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Weather in May in Canterbury

Considering a trip to Canterbury this May and wondering about the expected weather conditions? Find all the crucial information you need right here, addressing your question:

What is the weather like in Canterbury in May?

Canterbury is a region in New Zealand. May in Canterbury generally has temperatures that range from cold to mild, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy.

Temperatures

During the day the temperature is cold in Mount Cook Village at 6°C and mild in Lincoln at 15°C. As night falls, temperatures generally drop to 6°C in Lincoln and -2°C in Mount Cook Village.

Precipitation

In May, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in Christchurch with an average of 54 mm to heavy rainfall in Mount Cook Village with 241 mm.

Average sunshine

The city Christchurch usually sees around 138 hours of sunlight, indicating a moderately sunny period.

To learn more about the conditions in specific areas of Canterbury in May, check out the map below. For more details on the yearly weather, visit our Canterbury climate page.

Where to go in Canterbury in May

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the Canterbury on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailes.

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
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).

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in May for the 5 most popular destinations in Canterbury?

Christchurch

In May Christchurch generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 15°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 6°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are tolerable that month.

Christchurch
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
18°C 
8°C 
161 hours 
58 mm 
9 days 
15°C 
6°C 
138 hours 
54 mm 
11 days 
June   >> June
>>  
12°C 
3°C 
117 hours 
64 mm 
12 days 
Climate in Christchurch

Kaikoura

In May Kaikoura generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 14°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 7°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are tolerable that month.

Kaikoura
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
16°C 
9°C 
86 mm 
9 days 
14°C 
7°C 
71 mm 
11 days 
June   >> June
>>  
11°C 
4°C 
101 mm 
10 days 
poor 
Climate in Kaikoura

Hanmer Springs

In May Hanmer Springs generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 12°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Hanmer Springs
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
15°C 
5°C 
92 mm 
10 days 
12°C 
2°C 
89 mm 
12 days 
June   >> June
>>  
8°C 
-0°C 
117 mm 
12 days 
poor 
Climate in Hanmer Springs

Lake Tekapo

In May Lake Tekapo generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 10°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Lake Tekapo
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
14°C 
5°C 
103 mm 
8 days 
10°C 
2°C 
111 mm 
9 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
6°C 
-1°C 
105 mm 
8 days 
poor 
Climate in Lake Tekapo

Akaroa

In May Akaroa generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 14°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 9°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are tolerable that month.

Akaroa
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
16°C 
10°C 
161 hours 
60 mm 
11 days 
14°C 
9°C 
138 hours 
61 mm 
14 days 
June   >> June
>>  
12°C 
7°C 
117 hours 
68 mm 
15 days 
Climate in Akaroa

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Canterbury, in New Zealand.

Is May the best time to visit Canterbury?

Given the typically tolerable weather conditions in Christchurch, May might be a good time to visit Canterbury. It's worth noting that weather conditions might differ depending on the location you visit.

Generally speaking, January, February, March and December provide perfect weather in Christchurch. The weather in June, July and August, on the other hand, tends to be unpleasant.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Canterbury. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

  • January      
  • February      
  • March      
  • April      
  • May      
  • June      
  • July      
  • August      
  • September      
  • October      
  • November      
  • December      
  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to New Zealand? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in New Zealand.

    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.