Gongju weather in May

In May, Gongju sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 84 mm of rain across 7.4 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 26°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Gongju's 5th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gongju's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
5th warmest
Overnight low
12°
8th coldest
Rainfall
84 mm
7.4 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
5:30 AM – 7:26 PM
Cloud cover
54%
5th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Gongju is City in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea.

Density
77/km²
people per km²

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 26°C by the end.

A typical May day in Gongju reaches about 24°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 19°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 6°C warmer than April and about 4°C cooler than June.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12210
22210
32210
42210
52211
62211
72311
82311
92311
102311
112312
122312
132312
142312
152412
162412
172413
182413
192413
202413
212513
222513
232514
242514
252514
262614
272614
282614
292615
302615
312615

How May really feels in Gongju

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.

Gongju weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -5°224.22.59.80.0
Feb / -3°304.31.610.60.6
Mar12° / 476.41.211.73.4
Apr18° / 797.30.112.96.3
May24° / 12°847.4013.97.3
Jun28° / 18°1268.7014.46.4
Jul29° / 22°26516.1014.24.5
Aug30° / 22°24215.2013.44.5
Sep26° / 17°1478.6012.26.9
Oct20° / 10°595011.17.3
Nov13° / 456.10.210.13.9
Dec / -3°244.61.99.60.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25248
35149
45149
55149
65050
75050
84951
95050
104951
114852
124951
135050
144951
155050
165149
175149
185149
195248
205248
215347
225347
235446
245446
255446
265446
275545
285446
295446
305347
315149

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Gongju gets around 84 mm of rain over 7.4 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 25% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
127
227
327
427
527
627
727
827
927
1027
1127
1227
1327
1427
1526
1626
1725
1825
1924
2024
2123
2223
2322
2422
2521
2621
2721
2821
2920
3021
3121

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 73% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
188930
288930
3871030
4861130
5851140
6841240
7841240
8831340
9831340
10821440
11821440
12811540
13801640
14801640
15781840
16771940
17752050
18742150
19732250
20712360
21692461
22682561
23662671
24642871
25622981
26603091
275831101
285632111
295433121
305134141
314934161

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 10 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
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:45 AM to 5:20 AM, and sunset from 7:13 PM to 7:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:457:13
213.55:437:14
313.55:427:15
413.65:417:15
513.65:407:16
613.65:397:17
713.75:387:18
813.75:377:19
913.75:367:20
1013.85:357:21
1113.85:347:22
1213.85:337:22
1313.85:327:23
1413.95:317:24
1513.95:317:25
1613.95:307:26
1714.05:297:27
1814.05:287:27
1914.05:277:28
2014.05:277:29
2114.15:267:30
2214.15:257:31
2314.15:257:31
2414.15:247:32
2514.25:237:33
2614.25:237:34
2714.25:227:34
2814.25:227:35
2914.25:217:36
3014.35:217:37
3114.35:207:37

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.91 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.25 kWh/m² to a high of 5.91 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.91 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
195.9Bright
206.0Bright
216.0Bright
226.0Intense
236.0Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Gongju

In seasonPeak

In May, Gongju sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Gongju sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Gongju's rainy season runs June–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Pacific typhoon
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Gongju?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Gongju in May

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

In May, Gongju sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 7 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Gongju in May

The nearest coast averages about 14°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 58 km away) is warmest in August at about 26°C and coldest in February near 5°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 26 to Oct 10 — about 3.5 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan7Bracing
Feb5Bracing
Mar6Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May14Bracing
Jun19Cool
Jul23Refreshing
Aug26Warm
Sep23Refreshing
Oct19Cool
Nov15Bracing
Dec11Bracing

UV index in Gongju in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Gongju peaks around August 14 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateAug 14UV 8Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Gongju 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 Gongju is worst in March — around 92 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.0× the cleanest month (July, 46 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorUnhealthyMar 1391 µg/m³Jul 2246 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan83Unhealthy
Feb85Unhealthy
Mar92Unhealthy
Apr75Unhealthy
May62Unhealthy
Jun57Unhealthy
Jul46Poor
Aug47Poor
Sep61Unhealthy
Oct74Unhealthy
Nov79Unhealthy
Dec73Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Gongju?

Gongju sits at 36.5°N, 127.1°E, 23 m above sea level, in South Korea. The nearest listed city is Sejong, 21 km away.

YesanYŏnmuAsanCheongju-si

Topography around Gongju

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Gongju has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 303 m around an average of 66 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 820 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,213 m.

The land around Gongju is covered by trees (53%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 3 km, trees (68%) within 16 km, and trees (55%) and cropland (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
303 m
16 km
820 m
80 km
1,213 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Sejong 21 km · Daejeon 26 km · Buyeo 28 km · Nonsan 28 km · Yesan 35 km · Yŏnmu 36 km · Asan 38 km · Cheongju-si 38 km

South Korea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 57% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$36,227
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.5
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
8.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 522
Religion
none 60%Protestant 17%Buddhist 16%Catholic 6%

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 Gongju (36.4556°, 127.1247°, elevation 23 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).