Machala weather in May

In May, Machala sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 154 mm of rain across 22.5 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-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 0% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 54 min at the start of May to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Machala's 5th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Machala's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
5th warmest
Overnight low
23°
8th coldest
Rainfall
154 mm
22.5 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:21 AM – 6:12 PM
Cloud cover
81%
5th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.76 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.5
out of 10

Machala is city in Ecuador, capital of the El Oro Province.

Density
4,825/km²
people per km²
Founded
1573

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 Machala reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°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 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12724
22724
32724
42724
52724
62724
72724
82724
92724
102724
112723
122723
132723
142723
152723
162723
172623
182623
192623
202623
212623
222623
232623
242623
252623
262623
272623
282623
292623
302623
312623

Machala weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 23°20024.712.24.2
Feb27° / 24°27723.512.13.9
Mar27° / 24°35024.7124.0
Apr27° / 24°21122.911.94.2
May26° / 23°15422.511.94.5
Jun25° / 22°7017.111.85.4
Jul24° / 21°4111.711.86.4
Aug24° / 21°288.711.96.8
Sep24° / 21°379.9126.5
Oct24° / 21°5516.912.15.5
Nov24° / 21°721712.15.4
Dec26° / 22°12321.112.24.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 0% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 93%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1892
2892
3892
4991
5991
6991
71090
81090
91090
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16892
17892
18892
19793
20793
21694
22694
23694
24595
25595
26595
27595
28595
29595
30595
31694

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Machala gets around 154 mm of rain over 22.5 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 72% and peaks near 77% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
177
277
377
477
577
676
776
876
976
1075
1175
1274
1374
1474
1573
1673
1773
1872
1972
2071
2171
2270
2370
2469
2569
2668
2768
2867
2967
3066
3165

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 90% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
12944
22944
32944
41954
51954
61954
71945
81945
91945
101945
111936
121936
131936
142926
152926
163916
174906
185905
195905
206895
217894
229874
2310873
2411863
2512862
2613852
2714842
2816831
2917821
3018811
3120791

Wind in May

Winds average 7 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
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min at the start of May to 11 h 48 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 6:20 AM to 6:22 AM, and sunset from 6:14 PM to 6:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.96:206:14
211.96:206:13
311.96:206:13
411.96:206:13
511.96:206:13
611.96:206:13
711.96:206:13
811.96:206:12
911.96:206:12
1011.96:206:12
1111.96:206:12
1211.96:206:12
1311.96:206:12
1411.96:206:12
1511.96:206:12
1611.96:216:12
1711.96:216:12
1811.86:216:12
1911.86:216:12
2011.86:216:12
2111.86:216:12
2211.86:216:12
2311.86:216:12
2411.86:216:12
2511.86:216:12
2611.86:226:12
2711.86:226:12
2811.86:226:12
2911.86:226:12
3011.86:226:12
3111.86:226:12

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.76 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.73 kWh/m² to a high of 5.65 kWh/m² in September across the year — May's 4.76 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.9Bright
24.9Bright
34.9Bright
44.9Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
74.9Bright
84.9Bright
94.8Bright
104.8Bright
114.8Bright
124.8Bright
134.8Bright
144.8Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.8Bright
184.7Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.7Bright
254.7Bright
264.7Bright
274.7Bright
284.7Bright
294.7Bright
304.7Bright
314.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Machala

In seasonPeak

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

Machala's monsoon runs January–April, 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 Machala?

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

4.5
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
4.5
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Machala for sightseeing.

What to pack for Machala in May

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

In May, Machala sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 23°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 23 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Machala in May

The nearest coast averages about 26°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 18 km away) is warmest in March at about 27°C and coldest in September near 23°C.

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

22°24°26°28°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr26Warm
May26Warm
Jun25Warm
Jul24Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep23Refreshing
Oct24Refreshing
Nov24Refreshing
Dec25Warm

UV index in Machala 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 Machala peaks around March 10 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 14 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 10UV 15Jul 14UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Machala?

Machala sits at 3.3°S, 80.0°W, 16 m above sea level, in Ecuador. The nearest listed city is Guabo, 15 km away.

Topography around Machala

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Machala has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 18 m around an average of 7 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 97 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,137 m.

The land around Machala is covered by artificial surfaces (64%) within 3 km, water (46%) and trees (31%) within 16 km, and trees (35%), water (34%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
18 m
16 km
97 m
80 km
4,137 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
May weather nearby: Guabo 15 km · Pasaje 18 km · Santa Rosa 22 km · Arenillas 35 km · Huaquillas 39 km · Zarumilla 44 km · Piñas 56 km · Tumbes 63 km

Ecuador travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 43% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$7,125
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
70%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
45.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
20.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 466
Religion
Roman Catholic 68%Protestant 19%none 8%other 2%

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 Machala (-3.2589°, -79.9588°, elevation 16 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).