El Retén weather in May

In May, El Retén sees average daytime highs of 34°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 160 mm of rain across 19.9 wet days and about 12.5 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 34°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is El Retén's 12th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see El Retén's year-round climate.

Daytime high
34°
7th warmest
Overnight low
25°
11th coldest
Rainfall
160 mm
19.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 30 min
5:39 AM – 6:08 PM
Cloud cover
89%
12th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.3
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 34°C through the month.

A typical May day in El Retén reaches about 34°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 31°C and 37°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and on par with June.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13425
23425
33425
43425
53425
63425
73425
83425
93425
103425
113425
123425
133425
143425
153425
163425
173425
183325
193325
203325
213325
223325
233325
243325
253325
263325
273325
283325
293325
303325
313325

How May really feels in El Retén

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
31 feel dangerously hot (≥ 39°C)
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.

El Retén weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan35° / 23°71.511.43.4
Feb36° / 24°71.611.62.6
Mar36° / 25°224.811.92.3
Apr35° / 25°7313.812.22.2
May34° / 25°16019.912.52.3
Jun33° / 25°8113.812.62.7
Jul35° / 25°508.312.62.6
Aug35° / 25°691212.32.4
Sep33° / 24°1311912.12.5
Oct32° / 24°24222.711.82.7
Nov32° / 23°17217.111.53.3
Dec33° / 23°345.811.43.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 5% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 92%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11090
21090
3991
4991
5892
6892
7991
8991
9991
10892
11892
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18793
19793
20793
21793
22793
23793
24793
25892
26991
27991
28991
291090
301090
311189

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

El Retén gets around 160 mm of rain over 19.9 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 63% and peaks near 66% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
162
262
362
462
562
661
761
861
961
1061
1162
1262
1362
1463
1563
1663
1764
1864
1965
2065
2166
2266
2366
2466
2566
2665
2765
2864
2963
3061
3160

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the miserable band about 77% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
113762
213564
313465
403268
503070
602971
702773
802674
902575
1002476
1102377
1202278
1302179
1402080
1502080
1601981
1701981
1801981
1901882
2001882
2101882
2201882
2301882
2401882
2501882
2601882
2701882
2801882
2901882
3001882
3101882

Wind in May

Winds average 5 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:43 AM to 5:37 AM, and sunset from 6:05 PM to 6:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.45:436:05
212.45:436:06
312.45:426:06
412.45:426:06
512.45:426:06
612.45:416:06
712.45:416:06
812.45:416:06
912.45:406:07
1012.45:406:07
1112.45:406:07
1212.55:406:07
1312.55:396:07
1412.55:396:07
1512.55:396:08
1612.55:396:08
1712.55:396:08
1812.55:386:08
1912.55:386:09
2012.55:386:09
2112.55:386:09
2212.55:386:09
2312.55:386:09
2412.55:386:10
2512.55:386:10
2612.55:376:10
2712.65:376:11
2812.65:376:11
2912.65:376:11
3012.65:376:11
3112.65:376:12

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.49 kWh/m² to a high of 5.95 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 5 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.1Bright
35.1Bright
45.1Bright
55.1Bright
65.1Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
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
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for El Retén

In seasonPeak

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

El Retén's rainy season runs September–November, 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 El Retén?

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

2.3
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
4.5
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in El Retén.

What to pack for El Retén in May

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

In May, El Retén sees daytime highs around 34°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 20 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near El Retén in May

The nearest coast averages about 28°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 32 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 26°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb26Warm
Mar26Warm
Apr27Warm
May28Warm
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in El Retén 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 El Retén peaks around June 15 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highJun 15UV 13Dec 13UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in El Retén 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 El Retén is worst in March — around 51 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.8× the cleanest month (December, 14 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMar 1748 µg/m³Dec 1114 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb26Moderate
Mar51Poor
Apr29Moderate
May25Moderate
Jun24Moderate
Jul24Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep17Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov14Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is El Retén?

El Retén sits at 10.6°N, 74.3°W, 24 m above sea level, in Colombia. The nearest listed city is Aracataca, 9.0 km away.

Topography around El Retén

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around El Retén has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 23 m around an average of 27 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 115 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,613 m.

The land around El Retén is covered by trees (75%) and grassland (20%) within 3 km, grassland (54%) and trees (41%) within 16 km, and trees (41%) and grassland (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
23 m
16 km
115 m
80 km
5,613 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
May weather nearby: Aracataca 9.0 km · Fundación 14 km · Pivijay 42 km · Puebloviejo 43 km · Ciénaga 44 km · Ariguaní 50 km · Sitionuevo 53 km · Ponedera 53 km

Colombia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 / 240 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 38% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$8,562
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
74%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
24.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
15.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 480
Religion
Roman Catholic 64%Protestant 17%none 14%atheist 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 El Retén (10.6113°, -74.2682°, elevation 24 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).