Pago Pago weather in May

In May, Pago Pago sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 191 mm of rain across 21.6 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of May to 11 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Pago Pago's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Pago Pago's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
6th warmest
Overnight low
26°
10th coldest
Rainfall
191 mm
21.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:39 AM – 5:59 PM
Cloud cover
58%
5th clearest
Wind
21 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
4.5 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.8
out of 10

Pago Pago is capital of American Samoa.

Density
81/km²
people per km²
Founded
1899

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.

A typical May day in Pago Pago reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

24°26°28°30°32°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12826
22826
32826
42826
52826
62826
72826
82826
92826
102826
112826
122826
132826
142826
152826
162826
172826
182826
192826
202826
212826
222826
232826
242826
252826
262826
272826
282826
292826
302826
312826

How May really feels in Pago Pago

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 3 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
3
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Pago Pago weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 26°36126.112.83.9
Feb28° / 26°29123.912.53.9
Mar28° / 26°25125.612.13.9
Apr28° / 26°20523.711.74.1
May28° / 26°19121.611.34.8
Jun27° / 26°11518.311.25.3
Jul27° / 26°10717.511.25.7
Aug27° / 26°9216.311.55.8
Sep27° / 26°11917.911.95.5
Oct27° / 26°19320.612.35.0
Nov28° / 26°23123.712.74.3
Dec28° / 26°30924.912.84.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 47%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25446
35446
45545
55644
65644
75545
85545
95644
105545
115545
125446
135347
145347
155248
165149
175149
185149
195149
205149
215149
225149
235248
245149
255248
265248
275248
285347
295347
305347
315446

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Pago Pago gets around 191 mm of rain over 21.6 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 70% and peaks near 77% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
177
277
376
476
575
674
773
872
971
1070
1170
1269
1369
1469
1569
1669
1769
1869
1969
2069
2169
2269
2369
2469
2568
2668
2768
2868
2968
3068
3167

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 50% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1024058
2034156
3034156
4034255
5044353
6044452
7044551
8044551
9044649
10044748
11044847
12054946
13055045
14055144
15055243
16055243
17055342
18155242
19155341
20155341
21155440
22165439
23165439
24165538
25165538
26165538
27165538
28165538
29165538
30165538
31165637

Wind in May

Winds average 21 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 24 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
119light breeze
219light breeze
319light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
820light breeze
920light breeze
1020breezy
1120breezy
1221breezy
1321breezy
1421breezy
1521breezy
1621breezy
1722breezy
1822breezy
1922breezy
2022breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2323breezy
2423breezy
2523breezy
2623breezy
2723breezy
2823breezy
2923breezy
3024breezy
3124breezy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of May to 11 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:35 AM to 6:43 AM, and sunset from 6:05 PM to 5:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:356:05
211.56:356:04
311.56:366:04
411.56:366:04
511.56:366:03
611.46:366:03
711.46:366:02
811.46:376:02
911.46:376:01
1011.46:376:01
1111.46:376:01
1211.46:386:00
1311.46:386:00
1411.46:386:00
1511.36:396:00
1611.36:395:59
1711.36:395:59
1811.36:395:59
1911.36:405:59
2011.36:405:58
2111.36:405:58
2211.36:415:58
2311.36:415:58
2411.36:415:58
2511.36:425:57
2611.36:425:57
2711.36:425:57
2811.26:435:57
2911.26:435:57
3011.26:435:57
3111.26:435:57

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.5 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.28 kWh/m² to a high of 6.14 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 4.5 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.8Bright
34.8Bright
44.8Bright
54.8Bright
64.7Bright
74.7Bright
84.7Bright
94.7Bright
104.6Bright
114.6Bright
124.6Bright
134.5Bright
144.5Bright
154.5Bright
164.5Bright
174.5Bright
184.4Bright
194.4Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Pago Pago?

Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.8
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
5.1
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Pago Pago for sightseeing.

What to pack for Pago Pago in May

From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In May, Pago Pago sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection and a windbreaker. About 22 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Pago Pago in May

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 14 km away) is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in August near 28°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun28Tropical
Jul28Warm
Aug28Warm
Sep28Warm
Oct28Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Pago Pago in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Pago Pago peaks around February 14 at about 17 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 8 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 14UV 17Jun 20UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb18Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May10Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Pago Pago?

Pago Pago sits at 14.3°S, 170.7°W, 2 m above sea level, in American Samoa. The nearest listed city is Apia, 125 km away.

Topography around Pago Pago

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Pago Pago.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Pago Pago has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 577 m around an average of 130 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 582 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 552 m.

The land around Pago Pago is covered by trees (63%) and water (30%) within 3 km, water (83%) within 16 km, and water (98%) within 80 km.

3 km
577 m
16 km
582 m
80 km
552 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Apia 125 km · Alofi 537 km · Mata-Utu 601 km · Nuku‘alofa 899 km · Labasa 1,092 km · Levuka 1,146 km · Nasinu 1,226 km · Suva 1,237 km

American Samoa travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B / I
120 V · 60 Hz
GDP per capita
$18,017
2022
Safe drinking water
91%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
25.5
per 100k, 2018
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 98%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Pago Pago (-14.2781°, -170.7025°, elevation 2 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).