Santa Cruz weather in May

In May, Santa Cruz sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 61 mm of rain across 10.4 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 27°C in the first days to 24°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of May to 11 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Santa Cruz's 6th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Cruz's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
10th warmest
Overnight low
18°
4th coldest
Rainfall
61 mm
10.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
6:34 AM – 5:44 PM
Cloud cover
65%
6th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Santa Cruz is city in eastern Bolivia.

Density
3,423/km²
people per km²
Founded
1561

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 27°C in the first days to 24°C by the end.

A typical May day in Santa Cruz reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12719
22719
32719
42719
52719
62719
72719
82718
92618
102618
112618
122618
132618
142618
152618
162618
172518
182518
192518
202518
212517
222517
232517
242517
252517
262517
272417
282417
292417
302417
312417

How May really feels in Santa Cruz

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 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
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Santa Cruz weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 22°17218.112.93.8
Feb30° / 22°13916.712.64.0
Mar30° / 22°11814.612.14.4
Apr29° / 20°6510.711.65.6
May26° / 18°6110.411.26.6
Jun24° / 17°538.9117.0
Jul25° / 16°446.1117.6
Aug28° / 18°445.311.47.1
Sep30° / 20°66711.95.5
Oct31° / 21°8510.512.44.5
Nov31° / 22°11813.112.84.2
Dec30° / 22°16517.8133.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 60%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14456
24456
34555
44456
54357
64357
74357
84159
94060
104060
113961
124060
133961
143961
153961
163961
173961
183961
193961
203961
213961
223961
233961
244060
254060
264060
274060
284060
294159
304159
314159

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Santa Cruz gets around 61 mm of rain over 10.4 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 33% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
233
332
432
532
632
732
832
932
1032
1132
1232
1332
1432
1533
1633
1734
1834
1934
2035
2135
2235
2335
2435
2535
2635
2735
2834
2934
3033
3133

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 26% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 46% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1149192830
21510192729
31510202728
41611202727
51611202726
61712202725
71712202724
81712202723
91813202722
101813202722
111814202721
121914202720
131914202720
141915192719
152015192719
162015192719
172116182619
182116182619
192216172619
202317172618
212317172518
222417172517
232418172517
242518172416
252518172416
262518172415
272618182415
282618182414
292618182414
302618192413
312618192512

Wind in May

Winds average 14 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of May to 11 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:29 AM to 6:39 AM, and sunset from 5:51 PM to 5:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.46:295:51
211.46:295:50
311.36:305:50
411.36:305:49
511.36:305:49
611.36:315:48
711.36:315:48
811.36:315:47
911.36:325:47
1011.26:325:46
1111.26:325:46
1211.26:335:45
1311.26:335:45
1411.26:335:45
1511.26:345:44
1611.26:345:44
1711.26:345:44
1811.16:355:43
1911.16:355:43
2011.16:355:43
2111.16:365:43
2211.16:365:42
2311.16:375:42
2411.16:375:42
2511.16:375:42
2611.16:385:41
2711.16:385:41
2811.06:385:41
2911.06:395:41
3011.06:395:41
3111.06:395:41

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.39 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.16 kWh/m² to a high of 5.78 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 3.39 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Moderate
23.9Moderate
33.9Moderate
43.9Moderate
53.8Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.6Moderate
113.6Moderate
123.5Moderate
133.5Moderate
143.5Moderate
153.4Moderate
163.4Moderate
173.3Moderate
183.3Moderate
193.3Moderate
203.2Moderate
213.2Moderate
223.2Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.1Moderate
253.1Moderate
263.1Moderate
273.1Moderate
283.1Moderate
293.1Moderate
303.1Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Santa Cruz

In seasonPeak

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

Santa Cruz's rainy season runs October–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Santa Cruz?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.2
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Santa Cruz for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Santa Cruz in May

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

In May, Santa Cruz sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 18°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

UV index in Santa Cruz in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Santa Cruz peaks around January 18 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 14 at about 7 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highVery highExtremeJan 18UV 15Jul 14UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul7High
Aug8Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct8Very high
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz is worst in September — around 37 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.8× the cleanest month (May, 8 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateSep 1935 µg/m³May 138 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb11Good
Mar10Good
Apr8Good
May8Good
Jun9Good
Jul11Good
Aug21Moderate
Sep37Poor
Oct29Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz sits at 17.8°S, 63.2°W, 433 m above sea level, in Bolivia. The nearest listed city is Cotoca, 14 km away.

Ascención de GuarayosMizqueCamiri

Topography around Santa Cruz

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Santa Cruz has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 29 m around an average of 414 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 171 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,022 m.

The land around Santa Cruz is covered by artificial surfaces (89%) within 3 km, trees (36%), grassland (29%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 16 km, and trees (47%), grassland (25%) and cropland (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
29 m
16 km
171 m
80 km
2,022 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Cotoca 14 km · Warnes 30 km · El Torno 32 km · Montero 50 km · Villa Yapacaní 81 km · Ascención de Guarayos 211 km · Mizque 229 km · Camiri 253 km

Bolivia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B / C
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 40% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,148
2025
Happiness
5.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.4
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
21.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 521
Religion
Roman Catholic 65%Protestant 20%none 6%other 5%

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 Santa Cruz (-17.7863°, -63.1812°, elevation 433 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. 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).