Antofagasta weather in May

In May, Antofagasta sees average daytime highs of 17°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 10 mm of rain across 3.9 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 17°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 06 min at the start of May to 10 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Antofagasta's 12th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Antofagasta's year-round climate.

Daytime high
17°
6th warmest
Overnight low
15°
7th coldest
Rainfall
10 mm
3.9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
8:12 AM – 7:04 PM
Cloud cover
43%
12th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.36 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Antofagasta is city in Antofagasta Region, Chile.

Air quality
Moderate
PM2.5 12 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
7,147/km²
people per km²
Founded
1868

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 17°C through the month.

A typical May day in Antofagasta reaches about 17°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 18°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

10°13°15°18°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11715
21715
31715
41715
51715
61715
71715
81715
91715
101715
111715
121715
131715
141715
151715
161715
171715
181715
191715
201715
211715
221715
231715
241715
251715
261615
271615
281615
291614
301614
311614

Antofagasta 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
Jan20° / 18°20.113.38.1
Feb20° / 18°20.512.88.2
Mar19° / 17°40.612.28.0
Apr18° / 16°92.811.57.1
May17° / 15°103.910.96.3
Jun16° / 14°13410.65.9
Jul15° / 13°103.810.75.6
Aug15° / 13°82.611.25.6
Sep15° / 13°51.811.95.8
Oct16° / 13°50.912.66.1
Nov17° / 15°40.713.16.8
Dec18° / 16°20.113.47.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17228
27228
37129
47129
57129
67030
77030
87030
97030
107030
117030
126931
136931
146931
156931
167030
177030
187030
197030
207129
217129
227129
237129
247129
257129
267129
277129
287129
297129
307129
317129

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Antofagasta gets around 10 mm of rain over 3.9 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 13% and peaks near 14% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
114
214
314
414
513
613
713
813
913
1013
1113
1213
1313
1413
1513
1613
1713
1813
1913
2013
2113
2213
2313
2413
2513
2612
2712
2812
2912
3012
3112

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the comfortable band about 85% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
107723
207822
307921
408020
508119
608218
708317
808317
918316
1018415
1118514
1218613
1318712
1428711
1528810
163889
173889
184888
195887
205887
216886
227876
237885
248875
258875
269874
2710864
2810864
2911854
3011854
3111854

Wind in May

Winds average 10 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 min at the start of May to 10 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 8:05 AM to 8:19 AM, and sunset from 7:13 PM to 6:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.18:057:13
211.18:057:12
311.18:067:11
411.18:067:11
511.18:077:10
611.08:077:09
711.08:087:09
811.08:087:08
911.08:097:07
1011.08:097:07
1110.98:107:06
1210.98:107:06
1310.98:117:05
1410.98:117:05
1510.98:117:04
1610.98:127:04
1710.88:127:03
1810.88:137:03
1910.88:137:02
2010.88:147:02
2110.88:147:02
2210.88:157:01
2310.88:157:01
2410.78:167:01
2510.78:167:00
2610.78:177:00
2710.78:177:00
2810.78:186:59
2910.78:186:59
3010.78:196:59
3110.78:196:59

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.36 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.95 kWh/m² to a high of 8.34 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 4.36 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.7Bright
24.7Bright
34.7Bright
44.7Bright
54.6Bright
64.6Bright
74.6Bright
84.5Bright
94.5Bright
104.5Bright
114.5Bright
124.4Bright
134.4Bright
144.4Bright
154.4Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.3Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.2Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.2Bright
284.1Bright
294.1Bright
304.1Bright
314.1Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Antofagasta?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
1.3
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Antofagasta for sightseeing.

What to pack for Antofagasta in May

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

In May, Antofagasta sees daytime highs around 17°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 4 days see rain.

a warm layer

Sea temperature near Antofagasta in May

The nearest coast averages about 17°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 January at about 20°C and coldest in August near 15°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jan 16 to Feb 17 — about 1.1 months when the water holds above 20°C.

14°16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Refreshing
Feb20Refreshing
Mar19Cool
Apr18Cool
May17Cool
Jun16Cool
Jul15Cool
Aug15Cool
Sep15Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov18Cool
Dec19Cool

UV index in Antofagasta in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Antofagasta peaks around February 10 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 10 at about 5 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeFeb 10UV 15Jul 10UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr9Very high
May7High
Jun6High
Jul5High
Aug8Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Antofagasta 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 Antofagasta is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (March, 7 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Antofagasta's WHO annual average of 12 µg/m³.

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1719 µg/m³Mar 127 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb8Good
Mar7Good
Apr10Good
May16Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov10Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Antofagasta?

Antofagasta sits at 23.7°S, 70.4°W, 276 m above sea level, in Chile. The nearest listed city is Tocopilla, 175 km away.

Alto HospicioCalderaPozo AlmonteIquiqueCopiapó

Topography around Antofagasta

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Antofagasta has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 487 m around an average of 103 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,138 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,608 m.

The land around Antofagasta is covered by water (40%), artificial surfaces (30%) and bare terrain (30%) within 3 km, bare terrain (54%) and water (42%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (68%) and water (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
487 m
16 km
1,138 m
80 km
2,608 m
artificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Tocopilla 175 km · Calama 201 km · San Pedro de Atacama 239 km · Alto Hospicio 377 km · Caldera 382 km · Pozo Almonte 383 km · Iquique 383 km · Copiapó 413 km

Chile travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F / L
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 48% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$17,995
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
6.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 517
Religion
Catholic 57%none 26%Evangelical or Protestant 16%other Christians and traditions related to Christ 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 Antofagasta (-23.6509°, -70.3975°, elevation 276 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).