Santiago de María weather in May

In May, Santiago de María sees average daytime highs of 33°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 232 mm of rain across 23.3 wet days and about 12.6 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 34°C in the first days to 32°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% 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 Santiago de María's 9th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santiago de María's year-round climate.

Daytime high
33°
5th warmest
Overnight low
24°
12th coldest
Rainfall
232 mm
23.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 36 min
5:31 AM – 6:09 PM
Cloud cover
71%
9th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.95 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.3
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 34°C in the first days to 32°C by the end.

A typical May day in Santiago de María reaches about 33°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°C and 36°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13524
23424
33424
43424
53424
63424
73424
83424
93424
103424
113424
123424
133424
143424
153324
163324
173324
183324
193324
203324
213324
223324
233224
243224
253224
263224
273224
283224
293224
303223
313223

How May really feels in Santiago de María

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.

Santiago de María 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
Jan34° / 21°10.311.34.0
Feb35° / 22°20.311.63.4
Mar35° / 23°81.911.92.9
Apr35° / 24°399.312.32.6
May33° / 24°23223.312.62.3
Jun32° / 23°28924.512.82.6
Jul33° / 23°20019.912.72.8
Aug32° / 23°26323.512.42.6
Sep31° / 23°33027.112.12.6
Oct31° / 23°30324.411.73.1
Nov32° / 22°629.111.44.4
Dec33° / 21°51.411.24.5

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 69%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25050
35050
44951
54852
64753
74456
84456
94258
104060
113862
123664
133565
143268
153070
162872
172773
182575
192377
202278
212080
222080
231981
241882
251882
261783
271684
281684
291585
301486
311486

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Santiago de María gets around 232 mm of rain over 23.3 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 75% and peaks near 88% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
158
260
361
462
563
664
765
866
967
1068
1169
1270
1371
1472
1573
1674
1776
1877
1979
2080
2181
2282
2383
2484
2585
2686
2787
2887
2988
3088
3188

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 78% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 98% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
11419715
21417726
31416736
41415737
51314757
61314748
71313758
81312759
91311769
1012117610
1112107710
1212107710
131297711
141187911
151187812
161177912
171167913
181068013
191058014
201048114
211048015
221038115
231038115
241028116
251028116
260018217
270018217
280018118
290018019
300008020
310007921

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
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
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 5:37 AM to 5:29 AM, and sunset from 6:05 PM to 6:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.55:376:05
212.55:366:05
312.55:366:06
412.55:366:06
512.55:356:06
612.55:356:06
712.55:346:07
812.55:346:07
912.65:346:07
1012.65:336:07
1112.65:336:07
1212.65:336:08
1312.65:326:08
1412.65:326:08
1512.65:326:08
1612.65:316:09
1712.65:316:09
1812.65:316:09
1912.65:316:10
2012.75:316:10
2112.75:306:10
2212.75:306:10
2312.75:306:11
2412.75:306:11
2512.75:306:11
2612.75:306:12
2712.75:306:12
2812.75:306:12
2912.75:296:13
3012.75:296:13
3112.75:296:13

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.95 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.11 kWh/m² to a high of 6.61 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 5.95 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.4Intense
56.3Intense
66.3Intense
76.3Intense
86.3Intense
96.3Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.0Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Bright
185.9Bright
195.9Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Santiago de María

In seasonPeak

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

Santiago de María sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Santiago de María'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 Santiago de María?

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

2.3
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Santiago de María.

What to pack for Santiago de María in May

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

In May, Santiago de María sees daytime highs around 33°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 23 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Santiago de María 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 41 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
Jan28Warm
Feb28Tropical
Mar28Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul30Tropical
Aug30Tropical
Sep30Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Santiago de María 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 Santiago de María peaks around April 10 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 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 highApr 10UV 13Dec 14UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Santiago de María 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 Santiago de María is worst in April — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (January, 13 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateApr 2234 µg/m³Jan 1113 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar22Moderate
Apr34Moderate
May32Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct17Moderate
Nov16Moderate
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Santiago de María?

Santiago de María sits at 13.5°N, 88.5°W, 896 m above sea level, in El Salvador. The nearest listed city is Usulután, 16 km away.

UsulutánSan Rafael OrientePuerto El TriunfoSan MiguelSan VicenteZacatecolucaSan Francisco GoteraSensuntepeque

Topography around Santiago de María

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Santiago de María has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 781 m around an average of 946 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,610 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,143 m.

The land around Santiago de María is covered by trees (91%) within 3 km, trees (67%) and grassland (29%) within 16 km, and trees (45%), water (27%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
781 m
16 km
1,610 m
80 km
2,143 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
May weather nearby: Usulután 16 km · San Rafael Oriente 17 km · Puerto El Triunfo 24 km · San Miguel 31 km · San Vicente 39 km · Zacatecoluca 44 km · San Francisco Gotera 46 km · Sensuntepeque 47 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 Santiago de María (13.4833°, -88.4667°, elevation 896 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).