Bujumbura weather in May

In May, Bujumbura sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 53 mm of rain across 5.2 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 25°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

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 Bujumbura's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bujumbura's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
9th warmest
Overnight low
23°
8th coldest
Rainfall
53 mm
5.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
6:03 AM – 5:54 PM
Cloud cover
71%
5th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
4.57 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Bujumbura is former capital of Burundi.

Density
8,890/km²
people per km²
Founded
1897

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 25°C through the month.

A typical May day in Bujumbura reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12523
22523
32523
42523
52523
62523
72523
82523
92523
102523
112523
122523
132523
142523
152523
162523
172523
182523
192523
202523
212523
222523
232523
242523
252523
262523
272523
282523
292523
302523
312523

Bujumbura weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 9th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 22°1461212.26.0
Feb26° / 23°928.612.16.3
Mar26° / 23°827.9126.5
Apr25° / 23°1168.811.96.3
May25° / 23°535.211.87.3
Jun25° / 23°132.111.88.0
Jul24° / 22°40.811.88.4
Aug25° / 23°41.111.98.2
Sep26° / 23°71.2127.8
Oct26° / 23°284.412.17.0
Nov25° / 23°606.812.26.6
Dec25° / 22°15610.612.26.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% 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 69%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11585
21684
31684
41783
51882
61981
71981
82179
92179
102377
112476
122575
132773
142872
152971
163268
173367
183367
193565
203664
213862
224060
234060
244258
254357
264456
274555
284654
294654
304654
314753

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Bujumbura gets around 53 mm of rain over 5.2 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 16% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
229
328
428
527
626
725
824
922
1021
1120
1219
1318
1417
1516
1615
1714
1813
1912
2012
2111
2210
2310
249
258
268
278
287
297
307
318

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the humid band about 63% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
129638
228657
328666
428666
527685
627685
727694
827694
927703
1028693
1128702
1229692
1330682
1430691
1531681
1632671
1733661
1835641
1936631
2037621
2138620
2239610
2340600
2441590
2542580
2643570
2744560
2845550
2945550
3045550
3146540

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
110calm
210calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1712calm
1812calm
1912calm
2012calm
2112calm
2212calm
2312calm
2412calm
2512calm
2612calm
2712calm
2812calm
2912calm
3012calm
3112calm

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 6:03 AM to 6:05 AM, and sunset from 5:56 PM to 5:55 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.96:035:56
211.96:035:56
311.96:035:56
411.96:035:56
511.96:035:55
611.96:035:55
711.96:035:55
811.96:035:55
911.96:035:55
1011.96:035:55
1111.96:035:55
1211.96:035:55
1311.96:035:54
1411.96:035:54
1511.86:035:54
1611.86:035:54
1711.86:035:54
1811.86:045:54
1911.86:045:54
2011.86:045:54
2111.86:045:54
2211.86:045:54
2311.86:045:54
2411.86:045:54
2511.86:045:54
2611.86:055:54
2711.86:055:54
2811.86:055:54
2911.86:055:54
3011.86:055:54
3111.86:055:55

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.57 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.25 kWh/m² to a high of 5.27 kWh/m² in September across the year — May's 4.57 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.5Bright
124.5Bright
134.5Bright
144.5Bright
154.5Bright
164.6Bright
174.6Bright
184.6Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.7Bright
254.8Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Bujumbura

In seasonPeak

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

Bujumbura's rainy season runs December–April, 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 Bujumbura?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Bujumbura for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Bujumbura in May

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

In May, Bujumbura sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 23°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Bujumbura in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bujumbura peaks around March 20 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highVery highExtremeMar 20UV 16Jun 21UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Bujumbura 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 Bujumbura is worst in August — around 59 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 3.0× the cleanest month (April, 19 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyPoorModerateAug 2158 µg/m³Apr 1720 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan28Moderate
Feb28Moderate
Mar24Moderate
Apr19Moderate
May23Moderate
Jun33Moderate
Jul42Poor
Aug59Unhealthy
Sep54Poor
Oct33Moderate
Nov24Moderate
Dec23Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Bujumbura?

Bujumbura sits at 3.4°S, 29.4°E, 807 m above sea level, in Burundi. The nearest listed city is Gatumba, 13 km away.

GatumbaMpandaUviraBubanzaKayanzaCibitokeGitegaRumonge

Topography around Bujumbura

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Bujumbura has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 218 m around an average of 807 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,558 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,681 m.

The land around Bujumbura is covered by artificial surfaces (62%) within 3 km, grassland (28%) and water (26%) within 16 km, and grassland (39%) and trees (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
218 m
16 km
1,558 m
80 km
2,681 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Gatumba 13 km · Mpanda 24 km · Uvira 25 km · Bubanza 34 km · Kayanza 59 km · Cibitoke 61 km · Gitega 63 km · Rumonge 66 km

Burundi travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$234
2025
Happiness
3.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2020
Homicide rate
5.6
per 100k, 2016
Road deaths
35.5
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
Religion
Christian 94%Muslim 3%other 1%none 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 Bujumbura (-3.3819°, 29.3614°, elevation 807 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).