Chittagong weather in May

In May, Chittagong sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 27°C, with 291 mm of rain across 20.5 wet days and about 13.1 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of May to 13 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Chittagong's 7th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chittagong's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
1st warmest
Overnight low
27°
12th coldest
Rainfall
291 mm
20.5 wet days
Daylight
13 h 06 min
5:17 AM – 6:21 PM
Cloud cover
48%
7th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.48 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.1
out of 10

Chittagong is second largest city of Bangladesh, situated at the southwestern part of the country.

Air quality
Severe
PM2.5 56.4 µg/m³ · 2018
Density
24,351/km²
people per km²

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 30°C through the month.

A typical May day in Chittagong reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 27°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13027
23027
33027
43027
53027
63027
73027
83027
93027
103027
113027
123027
133027
143027
153027
163027
173027
183027
193027
203027
213027
223027
233027
243027
253027
263027
273027
283027
293027
303027
313027

How May really feels in Chittagong

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 31 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
31
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.

Chittagong weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 1st-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 18°60.810.89.3
Feb25° / 20°141.811.29.0
Mar28° / 24°464.411.87.6
Apr29° / 26°989.412.55.7
May30° / 27°29120.513.14.1
Jun29° / 27°58326.813.33.1
Jul29° / 27°60629.313.23.0
Aug29° / 27°45428.712.83.1
Sep29° / 27°34025.612.13.3
Oct29° / 26°20317.311.54.8
Nov27° / 23°483.910.97.8
Dec25° / 19°121.210.79.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17723
27723
37723
47525
57525
67525
77426
87426
97327
107228
117129
126931
136832
146733
156634
166535
176337
186139
196139
205941
215743
225644
235545
245446
255248
265149
275050
285050
294852
304654
314456

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Chittagong gets around 291 mm of rain over 20.5 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 65% and peaks near 78% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
150
251
353
454
555
656
757
858
959
1060
1160
1261
1361
1462
1563
1664
1765
1866
1968
2069
2170
2271
2372
2473
2574
2674
2775
2876
2976
3077
3178

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the miserable band about 94% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
11882
21783
31684
41486
51387
61288
71189
8991
9991
10892
11793
12694
13595
14595
15595
16496
17496
18496
19496
20397
21397
22397
23298
24298
25298
26199
27199
28199
29199
30199
31199

Wind in May

Winds average 17 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1517light breeze
1617light breeze
1717light breeze
1817light breeze
1917light breeze
2017light breeze
2117light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of May to 13 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 30 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:25 AM to 5:12 AM, and sunset from 6:14 PM to 6:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:256:14
212.85:256:15
312.95:246:15
412.95:236:16
512.95:236:16
612.95:226:16
712.95:226:17
812.95:216:17
913.05:206:18
1013.05:206:18
1113.05:196:19
1213.05:196:19
1313.05:186:20
1413.05:186:20
1513.15:176:20
1613.15:176:21
1713.15:166:21
1813.15:166:22
1913.15:166:22
2013.15:156:23
2113.15:156:23
2213.25:156:24
2313.25:146:24
2413.25:146:25
2513.25:146:25
2613.25:136:26
2713.25:136:26
2813.25:136:26
2913.25:136:27
3013.25:136:27
3113.35:126:28

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.48 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.87 kWh/m² to a high of 6.16 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 5.48 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.6Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.1Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Chittagong

In seasonPeak

In May, Chittagong sits inside its cyclone and monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Chittagong sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.

Chittagong's monsoon runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Cyclone
Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Chittagong?

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

4.1
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
5.6
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Chittagong for sightseeing.

What to pack for Chittagong in May

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

In May, Chittagong sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 27°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 21 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Chittagong 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 22 km away) is warmest in October at about 29°C and coldest in January near 22°C.

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

20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan22Refreshing
Feb23Refreshing
Mar26Warm
Apr28Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov27Warm
Dec24Refreshing

UV index in Chittagong 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 Chittagong peaks around July 21 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighJul 21UV 13Jan 10UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb7High
Mar8Very high
Apr8Very high
May10Extreme
Jun8Very high
Jul13Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov7High
Dec6High

Air quality in Chittagong in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Chittagong is worst in January — around 117 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.3× the cleanest month (July, 22 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Chittagong's WHO annual average of 56.4 µg/m³.

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorModeratePoorUnhealthyJan 16114 µg/m³Jul 1723 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan117Unhealthy
Feb92Unhealthy
Mar79Unhealthy
Apr49Poor
May34Moderate
Jun27Moderate
Jul22Moderate
Aug26Moderate
Sep26Moderate
Oct43Poor
Nov67Unhealthy
Dec95Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Chittagong?

Chittagong sits at 22.3°N, 91.8°E, 15 m above sea level, in Bangladesh. The nearest listed city is Cox's Bazar, 102 km away.

Cox's BazarBarisalButhidaung TownKyauktawDhakaBagerhatKhulna

Topography around Chittagong

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chittagong has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 60 m around an average of 12 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 96 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 893 m.

The land around Chittagong is covered by artificial surfaces (62%) and trees (22%) within 3 km, trees (43%) and water (27%) within 16 km, and trees (53%) and water (33%) within 80 km.

3 km
60 m
16 km
96 m
80 km
893 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Cox's Bazar 102 km · Barisal 156 km · Buthidaung Town 178 km · Hakha 186 km · Kyauktaw 204 km · Dhaka 211 km · Bagerhat 213 km · Khulna 239 km

Bangladesh travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / C / D / G
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 25% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,597
2025
Happiness
4.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
59%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.3
per 100k, 2018
Road deaths
15.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 506
Religion
Muslim 91%Hindu 8%other 1%

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 Chittagong (22.3384°, 91.8317°, elevation 15 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).