Kipushi weather in May

In May, Kipushi sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 3 mm of rain across 0.8 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 9th-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 56% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of May to 11 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Kipushi's 5th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kipushi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
5th warmest
Overnight low
15°
4th coldest
Rainfall
3 mm
0.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:23 AM – 5:51 PM
Cloud cover
37%
5th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
5.62 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.4
out of 10

Kipushi is localite, capital of the territory of the Haut-Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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 Kipushi reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 1°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12716
22716
32715
42715
52715
62715
72715
82715
92715
102715
112715
122715
132715
142715
152715
162615
172615
182615
192615
202615
212614
222614
232614
242614
252614
262614
272614
282614
292614
302614
312614

Kipushi weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 17°29028.812.63.7
Feb26° / 17°23624.912.43.9
Mar26° / 17°20224.412.14.5
Apr26° / 16°45811.76.9
May26° / 15°30.811.58.4
Jun25° / 12°0011.39.2
Jul25° / 12°0011.49.3
Aug28° / 14°0011.68.3
Sep30° / 17°30.811.96.2
Oct31° / 19°315.612.35.1
Nov28° / 18°15220.512.54.3
Dec26° / 17°25528.512.73.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 25% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 20%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17228
27327
37426
47525
57624
67723
77822
87921
98020
108020
118119
128020
138119
148119
158119
168119
178119
188218
198218
208218
218218
228218
238317
248317
258317
268317
278317
288317
298416
308416
318416

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Kipushi gets around 3 mm of rain over 0.8 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 2% and peaks near 5% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
15
25
34
44
54
64
74
83
93
103
113
123
132
142
152
162
172
182
192
202
212
222
232
241
251
261
271
281
291
301
311

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 79% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1513613
2533512
3563311
4593110
562299
664288
767267
870246
972235
1074215
1176204
1278193
1380173
1482162
1583152
1684151
1785141
1886131
1986131
2087121
2189110
2289110
2390100
2490100
259190
269190
279280
289280
299370
309460
319460

Wind in May

Winds average 10 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 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
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of May to 11 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:21 AM to 6:27 AM, and sunset from 5:56 PM to 5:49 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:215:56
211.66:215:55
311.66:215:55
411.66:215:55
511.66:215:54
611.56:215:54
711.56:225:54
811.56:225:53
911.56:225:53
1011.56:225:53
1111.56:225:52
1211.56:235:52
1311.56:235:52
1411.56:235:52
1511.56:235:51
1611.56:235:51
1711.56:245:51
1811.46:245:51
1911.46:245:50
2011.46:245:50
2111.46:255:50
2211.46:255:50
2311.46:255:50
2411.46:255:50
2511.46:265:50
2611.46:265:50
2711.46:265:50
2811.46:275:49
2911.46:275:49
3011.46:275:49
3111.46:275:49

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.62 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.08 kWh/m² to a high of 6.91 kWh/m² in September across the year — May's 5.62 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Kipushi

In seasonPeak

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

Kipushi's monsoon runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Kipushi?

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

8.4
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
8.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Kipushi in May

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

In May, Kipushi sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Kipushi 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 Kipushi peaks around January 21 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 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 highExtremeJan 21UV 16Jun 18UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May10Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Kipushi 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 Kipushi is worst in August — around 83 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 7.3× the cleanest month (April, 11 µg/m³).

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

0306090JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateUnhealthyPoorModerateAug 1481 µg/m³Apr 1411 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun34Moderate
Jul68Unhealthy
Aug83Unhealthy
Sep57Unhealthy
Oct37Poor
Nov16Moderate
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kipushi?

Kipushi sits at 11.8°S, 27.3°E, 1,348 m above sea level, in Democratic Republic of the Congo. The nearest listed city is Lubumbashi, 27 km away.

KamboveChambishi

Topography around Kipushi

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kipushi has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 98 m around an average of 1,331 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 210 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 445 m.

The land around Kipushi is covered by cropland (36%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 3 km, grassland (49%) within 16 km, and trees (56%) and grassland (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
98 m
16 km
210 m
80 km
445 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwetland
May weather nearby: Lubumbashi 27 km · Chililabombwe 91 km · Kansanshi 97 km · Likasi 103 km · Solwezi 104 km · Chingola 110 km · Kambove 122 km · Chambishi 130 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 Kipushi (-11.761°, 27.2513°, elevation 1,348 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).