Porto-Novo weather in May

In May, Porto-Novo sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 171 mm of rain across 24.9 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 2nd-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 6% 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 Porto-Novo's 8th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Porto-Novo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
6th warmest
Overnight low
25°
9th coldest
Rainfall
171 mm
24.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:37 AM – 6:55 PM
Cloud cover
79%
8th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.71 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.3
out of 10

Porto-Novo is capital of Benin.

Density
5,083/km²
people per km²
Founded
1550

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 Porto-Novo reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 4°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 about 1°C warmer than June.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13026
23026
33026
43026
53026
63026
73026
83026
93026
103026
113026
123026
133026
143026
153026
163026
173025
183025
193025
203025
213025
222925
232925
242925
252925
262925
272925
282925
292925
302925
312925

How May really feels in Porto-Novo

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.

Porto-Novo weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 25°298.411.75.5
Feb30° / 26°4011.111.84.6
Mar31° / 26°7317.5123.9
Apr30° / 26°981912.13.7
May30° / 25°17124.912.33.3
Jun28° / 25°22926.212.43.5
Jul27° / 24°14021.412.34.5
Aug27° / 24°9816.312.25.3
Sep28° / 24°14422.3124.3
Oct29° / 24°15525.411.93.6
Nov30° / 25°7518.711.74.1
Dec30° / 25°3710.511.65.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% 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 79%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12377
22377
32377
42377
52377
62377
72377
82377
92377
102377
112476
122476
132575
142476
152377
162377
172377
182377
192278
202179
212080
222080
231882
241882
251684
261684
271486
281486
291486
301387
311288

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Porto-Novo gets around 171 mm of rain over 24.9 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 80% and peaks near 87% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
173
273
374
474
575
675
775
876
976
1076
1177
1277
1378
1478
1579
1680
1780
1881
1982
2083
2183
2284
2385
2485
2585
2686
2786
2887
2987
3087
3187

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 82% 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
6793
7892
8892
9991
101090
111090
121189
131288
141288
151387
161486
171585
181783
191882
201981
212179
222377
232575
242773
252971
263169
273367
283565
293763
303961
314159

Wind in May

Winds average 11 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112calm
212calm
312calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

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 6:40 AM to 6:37 AM, and sunset from 6:54 PM to 6:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.26:406:54
212.26:406:54
312.26:396:54
412.26:396:54
512.26:396:54
612.36:396:54
712.36:386:54
812.36:386:54
912.36:386:54
1012.36:386:54
1112.36:386:54
1212.36:386:54
1312.36:376:54
1412.36:376:54
1512.36:376:55
1612.36:376:55
1712.36:376:55
1812.36:376:55
1912.36:376:55
2012.36:376:55
2112.36:376:55
2212.36:376:56
2312.36:366:56
2412.36:366:56
2512.36:366:56
2612.36:366:56
2712.36:366:57
2812.36:366:57
2912.36:366:57
3012.36:376:57
3112.36:376:57

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.71 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.04 kWh/m² to a high of 5.41 kWh/m² in February across the year — May's 4.71 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
55.0Bright
64.9Bright
74.9Bright
84.9Bright
94.9Bright
104.9Bright
114.8Bright
124.8Bright
134.8Bright
144.8Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.6Bright
224.6Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Porto-Novo

In seasonPeak

None of Porto-Novo's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Porto-Novo sees seasonal dust haze (January–April), heaviest in February.

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

Is May a good time to visit Porto-Novo?

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

3.3
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
4.4
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Porto-Novo.

What to pack for Porto-Novo in May

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

In May, Porto-Novo sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 25 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Porto-Novo 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 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 Porto-Novo 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 Porto-Novo peaks around April 10 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 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 19UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb10Very high
Mar12Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec8Very high

Air quality in Porto-Novo 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 Porto-Novo is worst in January — around 102 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 4.2× the cleanest month (August, 25 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorModeratePoorUnhealthyJan 16100 µg/m³Aug 1425 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan102Unhealthy
Feb86Unhealthy
Mar47Poor
Apr44Poor
May33Moderate
Jun30Moderate
Jul27Moderate
Aug25Moderate
Sep29Moderate
Oct39Poor
Nov46Poor
Dec89Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Porto-Novo?

Porto-Novo sits at 6.5°N, 2.6°E, 20 m above sea level, in Benin. The nearest listed city is Missérété, 7.0 km away.

Topography around Porto-Novo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Porto-Novo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 31 m around an average of 17 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 65 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 171 m.

The land around Porto-Novo is covered by artificial surfaces (73%) within 3 km, trees (36%) and wetland (21%) within 16 km, and trees (36%) and water (31%) within 80 km.

3 km
31 m
16 km
65 m
80 km
171 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Missérété 7.0 km · Adjarra 8.0 km · Avrankou 8.0 km · Ekpé 14 km · Semi 15 km · Banigbé 20 km · Ganvié 24 km · Cotonou 25 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 Porto-Novo (6.4965°, 2.6036°, elevation 20 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).