Nuku‘alofa weather in May

In May, Nuku‘alofa sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 103 mm of rain across 10.1 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 25°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 12 min at the start of May to 10 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Nuku‘alofa's 6th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nuku‘alofa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
6th warmest
Overnight low
24°
7th coldest
Rainfall
103 mm
10.1 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
7:07 AM – 6:07 PM
Cloud cover
62%
6th clearest
Wind
25 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
3.8 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.8
out of 10

Nuku‘alofa is capital city of Tonga.

Density
1,963/km²
people per km²
Founded
1795

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 25°C through the month.

A typical May day in Nuku‘alofa reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 1°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12524
22524
32524
42524
52524
62524
72524
82524
92524
102524
112524
122524
132524
142524
152524
162524
172524
182524
192524
202523
212523
222423
232423
242423
252423
262423
272423
282423
292423
302423
312423

Nuku‘alofa weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 25°19515.513.15.7
Feb27° / 26°20316.512.75.3
Mar27° / 26°23018.312.15.3
Apr26° / 25°16713.411.56.0
May25° / 24°10310.1116.8
Jun24° / 23°1068.810.77.0
Jul23° / 22°968.410.87.0
Aug23° / 21°1098.611.36.9
Sep23° / 22°1069.511.96.9
Oct23° / 22°938.512.57.1
Nov25° / 23°999.2136.9
Dec26° / 25°10512.113.36.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% 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 55%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24753
34753
44753
54753
64753
74753
84753
94753
104654
114654
124753
134654
144654
154654
164753
174753
184654
194654
204654
214555
224555
234456
244456
254456
264357
274159
284159
294258
304159
314060

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Nuku‘alofa gets around 103 mm of rain over 10.1 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 33% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
140
239
338
438
537
636
735
835
934
1033
1132
1231
1331
1430
1530
1630
1730
1830
1930
2030
2131
2231
2331
2431
2531
2632
2732
2832
2932
3032
3133

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 37% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 65% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
104163941
204173940
304183939
404193838
504203838
604203837
705213736
805223735
905233734
1006243633
1106253632
1217263631
1317263630
1418273629
1518273627
1619283626
1719293625
18110293624
19110303623
20110303623
21111313622
22111313621
23011313621
24012313720
25012313720
26012303819
27013303819
28013293819
29013283919
30113283919
31114273919

Wind in May

Winds average 25 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 25 km/h on the calmest days to 27 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
127breezy
226breezy
326breezy
426breezy
526breezy
626breezy
726breezy
826breezy
926breezy
1025breezy
1125breezy
1225breezy
1325breezy
1425breezy
1525breezy
1625breezy
1725breezy
1825breezy
1925breezy
2025breezy
2125breezy
2225breezy
2325breezy
2425breezy
2525breezy
2625breezy
2725breezy
2825breezy
2925breezy
3025breezy
3125breezy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 min at the start of May to 10 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 7:01 AM to 7:14 AM, and sunset from 6:15 PM to 6:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.27:016:15
211.27:016:14
311.27:026:14
411.27:026:13
511.27:036:13
611.17:036:12
711.17:036:11
811.17:046:11
911.17:046:10
1011.17:056:10
1111.17:056:09
1211.17:056:09
1311.07:066:08
1411.07:066:08
1511.07:076:07
1611.07:076:07
1711.07:086:07
1811.07:086:06
1911.07:086:06
2010.97:096:05
2110.97:096:05
2210.97:106:05
2310.97:106:04
2410.97:116:04
2510.97:116:04
2610.97:116:04
2710.97:126:03
2810.87:126:03
2910.87:136:03
3010.87:136:03
3110.87:146:03

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.8 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.27 kWh/m² to a high of 6.69 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.8 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.1Bright
24.1Bright
34.1Bright
44.0Bright
54.0Bright
64.0Moderate
74.0Moderate
84.0Moderate
93.9Moderate
103.9Moderate
113.9Moderate
123.9Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.8Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.8Moderate
193.8Moderate
203.7Moderate
213.7Moderate
223.7Moderate
233.7Moderate
243.6Moderate
253.6Moderate
263.6Moderate
273.5Moderate
283.5Moderate
293.5Moderate
303.5Moderate
313.4Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Nuku‘alofa?

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

6.8
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Nuku‘alofa for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Nuku‘alofa in May

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

In May, Nuku‘alofa sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 24°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and a windbreaker. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Nuku‘alofa in May

The nearest coast averages about 26°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 March at about 28°C and coldest in August near 24°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

22°24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar28Warm
Apr27Warm
May26Warm
Jun25Warm
Jul24Warm
Aug24Refreshing
Sep24Refreshing
Oct24Warm
Nov25Warm
Dec26Warm

UV index in Nuku‘alofa 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 Nuku‘alofa peaks around February 12 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 7 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeFeb 12UV 16Jun 23UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr10Very high
May7Very high
Jun7High
Jul7High
Aug8Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Nuku‘alofa?

Nuku‘alofa sits at 21.1°S, 175.2°W, 1 m above sea level, in Tonga. The nearest listed city is Alofi, 598 km away.

Topography around Nuku‘alofa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Nuku‘alofa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 21 m around an average of 3 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 73 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 299 m.

The land around Nuku‘alofa is covered by water (52%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 3 km, water (68%) within 16 km, and water (97%) within 80 km.

3 km
21 m
16 km
73 m
80 km
299 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
May weather nearby: Alofi 598 km · Levuka 668 km · Nasinu 741 km · Suva 746 km · Lami 749 km · Labasa 775 km · Sigatoka 833 km · Nadi 858 km

Tonga travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 75% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,547
2025
Safe drinking water
30%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2019
Road deaths
33
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 64%Church of Jesus Christ 20%Roman Catholic 14%other 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 Nuku‘alofa (-21.1368°, -175.2011°, elevation 1 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).