with 16 mm of rain across 2.9 wet days and about 10.7 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 18°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of May to 10 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Vrede's 4th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Vrede's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
10th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Rainfall
16 mm
2.9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 36 min
6:40 AM – 5:19 PM
Cloud cover
24%
4th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.21 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.9
out of 10

Vrede is town in the Free State province of South Africa.

Founded
1876

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 20°C in the first days to 18°C by the end.

A typical May day in Vrede reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 6°C overnight — a 14°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 3°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1208
2207
3207
4207
5207
6207
7207
8207
9206
10206
11206
12206
13206
14206
15196
16196
17195
18195
19195
20195
21195
22195
23195
24195
25194
26194
27184
28184
29184
30184
31183

How May really feels in Vrede

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Vrede weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 14°13117.113.55.9
Feb25° / 14°9113.1136.4
Mar24° / 13°7911.512.26.9
Apr21° / 416.911.47.3
May19° / 162.910.77.9
Jun17° / 91.410.37.3
Jul17° / 71.210.47.3
Aug20° / 182.6118.0
Sep23° / 244.211.88.3
Oct24° / 11°8811.212.77.0
Nov24° / 12°11214.513.46.3
Dec24° / 13°15418.613.75.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 14%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18119
28218
38317
48416
58416
68614
78614
88614
98614
108614
118614
128614
138614
148614
158614
168614
178614
188614
198416
208416
218515
228614
238614
248614
258713
268713
278812
288812
298812
308911
319010

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Vrede gets around 16 mm of rain over 2.9 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 9% and peaks near 16% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
116
215
315
414
514
614
713
813
912
1012
1111
1211
1310
1410
159
169
178
188
197
207
217
226
236
246
255
265
275
285
295
305
315

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

Winds average 10 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of May to 10 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 36 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:31 AM to 6:48 AM, and sunset from 5:30 PM to 5:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:315:30
210.96:325:29
310.96:335:28
410.96:335:27
510.96:345:26
610.96:345:26
710.86:355:25
810.86:355:24
910.86:365:23
1010.86:375:23
1110.76:375:22
1210.76:385:21
1310.76:385:21
1410.76:395:20
1510.76:405:20
1610.66:405:19
1710.66:415:19
1810.66:415:18
1910.66:425:17
2010.66:425:17
2110.66:435:17
2210.56:445:16
2310.56:445:16
2410.56:455:15
2510.56:455:15
2610.56:465:15
2710.56:465:14
2810.56:475:14
2910.46:475:14
3010.46:485:13
3110.46:485:13

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.21 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.81 kWh/m² to a high of 6.78 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 4.21 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.4Bright
54.4Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.3Bright
94.3Bright
104.3Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.2Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.1Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.1Bright
274.0Bright
284.0Bright
294.0Bright
304.0Bright
314.0Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Vrede

In seasonPeak

None of Vrede's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Vrede's rainy season runs October–March, 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 Vrede?

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

7.9
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
3.5
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Vrede in May

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

In May, Vrede sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 6°C. Worth packing: a warm layer.

a warm layer

UV index in Vrede in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Vrede peaks around January 14 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 5 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeJan 14UV 15Jun 20UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5High
Aug7Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Vrede 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 Vrede is worst in September — around 32 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.3× the cleanest month (January, 10 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1431 µg/m³Jan 1210 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb12Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr16Moderate
May18Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug24Moderate
Sep32Moderate
Oct19Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Vrede?

Vrede sits at 27.4°S, 29.2°E, 1,678 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Standerton, 55 km away.

Topography around Vrede

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Vrede has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 112 m around an average of 1,664 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 557 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,131 m.

The land around Vrede is covered by grassland (73%) within 3 km, grassland (79%) and cropland (20%) within 16 km, and grassland (69%) and cropland (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
112 m
16 km
557 m
80 km
1,131 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Standerton 55 km · Frankfort 68 km · Volksrust 71 km · Villiers 71 km · Reitz 84 km · Newcastle 84 km · Daggakraal 86 km · Harrismith 94 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 Vrede (-27.4257°, 29.1658°, elevation 1,678 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. 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).