Ch’ench’a weather in May

In May, Ch’ench’a sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 671 mm of rain across 30.2 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of May to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Ch’ench’a's 12th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ch’ench’a's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
7th warmest
Overnight low
15°
10th coldest
Rainfall
671 mm
30.2 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:17 AM – 6:34 PM
Cloud cover
82%
12th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.1 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.6
out of 10

Ch’ench’a is place in Ethiopia.

Density
5,647/km²
people per km²

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 23°C through the month.

A typical May day in Ch’ench’a reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12415
22415
32415
42415
52415
62415
72415
82415
92415
102415
112415
122315
132315
142315
152315
162315
172315
182315
192315
202315
212315
222315
232315
242315
252315
262315
272315
282315
292315
302315
312315

Ch’ench’a weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 14°14912.611.76.6
Feb26° / 15°14412.111.86.2
Mar26° / 15°34521.5125.0
Apr25° / 15°63327.512.13.9
May23° / 15°67130.212.33.6
Jun22° / 15°27427.712.43.8
Jul21° / 14°23227.712.33.8
Aug21° / 15°26527.112.23.9
Sep22° / 15°48928.6123.8
Oct23° / 14°69929.411.93.8
Nov24° / 14°30819.111.75.4
Dec25° / 14°15612.411.66.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 91%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1595
2595
3595
4496
5595
6595
7595
8595
9595
10595
11595
12694
13793
14793
15793
16793
17991
18991
19991
201090
211090
221189
231189
241387
251486
261585
271684
281684
291783
301882
311981

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Ch’ench’a gets around 671 mm of rain over 30.2 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 97% and peaks near 98% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
197
297
397
498
598
698
798
898
998
1098
1198
1298
1398
1498
1598
1698
1798
1898
1998
2098
2197
2297
2397
2497
2596
2696
2796
2896
2995
3095
3195

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the humid band about 52% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
123662
223563
323464
423464
513366
613366
713366
813366
913366
1013465
1113564
1213663
1313762
1413960
1504159
1604357
1704555
1804753
1905050
2005248
2105545
2205743
2315940
2416138
2516336
2616534
2716732
2816930
2927028
3027127
3127325

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 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
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 12 min at the start of May to 12 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:20 AM to 6:17 AM, and sunset from 6:33 PM to 6:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.26:206:33
212.26:206:33
312.26:206:33
412.26:206:33
512.26:196:34
612.26:196:34
712.26:196:34
812.26:196:34
912.36:196:34
1012.36:186:34
1112.36:186:34
1212.36:186:34
1312.36:186:34
1412.36:186:34
1512.36:186:34
1612.36:176:34
1712.36:176:35
1812.36:176:35
1912.36:176:35
2012.36:176:35
2112.36:176:35
2212.36:176:35
2312.36:176:36
2412.36:176:36
2512.36:176:36
2612.36:176:36
2712.36:176:36
2812.36:176:36
2912.36:176:37
3012.36:176:37
3112.36:176:37

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.1 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.21 kWh/m² to a high of 6.13 kWh/m² in February across the year — May's 5.1 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.1Bright
65.1Bright
75.1Bright
85.1Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.1Bright
145.1Bright
155.1Bright
165.1Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.1Bright
205.1Bright
215.1Bright
225.1Bright
235.1Bright
245.1Bright
255.0Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Ch’ench’a?

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

3.6
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
2.9
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Ch’ench’a.

What to pack for Ch’ench’a in May

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

In May, Ch’ench’a sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 15°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 30 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Ch’ench’a in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Ch’ench’a peaks around March 15 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near November 22 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 15UV 15Nov 22UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Ch’ench’a 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 Ch’ench’a is worst in December — around 37 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModeratePoorDec 2237 µg/m³Apr 2324 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan36Poor
Feb35Moderate
Mar29Moderate
Apr24Moderate
May24Moderate
Jun32Moderate
Jul30Moderate
Aug25Moderate
Sep25Moderate
Oct25Moderate
Nov32Moderate
Dec37Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Ch’ench’a?

Ch’ench’a sits at 6.3°N, 37.6°E, 2,739 m above sea level, in Ethiopia. The nearest listed city is Arba Minch, 24 km away.

Topography around Ch’ench’a

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Ch’ench’a.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ch’ench’a has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 490 m around an average of 2,700 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,309 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,935 m.

The land around Ch’ench’a is covered by cropland (34%) and trees (27%) within 3 km, shrubs (30%), trees (26%) and grassland (23%) within 16 km, and shrubs (43%) within 80 km.

3 km
490 m
16 km
2,309 m
80 km
2,935 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Arba Minch 24 km · Gasuba 52 km · Kele 55 km · Tebela 55 km · Gīdolē 70 km · Yirga Ch’efē 71 km · Wolaita Sodo 71 km · Bale Hawassa 75 km

Ethiopia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E / F / L
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 37% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$933
2025
Happiness
4.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
14%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
8.5
per 100k, 2012
Road deaths
28.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 499
Religion
Ethiopian Orthodox 44%Muslim 31%Protestant 23%other 1%

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 Ch’ench’a (6.25°, 37.5667°, elevation 2,739 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).