Wellington 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
Fair
Best time to visit: January – March
What is the weather like in Wellington in May?
In May, Wellington is cool: daytime highs average 14 °C, and nights cool down to about 11 °C. The sea averages 14.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 76 mm in total. All in all, May is a so-so month for a holiday in Wellington.
May compared
How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.
More details for May
- Daylight
- 9 h 52 min07:21 – 17:13
- UV index
- 2 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 27 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 58 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+12Pacific/Auckland
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %61 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %22 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %52 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in May
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Wellington in May: quick answers
Is Wellington hot in May?
No. In May, Wellington is cool: daytime highs average 14 °C and nights drop to about 11 °C.
Can you swim in Wellington in May?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 14.4 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Wellington in May?
Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 76 mm in total.
Wellington month by month
The whole year in WellingtonAll 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