Sobral weather in May

In May, Sobral sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 82 mm of rain across 13.1 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 54 min at the start of May to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Sobral's 8th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sobral's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
10th warmest
Overnight low
23°
4th coldest
Rainfall
82 mm
13.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
5:43 AM – 5:33 PM
Cloud cover
61%
8th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.99 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.0
out of 10

Sobral is human settlement in Brazil.

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 31°C through the month.

A typical May day in Sobral reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 34°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)
13123
23123
33123
43123
53123
63123
73123
83123
93123
103123
113123
123123
133123
143123
153123
163123
173123
183123
193123
203123
213123
223223
233223
243223
253223
263223
273223
283223
293223
303223
313223

How May really feels in Sobral

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.

Sobral weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 10th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan33° / 24°9515.512.23.0
Feb32° / 24°12218.612.13.1
Mar31° / 23°17723.7123.0
Apr31° / 23°18722.211.93.2
May31° / 23°8213.111.84.0
Jun32° / 23°225.211.84.5
Jul33° / 23°142.511.84.5
Aug34° / 23°40.511.94.0
Sep35° / 24°10.2123.4
Oct35° / 24°30.512.13.0
Nov35° / 24°50.712.23.0
Dec34° / 24°224.712.23.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 25% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13367
23664
33763
43862
54060
64060
74258
84456
94555
104654
114753
124753
134852
144852
154951
165149
175248
185248
195347
205446
215545
225644
235644
245743
255842
265941
276040
286139
296238
306436
316436

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Sobral gets around 82 mm of rain over 13.1 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 42% and peaks near 62% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
162
260
359
457
555
653
751
849
947
1046
1144
1243
1342
1441
1541
1640
1740
1839
1939
2038
2137
2237
2336
2435
2535
2634
2733
2832
2931
3029
3128

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 88% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
103943
203943
303943
404933
504933
604933
705923
805932
905932
1006922
1106922
1206922
1307912
1407912
1507912
1608902
1708902
1809892
1909892
20010882
21010882
22011872
23012871
24013861
25014851
26016831
27017821
28118801
29120781
30122770
31123760

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min at the start of May to 11 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:42 AM to 5:45 AM, and sunset from 5:35 PM to 5:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.95:425:35
211.95:425:35
311.95:425:34
411.95:425:34
511.95:425:34
611.95:425:34
711.95:425:34
811.95:425:33
911.95:425:33
1011.85:425:33
1111.85:425:33
1211.85:425:33
1311.85:425:33
1411.85:435:33
1511.85:435:33
1611.85:435:33
1711.85:435:33
1811.85:435:33
1911.85:435:33
2011.85:435:32
2111.85:435:32
2211.85:435:32
2311.85:435:32
2411.85:445:33
2511.85:445:33
2611.85:445:33
2711.85:445:33
2811.85:445:33
2911.85:445:33
3011.85:445:33
3111.85:455:33

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.99 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.85 kWh/m² to a high of 6.89 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 4.99 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.9Bright
34.9Bright
44.9Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
74.9Bright
84.9Bright
95.0Bright
105.0Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
165.0Bright
175.0Bright
185.0Bright
195.0Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
245.0Bright
255.0Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Sobral

In seasonPeak

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

Sobral's monsoon runs January–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Sobral?

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

4.0
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
6.1
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Sobral in May

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

In May, Sobral sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Sobral 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 Sobral peaks around March 16 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 16UV 15Jun 22UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Sobral 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 Sobral is worst in December — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.0× the cleanest month (July, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateDec 1017 µg/m³Jul 216 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr12Good
May10Good
Jun7Good
Jul6Good
Aug6Good
Sep7Good
Oct10Good
Nov17Moderate
Dec17Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sobral?

Sobral sits at 3.7°S, 40.3°W, 75 m above sea level, in Brazil. The nearest listed city is Forquilha, 16 km away.

Topography around Sobral

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sobral has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 49 m around an average of 70 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 952 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,007 m.

The land around Sobral is covered by artificial surfaces (42%) and grassland (28%) within 3 km, shrubs (51%), grassland (23%) and trees (22%) within 16 km, and shrubs (57%), grassland (22%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
49 m
16 km
952 m
80 km
1,007 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Forquilha 16 km · Massapê 18 km · Meruoca 20 km · Santana do Acaraú 29 km · Cariré 32 km · Coreaú 37 km · Frecheirinha 52 km · Morrinhos 57 km

Brazil travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / N
127 / 220 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 46% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$10,713
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
89%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
19.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
16
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 482
Religion
Roman Catholic 57%Evangelical 27%none 9%other 4%

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 Sobral (-3.6861°, -40.3497°, elevation 75 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).