Cotonou weather in May

In May, Cotonou sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 27°C, with 164 mm of rain across 23.4 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 2nd-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 11% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of May to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Cotonou's 10th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cotonou's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
27°
9th coldest
Rainfall
164 mm
23.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:38 AM – 6:55 PM
Cloud cover
76%
10th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.92 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.0
out of 10

Cotonou is city in Benin, seat of the government.

Density
8,595/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 28°C through the month.

A typical May day in Cotonou reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 27°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 1°C warmer than June.

24°26°28°30°32°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12927
22927
32927
42927
52927
62927
72927
82927
92927
102927
112927
122827
132827
142827
152827
162827
172827
182827
192827
202827
212827
222826
232826
242826
252826
262826
272826
282826
292826
302826
312826

How May really feels in Cotonou

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 29 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
29
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.

Cotonou weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 3rd-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 26°216.611.77.1
Feb28° / 27°277.811.86.4
Mar29° / 27°4812.5125.3
Apr29° / 27°7315.712.14.8
May28° / 27°16423.412.34.0
Jun27° / 26°25926.112.43.9
Jul26° / 25°13218.912.35.2
Aug25° / 24°7313.312.26.1
Sep26° / 25°10518125.2
Oct27° / 26°11020.211.95.0
Nov28° / 27°4913.811.75.7
Dec28° / 27°277.611.66.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 73%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13070
23070
33070
43169
53070
63070
73070
83169
93169
103169
113169
123268
133268
143169
153070
163070
173070
182872
192872
202773
212674
222476
232476
242377
252377
262179
272179
281981
291882
301882
311783

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Cotonou gets around 164 mm of rain over 23.4 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 75% and peaks near 86% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
165
266
367
468
569
670
771
871
971
1072
1172
1272
1373
1473
1574
1674
1775
1875
1976
2077
2177
2278
2379
2480
2581
2682
2783
2884
2985
3085
3186

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 80% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1595
2595
3694
4694
5793
6892
7892
8991
9991
101090
111090
121189
131288
141288
151387
161486
171585
181783
191882
202080
212377
222575
232872
243169
253466
263763
274060
284357
294753
305050
315347

Wind in May

Winds average 16 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
217light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
917light breeze
1017light breeze
1117light breeze
1217light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

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

Days grow by about 6 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:41 AM to 6:38 AM, and sunset from 6:54 PM to 6:58 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.26:416:54
212.26:416:54
312.26:406:54
412.26:406:54
512.26:406:54
612.26:406:54
712.26:396:54
812.36:396:54
912.36:396:55
1012.36:396:55
1112.36:396:55
1212.36:386:55
1312.36:386:55
1412.36:386:55
1512.36:386:55
1612.36:386:55
1712.36:386:55
1812.36:386:56
1912.36:386:56
2012.36:386:56
2112.36:376:56
2212.36:376:56
2312.36:376:56
2412.36:376:56
2512.36:376:57
2612.36:376:57
2712.36:376:57
2812.36:376:57
2912.36:376:57
3012.36:376:58
3112.36:386:58

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.92 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.22 kWh/m² to a high of 5.6 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 4.92 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.2Bright
75.2Bright
85.1Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
165.0Bright
175.0Bright
184.9Bright
194.9Bright
204.9Bright
214.8Bright
224.8Bright
234.8Bright
244.7Bright
254.7Bright
264.6Bright
274.6Bright
284.6Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Cotonou

In seasonPeak

In May, Cotonou sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Cotonou's rainy season runs May–July, when most of the year's rain falls.

Cotonou sees seasonal dust haze (January–April), heaviest in February.

Rainy season
Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Cotonou?

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

4.0
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
4.7
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Cotonou for sightseeing.

What to pack for Cotonou in May

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

In May, Cotonou sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 27°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 23 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Cotonou 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 offshore is warmest in May at about 29°C and coldest in August near 25°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Warm
Feb28Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun28Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug25Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Cotonou in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cotonou peaks around April 10 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeExtremeVery highApr 10UV 13Dec 17UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb10Very high
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec8Very high

Air quality in Cotonou 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 Cotonou is worst in January — around 78 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 7.7× the cleanest month (September, 10 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyModerateGoodModerateJan 1676 µg/m³Sep 1810 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan78Unhealthy
Feb61Unhealthy
Mar28Moderate
Apr24Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct12Good
Nov19Moderate
Dec61Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Cotonou?

Cotonou sits at 6.4°N, 2.4°E, 7 m above sea level, in Benin. The nearest listed city is Godomè, 8.0 km away.

Topography around Cotonou

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Cotonou has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 13 m around an average of 5 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 33 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 171 m.

The land around Cotonou is covered by artificial surfaces (76%) within 3 km, water (66%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 16 km, and trees (37%) and water (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
13 m
16 km
33 m
80 km
171 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Godomè 8.0 km · Ganvié 11 km · Abomey-Calavi 12 km · Ekpé 13 km · Semi 22 km · Porto-Novo 25 km · Missérété 29 km · Zinvié 29 km

Benin travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,658
2025
Happiness
4.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
18%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2017
Road deaths
26.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 406
Religion
Muslim 28%Roman Catholic 26%Protestant 14%Vodoun 12%

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 Cotonou (6.3654°, 2.4183°, elevation 7 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. 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).