Lubumbashi weather in May

In May, Lubumbashi sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 2 mm of rain across 0.6 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 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% 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 Lubumbashi's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lubumbashi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
5th warmest
Overnight low
15°
4th coldest
Rainfall
2 mm
0.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:22 AM – 5:50 PM
Cloud cover
34%
5th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.64 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.4
out of 10

Lubumbashi is second largest city in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Founded
1910

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 27°C through the month.

A typical May day in Lubumbashi reaches about 27°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 29°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
22715
32715
42715
52715
62715
72715
82715
92715
102715
112715
122715
132715
142715
152715
162715
172715
182714
192714
202714
212714
222714
232714
242714
252714
262714
272714
282714
292714
302714
312614

Lubumbashi 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
Jan26° / 18°25828.412.63.7
Feb26° / 18°21324.412.43.9
Mar26° / 17°17123.212.14.6
Apr27° / 16°367.111.77.0
May27° / 15°20.611.58.4
Jun26° / 12°0011.39.1
Jul25° / 12°0011.49.2
Aug28° / 14°0011.68.1
Sep31° / 17°30.711.96.0
Oct32° / 19°255.212.34.8
Nov29° / 18°13019.412.54.2
Dec26° / 18°22627.612.73.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 19%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27525
37624
47723
57723
67822
77921
88020
98020
108119
118119
128119
138218
148218
158218
168218
178218
188218
198218
208317
218317
228317
238416
248416
258416
268416
278515
288515
298515
308614
318614

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Lubumbashi gets around 2 mm of rain over 0.6 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 4% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
14
24
34
44
53
63
73
83
93
103
112
122
132
142
152
162
172
181
191
201
211
221
231
241
251
261
271
281
290
300
310

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 77% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1463915
2503714
3533512
4563311
5593110
662299
764288
867267
969256
1071236
1173225
1276204
1377194
1479183
1581172
1682162
1782162
1884151
1985141
2085141
2186131
2287130
2388120
2488120
2589110
2689110
2790100
289190
299190
309280
319370

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
19calm
29calm
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 6:20 AM to 6:26 AM, and sunset from 5:55 PM to 5:49 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:205:55
211.66:205:55
311.66:205:54
411.66:205:54
511.66:205:53
611.56:205:53
711.56:205:53
811.56:215:52
911.56:215:52
1011.56:215:52
1111.56:215:52
1211.56:215:51
1311.56:225:51
1411.56:225:51
1511.56:225:51
1611.56:225:50
1711.56:235:50
1811.56:235:50
1911.46:235:50
2011.46:235:50
2111.46:245:49
2211.46:245:49
2311.46:245:49
2411.46:245:49
2511.46:255:49
2611.46:255:49
2711.46:255:49
2811.46:255:49
2911.46:265:49
3011.46:265:49
3111.46:265:49

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.64 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.1 kWh/m² to a high of 6.94 kWh/m² in September across the year — May's 5.64 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
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 Lubumbashi

In seasonPeak

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

Lubumbashi'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 Lubumbashi?

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
8.4
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Lubumbashi in May

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

In May, Lubumbashi sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Lubumbashi 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 Lubumbashi peaks around March 12 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 highExtremeMar 12UV 16Jun 18UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May10Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Lubumbashi 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 Lubumbashi is worst in August — around 74 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.5× the cleanest month (April, 14 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyPoorModerateAug 1772 µg/m³Apr 1914 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun32Moderate
Jul55Unhealthy
Aug74Unhealthy
Sep57Unhealthy
Oct37Poor
Nov20Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Lubumbashi?

Lubumbashi sits at 11.7°S, 27.5°E, 1,260 m above sea level, in Democratic Republic of the Congo. The nearest listed city is Kipushi, 27 km away.

KansanshiChambishiMokamboMufulira

Topography around Lubumbashi

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Lubumbashi has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 85 m around an average of 1,240 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 239 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 431 m.

The land around Lubumbashi is covered by artificial surfaces (81%) within 3 km, grassland (31%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 16 km, and trees (54%) and grassland (31%) within 80 km.

3 km
85 m
16 km
239 m
80 km
431 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Kipushi 27 km · Chililabombwe 87 km · Chingola 106 km · Likasi 110 km · Kansanshi 124 km · Chambishi 125 km · Mokambo 127 km · Mufulira 129 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 Lubumbashi (-11.6609°, 27.4794°, elevation 1,260 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).