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Wellington in May: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Discover the weather for Wellington in May and if it’s a good time to travel (based on historical data).
Check flight prices to Wellington on Avionero:
May

Weather in Wellington in May 2025

OK Weather
Mild
🌧️
Rainy
May could be a good time to visit Wellington, as the weather is generally fine. The average high temperature is around +59°F, and there are typically 5 sunny days in May. However, expect about 15 rainy days, and total monthly rainfall of approximately 87 mm. The weather is changeable so pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.

Average weather

☀️
+59°F
Avg. max. temperature
+37°F
Min.
+70°F
Max.
87 mm
Total precipitation
81%
Avg. humidity
6 m/s
Avg. wind
5 ☀️
Sunny Days
11 ⛅️
Cloudy
15 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Wellington has OK weather in May.

Average temperature in Wellington in May

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Wellington for May based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The expected average maximum temperature in May is +61°F with a maximum of +70°F and a minimum of +43°F.

The average maximum temperature goes down 27% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +68°F to +61°F.

Is Wellington warm or cold in May?

Wellington is typically mild in May.

Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +61°F to +59°F. The minimum temperature also goes down from +55°F to +52°F.

Pack a light jacket as it will be warm in the day and cool in the evenings.

Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Wellington:

Climate in Wellington in May

Wellington weather looks like this, on average, in May and the surrounding months.
AprilMayJune
Avg. temperature
+61°F+59°F+55°F
Min. temperature
+41°F+37°F+36°F
Max. temperature
+72°F+70°F+63°F
Rainfall
74 mm87 mm99 mm
Wind
6 m/s6 m/s6 m/s
Humidity
81%81%80%
Air pressure
1016 HPa1014 HPa1014 HPa
Sunny days
554
Cloudy days
12118
Rainy days
131517
Snowy days
000

May weather is still as ok as in April. It’s getting colder in May. From +61°F in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +59°F. Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 74 mm to 87 mm. Humidity levels don’t change as the month goes on, averaging around 81%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during May, staying around 6 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 5 sunny days during the month.

June brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in Wellington in May based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 5 m/s getting up to 8 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.

The average wind speed in Wellington is gradually increasing during May, going from 3 m/s to 6 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during May in Wellington based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Total precipitation in May is about 259 mm, with a 61% chance of rain on a typical day. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 48 mm, which is moderate rain. May is a pretty wet month with over 19 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
Here’s how May is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Wellington wettest month is July, where a typical day has a 55% chance of precipitation and 100 mm of rainfall per day. January, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 35% chance of precipitation and 54 mm of rainfall per day.

How was the weather last May in Wellington?

This is the weather in Wellington in May 2023:
1 May
☁️
+68°F
2 May
☁️
+70°F
3 May
🌧️
+67°F
4 May
🌧️
+63°F
5 May
🌧️
+66°F
6 May
☁️
+65°F
7 May
☁️
+67°F
8 May
☁️
+69°F
9 May
🌧️
+66°F
10 May
☁️
+59°F
11 May
☁️
+52°F
12 May
☁️
+56°F
13 May
☁️
+59°F
14 May
☀️
+60°F
15 May
🌧️
+57°F
16 May
☀️
+57°F
17 May
☀️
+59°F
18 May
☁️
+58°F
19 May
🌧️
+58°F
20 May
🌧️
+56°F
21 May
☀️
+58°F
22 May
☁️
+60°F
23 May
☀️
+60°F
24 May
☀️
+56°F
25 May
☁️
+58°F
26 May
☁️
+60°F
27 May
☁️
+61°F
28 May
☁️
+63°F
29 May
🌧️
+63°F
30 May
☁️
+59°F
31 May
☀️
+61°F
In May 2023 Wellington had 7 sunny days, 16 cloudy days, and 8 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +61°F, with an absolute maximum of +70°F and a minimum of +52°F. The average humidity was 81%, with a maximum of 100% and a minimum of 49%. The average wind speed was 5 m/s, with a maximum of 18 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in May?

Climate Change Over the Years

This is how Wellington climate has changed over the last 43 years.

The climate in Wellington in May has not changed that much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1992 (+57°F) and the highest in 2022 (+63°F). The driest year was 2007 with only 644 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2022 with 2261 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Wellington in May:

Is May a good time to visit Wellington?

It’s always a good time to visit Wellington, but the weather is changeable in May, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in Wellington in May?

May has mild temperatures in Wellington. Not ideal for sunbathing, but still good for daytime outdoor activities, but plan for cool evenings. Pack a light jacket and shorts!

Is Wellington rainy in May?

Wellington is often rainy in May. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in Wellington in May?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Wellington in May, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in New Zealand

Check out the weather for other cities in New Zealand.

Monthly weather in Wellington

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Wellington, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.