Nelson weather in May
Temperature, sea and sunshine in May: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in May
Poor
Best time to visit: January – February
What is the weather like in Nelson in May?
In May, Nelson is cool: daytime highs average 14 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 15.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 119 mm in total. All in all, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in Nelson.
May compared
How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.
More details for May
- Daylight
- 9 h 52 min07:27 – 17:19
- UV index
- 2 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 13 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 54 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+12Pacific/Auckland
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %28 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %57 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in May
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Nelson in May: quick answers
Is Nelson hot in May?
No. In May, Nelson is cool: daytime highs average 14 °C and nights drop to about 8 °C.
Can you swim in Nelson in May?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 15.6 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Nelson in May?
Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 119 mm in total.
Nelson month by month
The whole year in NelsonAll destinations: New ZealandWhere to go in MaySea temperature in May
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences