Cape Town weather in May (Western Cape, South Africa)

How is May weather typically in Cape Town? Find all the essential weather information for this month in our guide.

Temperatures

During May, Cape Town experiences perfect weather, with pleasant temperatures and moderate rainfall. You can expect daytime temperatures to reach around 20°C, while the nights will see a decline to about 12°C.

Precipitation

Cape Town in May usually receives moderate rainfall, averaging around 80 mm for the month. Past climate data indicates that roughly 11 days will see rain.

Average sunshine

Expect sunny days throughout the month, with an estimated 205 hours of sunshine. Making it a pleasant time to visit Cape Town.

If you're inclined towards comfortable temperatures and drier conditions, May is a prime time to visit Cape Town. January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December typically offer the best circumstances. While July tends to showcase less optimal conditions.

For an in-depth look at the yearly conditions, visit our specialized Cape Town climate page with graphs.

 

Cape Town, monthly averages in May

Min Temperature 12°C  

Max Temperature 20°C  

Water Temperature 16°C  

Chance of Rain 37%  

Precipitation 80 mm  

Rainy days 11 days  

Humidity 81%  

Windspeed 11 km/h  

Sunshine 205 hours  

Percentage Sunshine  

Where to go in South Africa in May

Find out more about the weather in South Africa and which places have the best travel conditions in this month.

Weather conditions Weather

Temperatures

Precipitation

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Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor

Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

So, what should you wear in this month?

For visitors traveling to Cape Town, we recommend wearing layers. So maybe a skirt, t-shirt, shorts for during the day and jeans and a warm jacket for some days and evenings. Bring a rain jacket in case it rains during your stay. Plan on layering your clothes. With a water temperature of around 16°C there is no need to bring your swimwear.

What To Do

We rated the following activities from 1 (least suitable) to 10 (best) to do.

Cycling

9/10

Walking

9/10

Camping

8/10

Outdoor sports

9/10

Interested in more climate information?

This site provides you with all the information you need about the climate in Cape Town.

Our site offers climate and forecast data for every country in the world. Are you going to South Africa? On this website you can find historical weather averages for many cities in South Africa. Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.