Weather in Cape Town in May
May in Cape Town is mild enough that walking is the default. This is a city-break month more than a sea-holiday month.
In South Africa, this is how Cape Town actually wears May, not how a country centroid would. Compared with February and July, May sits in the middle of Cape Town's year.
- Average temp
- 15°C
10–21°C
- Rainfall
- 65 mm
Showers likely
- Sunshine
- 6.3 h
hours per day
What to expect
Daytime
Mild afternoons in Cape Town are the prize in May. You can eat outside on the good days. You still want something for the breeze.
This is walking weather. Shade is useful, not essential the way it is in the hot months. A long outdoor day is a reasonable plan.
Rain
May is a wetter month in Cape Town. Showers are part of the deal, not a spoiled surprise.
Waterproof shoes matter more than a rain plan for a beach, especially if a beach is not why you came. Build indoor hours into the afternoon.
Evening
Evenings are cooler. A layer helps after sunset.
What to pack
Rain jacket
A layer for cooler evenings
Where to stay in Cape Town
Dates are a starting point for May.
Travel guides for Cape Town
What to read before you book.
Average weather in Cape Town
TemperatureRainfall
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FAQs about Cape Town
Climate averages for Cape Town, 1991–2020.
The best time to visit Cape Town is between November and April, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.
February is the hottest month, with an average around 22°C.
June is the wettest month, with about 97 mm of rain.
No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.
