Santa Tecla weather in May

In May, Santa Tecla sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 222 mm of rain across 24.9 wet days and about 12.6 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 32°C in the first days to 30°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 30 min at the start of May to 12 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Santa Tecla's 8th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Tecla's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
6th warmest
Overnight low
22°
12th coldest
Rainfall
222 mm
24.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 36 min
5:34 AM – 6:12 PM
Cloud cover
73%
8th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.48 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.9
out of 10

Santa Tecla is city in El Salvador.

Density
1,111/km²
people per km²
Founded
1854

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 32°C in the first days to 30°C by the end.

A typical May day in Santa Tecla reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13222
23222
33222
43222
53222
63222
73222
83222
93222
103222
113222
123222
133222
143122
153122
163122
173122
183122
193122
203122
213122
223122
233122
243022
253022
263022
273022
283022
293022
303022
313022

How May really feels in Santa Tecla

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
heat index over the day's high
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.

Santa Tecla weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 20°20.611.35.5
Feb33° / 20°20.511.54.9
Mar33° / 21°102.911.94.3
Apr33° / 22°5011.312.33.7
May31° / 22°22224.912.62.9
Jun30° / 22°24826.312.82.9
Jul31° / 22°18622.312.73.1
Aug31° / 22°2302612.52.9
Sep30° / 22°30328.412.12.8
Oct29° / 21°23223.311.73.6
Nov31° / 20°457.611.45.1
Dec31° / 20°71.411.25.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% 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 70%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25149
34951
44951
54753
64555
74456
84357
94159
103961
113763
123565
133367
143169
152971
162773
172575
182476
192278
202179
212080
221882
231783
241783
251684
261585
271585
281486
291486
301486
311288

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Santa Tecla gets around 222 mm of rain over 24.9 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 79% and peaks near 93% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
162
264
365
467
568
669
770
871
972
1073
1174
1275
1376
1477
1578
1680
1781
1882
1983
2085
2186
2287
2387
2488
2589
2690
2791
2891
2992
3093
3193

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 49% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 93% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
104125430
203115531
303115333
403105334
503105235
60295336
70295237
80295138
90295039
100285040
110185140
120184942
130174843
141174744
151164746
161164647
171154549
181154450
191044352
201044253
211034155
221033957
231023859
241023760
250023662
260013465
270013366
280013267
290013069
300002971
310002872

Wind in May

Winds average 4 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 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
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min at the start of May to 12 h 42 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 5:40 AM to 5:32 AM, and sunset from 6:09 PM to 6:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.55:406:09
212.55:396:09
312.55:396:09
412.55:396:09
512.55:386:10
612.55:386:10
712.55:376:10
812.65:376:10
912.65:376:11
1012.65:366:11
1112.65:366:11
1212.65:366:11
1312.65:356:12
1412.65:356:12
1512.65:356:12
1612.65:346:12
1712.65:346:13
1812.65:346:13
1912.75:346:13
2012.75:346:13
2112.75:336:14
2212.75:336:14
2312.75:336:14
2412.75:336:15
2512.75:336:15
2612.75:336:15
2712.75:336:16
2812.75:326:16
2912.75:326:16
3012.75:326:16
3112.75:326:17

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.48 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.73 kWh/m² to a high of 6.23 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 5.48 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.1Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Santa Tecla

In seasonPeak

In May, Santa Tecla sits inside its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Santa Tecla sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Santa Tecla's monsoon runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Santa Tecla?

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

2.9
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
4.4
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Santa Tecla.

What to pack for Santa Tecla in May

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

In May, Santa Tecla sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 25 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Santa Tecla in May

The nearest coast averages about 30°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 35 km away) is warmest in August at about 30°C and coldest in January near 28°C.

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

26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb28Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul30Tropical
Aug30Tropical
Sep30Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Santa Tecla 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 Santa Tecla peaks around March 21 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 12 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 highMar 21UV 13Dec 12UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb13Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Santa Tecla 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 Santa Tecla is worst in April — around 43 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 1.6× the cleanest month (September, 26 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModeratePoorApr 1942 µg/m³Sep 1026 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan34Moderate
Feb35Moderate
Mar35Poor
Apr43Poor
May40Poor
Jun27Moderate
Jul30Moderate
Aug27Moderate
Sep26Moderate
Oct29Moderate
Nov35Moderate
Dec36Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Santa Tecla?

Santa Tecla sits at 13.7°N, 89.3°W, 965 m above sea level, in El Salvador. The nearest listed city is Antiguo Cuscatlán, 4.0 km away.

Soyapango

Topography around Santa Tecla

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Santa Tecla has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 395 m around an average of 962 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,796 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,703 m.

The land around Santa Tecla is covered by trees (57%) and artificial surfaces (41%) within 3 km, trees (77%) within 16 km, and trees (45%), water (26%) and grassland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
395 m
16 km
1,796 m
80 km
2,703 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
May weather nearby: Antiguo Cuscatlán 4.0 km · San Salvador 10 km · Ayutuxtepeque 11 km · San Marcos 11 km · Mejicanos 12 km · Cuscatancingo 12 km · Delgado 13 km · Soyapango 16 km

El Salvador travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
115 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,767
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
7.9
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
20.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 523
Religion
Roman Catholic 44%Protestant 40%none 16%

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 Santa Tecla (13.6774°, -89.2833°, elevation 965 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).