Zhangjiajie weather in May

In May, Zhangjiajie sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 247 mm of rain across 16.5 wet days and about 13.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 25°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 06 min at the start of May to 13 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Zhangjiajie's 7th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Zhangjiajie's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
5th warmest
Overnight low
17°
8th coldest
Rainfall
247 mm
16.5 wet days
Daylight
13 h 30 min
5:51 AM – 7:18 PM
Cloud cover
77%
7th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
4.17 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.6
out of 10

Zhangjiajie is prefecture-level city in Hunan, China.

Air quality
High
PM2.5 29 µg/m³ · 2018
Density
46/km²
people per km²

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 25°C by the end.

A typical May day in Zhangjiajie reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12215
22315
32315
42315
52316
62316
72316
82316
92316
102316
112316
122316
132316
142416
152417
162417
172417
182417
192417
202417
212417
222417
232517
242518
252518
262518
272518
282518
292518
302518
312519

How May really feels in Zhangjiajie

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.

Zhangjiajie weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 7110.54.510.30.7
Feb / 9611.32.5111.7
Mar14° / 15015.80.911.83.3
Apr20° / 12°22016.2012.75.0
May24° / 17°24716.5013.45.6
Jun27° / 20°29318.2013.85.0
Jul30° / 23°31719.9013.73.9
Aug29° / 22°16516.90134.4
Sep25° / 19°11111.3012.26.3
Oct20° / 14°11511.5011.36.0
Nov15° / 9210.40.210.54.2
Dec / 468.31.610.21.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 77%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12377
22377
32377
42377
52377
62278
72179
82278
92278
102278
112278
122278
132278
142278
152377
162377
172476
182476
192476
202575
212575
222575
232575
242575
252575
262575
272575
282575
292575
302575
312476

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Zhangjiajie gets around 247 mm of rain over 16.5 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 53% and peaks near 56% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
152
253
353
454
554
655
755
855
956
1056
1155
1255
1355
1454
1554
1654
1753
1853
1953
2052
2152
2252
2351
2451
2551
2651
2752
2852
2953
3053
3154

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 34% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 21% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1303324120
2283425120
3263526130
4243527130
5223628140
6203729141
7183829141
8173830141
9163930141
10153931141
11144031141
12134032141
13134032141
14124033142
15113933142
16103934152
17103834153
1893735163
1983636163
2083537174
2173338184
2263239194
2363039205
2452840216
2552641226
2642441247
2742142268
2831942279
29317422910
30215413111
31213413211

Wind in May

Winds average 6 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 06 min at the start of May to 13 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:02 AM to 5:44 AM, and sunset from 7:08 PM to 7:27 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.16:027:08
213.16:017:09
313.26:007:10
413.26:007:10
513.25:597:11
613.25:587:12
713.35:577:12
813.35:567:13
913.35:567:13
1013.35:557:14
1113.35:547:15
1213.45:537:15
1313.45:537:16
1413.45:527:17
1513.45:517:17
1613.55:517:18
1713.55:507:19
1813.55:507:19
1913.55:497:20
2013.55:497:20
2113.55:487:21
2213.65:487:22
2313.65:477:22
2413.65:477:23
2513.65:467:23
2613.65:467:24
2713.75:457:25
2813.75:457:25
2913.75:457:26
3013.75:447:26
3113.75:447:27

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.17 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.16 kWh/m² to a high of 4.73 kWh/m² in August across the year — May's 4.17 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.1Bright
24.1Bright
34.1Bright
44.1Bright
54.1Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.1Bright
104.1Bright
114.1Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.2Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.3Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Zhangjiajie

In seasonPeak

In May, Zhangjiajie sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Zhangjiajie's rainy season runs March–August, 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 Zhangjiajie?

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

5.6
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.7
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Zhangjiajie for sightseeing.

What to pack for Zhangjiajie in May

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

In May, Zhangjiajie sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 17°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes. About 17 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothes

UV index in Zhangjiajie in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Zhangjiajie peaks around July 13 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 11Jan 10UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb6High
Mar7High
Apr7High
May10Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct7High
Nov4Moderate
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Zhangjiajie 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 Zhangjiajie is worst in March — around 39 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.5× the cleanest month (July, 15 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Zhangjiajie's WHO annual average of 29 µg/m³.

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModerateMar 1438 µg/m³Jul 2116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan39Poor
Feb37Poor
Mar39Poor
Apr34Moderate
May31Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep22Moderate
Oct26Moderate
Nov31Moderate
Dec37Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Zhangjiajie?

Zhangjiajie sits at 29.1°N, 110.5°E, 174 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Fenghuang, 158 km away.

ChongqingWuhanGuilinGuiyangYangshuoXi'anSongyang

Topography around Zhangjiajie

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Zhangjiajie has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 380 m around an average of 228 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,365 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,831 m.

The land around Zhangjiajie is covered by trees (42%) and artificial surfaces (37%) within 3 km, trees (80%) within 16 km, and trees (94%) within 80 km.

3 km
380 m
16 km
1,365 m
80 km
1,831 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Fenghuang 158 km · Chongqing 383 km · Wuhan 399 km · Guilin 428 km · Guiyang 466 km · Yangshuo 484 km · Xi'an 589 km · Songyang 639 km

China travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / I
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 47% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$13,862
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.5
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
17.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 464
Religion
unaffiliated 52%folk religion 22%Buddhist 18%Christian 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 Zhangjiajie (29.1294°, 110.4783°, elevation 174 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).