Kalemie weather in May

In May, Kalemie sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 61 mm of rain across 10.1 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 min at the start of May to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Kalemie's 5th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kalemie's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
7th warmest
Overnight low
24°
11th coldest
Rainfall
61 mm
10.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:08 AM – 5:51 PM
Cloud cover
49%
5th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
5.68 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Kalemie is ville de la République démocratique du Congo.

Founded
1891

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 26°C through the month.

A typical May day in Kalemie reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 27°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)
12623
22623
32623
42623
52623
62623
72623
82623
92623
102623
112623
122623
132623
142624
152624
162624
172624
182624
192624
202624
212624
222624
232624
242624
252624
262624
272624
282624
292624
302624
312624

Kalemie weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 23°10821.712.34.6
Feb27° / 23°9117.412.24.9
Mar26° / 23°14822.7124.5
Apr26° / 23°18023.211.94.5
May26° / 24°6110.111.76.9
Jun26° / 23°20.711.78.6
Jul26° / 23°10.211.78.9
Aug27° / 23°30.611.88.5
Sep28° / 24°112.7127.3
Oct28° / 23°5810.412.16.0
Nov26° / 23°11118.112.35.0
Dec26° / 22°12323.312.34.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 40%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14159
24357
34456
44555
54753
64852
75050
85149
95248
105545
115644
125743
135842
146040
156139
166238
176337
186436
196535
206634
216634
226733
236832
246931
257030
267129
277228
287228
297426
307426
317426

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Kalemie gets around 61 mm of rain over 10.1 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 33% and peaks near 59% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
159
257
355
453
552
650
748
846
944
1042
1141
1239
1337
1435
1533
1631
1730
1828
1927
2025
2123
2222
2320
2419
2517
2616
2714
2813
2912
3011
3110

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 72% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 74% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
104915
205905
306895
407894
508884
609874
7011854
8012844
9013843
10015823
11017803
12018793
13020773
14022762
15024742
16025732
17027712
18028711
19030691
20031681
21033661
22034651
23036631
24137611
25139600
26141580
27243550
28245530
29247510
30349480
31351460

Wind in May

Winds average 9 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
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 min at the start of May to 11 h 42 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 6:07 AM to 6:10 AM, and sunset from 5:54 PM to 5:51 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.86:075:54
211.86:075:54
311.86:075:54
411.86:075:53
511.86:075:53
611.86:075:53
711.86:075:53
811.86:075:53
911.86:075:52
1011.86:075:52
1111.76:075:52
1211.76:075:52
1311.76:075:52
1411.76:075:52
1511.76:075:51
1611.76:085:51
1711.76:085:51
1811.76:085:51
1911.76:085:51
2011.76:085:51
2111.76:085:51
2211.76:085:51
2311.76:095:51
2411.76:095:51
2511.76:095:51
2611.76:095:51
2711.76:095:51
2811.76:105:51
2911.76:105:51
3011.76:105:51
3111.76:105:51

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.68 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.02 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in September across the year — May's 5.68 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.6Bright
95.6Bright
105.6Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Kalemie

In seasonPeak

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

Kalemie's rainy season runs November–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 Kalemie?

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

6.9
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Kalemie in May

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

In May, Kalemie sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 24°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Kalemie 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 Kalemie peaks around March 15 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near August 15 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 15UV 15Aug 15UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Kalemie 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 Kalemie is worst in September — around 54 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 7.2× the cleanest month (April, 8 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodSep 954 µg/m³Apr 118 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan14Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar10Good
Apr8Good
May17Moderate
Jun42Poor
Jul45Poor
Aug54Poor
Sep54Poor
Oct20Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kalemie?

Kalemie sits at 5.9°S, 29.2°E, 787 m above sea level, in Democratic Republic of the Congo. The nearest listed city is Kalima, 120 km away.

KalimaKigomaNyunzuMwandigaBaudhuinvilleUvinzaKasuluPepa

Topography around Kalemie

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kalemie has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 147 m around an average of 795 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 569 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,739 m.

The land around Kalemie is covered by water (47%), artificial surfaces (25%) and grassland (22%) within 3 km, grassland (51%) and water (39%) within 16 km, and trees (38%), water (37%) and grassland (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
147 m
16 km
569 m
80 km
1,739 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Kalima 120 km · Kigoma 128 km · Nyunzu 130 km · Mwandiga 134 km · Baudhuinville 140 km · Uvinza 162 km · Kasulu 183 km · Pepa 205 km

Democratic Republic of the Congo travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 42% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$807
2025
Happiness
3.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
12%
of population, 2024
Road deaths
34.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 400

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 Kalemie (-5.9475°, 29.1947°, elevation 787 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).