La Ceiba weather in May

In May, La Ceiba sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 130 mm of rain across 19.2 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of May to 12 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is La Ceiba's 6th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see La Ceiba's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
23°
10th coldest
Rainfall
130 mm
19.2 wet days
Daylight
12 h 42 min
5:21 AM – 6:05 PM
Cloud cover
62%
6th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
6.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

La Ceiba is human settlement in Honduras.

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 28°C through the month.

A typical May day in La Ceiba reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12823
22823
32823
42823
52823
62823
72823
82823
92823
102823
112823
122823
132823
142823
152823
162823
172823
182823
192823
202823
212823
222824
232824
242824
252824
262824
272824
282824
292824
302824
312824

La Ceiba weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 2nd-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan24° / 20°22416.911.26.1
Feb25° / 20°12611.311.56.8
Mar26° / 21°10710.311.97.0
Apr27° / 22°6410.612.36.6
May28° / 23°13019.212.75.1
Jun28° / 24°15023.812.94.1
Jul28° / 23°14025.212.84.2
Aug28° / 23°15626.112.54.1
Sep28° / 24°20227.612.13.7
Oct27° / 23°33326.711.64.0
Nov25° / 22°3732311.34.7
Dec24° / 21°22719.311.15.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 54%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26337
36238
46238
56040
66040
75941
85842
95644
105545
115446
125347
135149
144951
154852
164753
174555
184357
194357
204159
213961
223862
233664
243664
253466
263367
273169
283169
293070
303070
312971

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

La Ceiba gets around 130 mm of rain over 19.2 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 62% and peaks near 76% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
147
248
348
449
550
651
751
852
953
1054
1155
1257
1358
1459
1561
1662
1763
1865
1966
2067
2169
2270
2371
2472
2573
2674
2774
2875
2975
3076
3176

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 86% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1218764
2217774
3216793
4215803
5214813
6214813
7113833
8113833
9112843
10112843
11112843
12112843
13112843
14011863
15011863
16011863
17010873
18010873
1909883
2009883
2109883
2208893
2307903
2407903
2506913
2605914
2705914
2804924
2903934
3003925
3102935

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
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min at the start of May to 12 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:28 AM to 5:19 AM, and sunset from 6:01 PM to 6:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.65:286:01
212.65:276:01
312.65:276:02
412.65:266:02
512.65:266:02
612.65:256:02
712.65:256:03
812.65:246:03
912.75:246:03
1012.75:236:03
1112.75:236:04
1212.75:236:04
1312.75:226:04
1412.75:226:05
1512.75:226:05
1612.75:216:05
1712.75:216:06
1812.85:216:06
1912.85:216:06
2012.85:206:07
2112.85:206:07
2212.85:206:07
2312.85:206:08
2412.85:206:08
2512.85:196:08
2612.85:196:09
2712.85:196:09
2812.85:196:09
2912.85:196:10
3012.95:196:10
3112.95:196:10

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.43 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.19 kWh/m² to a high of 6.75 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 6.43 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.7Intense
26.7Intense
36.7Intense
46.7Intense
56.7Intense
66.7Intense
76.7Intense
86.6Intense
96.6Intense
106.6Intense
116.6Intense
126.5Intense
136.5Intense
146.5Intense
156.5Intense
166.4Intense
176.4Intense
186.4Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for La Ceiba

In seasonPeak

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

La Ceiba sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

La Ceiba's rainy season runs September–January, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit La Ceiba?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
5.4
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit La Ceiba for sightseeing.

What to pack for La Ceiba in May

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

In May, La Ceiba sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 19 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near La Ceiba in May

The nearest coast averages about 29°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 16 km away) is warmest in September at about 30°C and coldest in January near 27°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
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep30Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec27Warm

UV index in La Ceiba 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 La Ceiba peaks around March 24 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highMar 24UV 14Dec 15UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Very high
Feb12Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec8Very high

Air quality in La Ceiba 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 La Ceiba is worst in April — around 36 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 5.3× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 2035 µg/m³Dec 207 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar12Good
Apr36Poor
May29Moderate
Jun25Moderate
Jul28Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is La Ceiba?

La Ceiba sits at 15.8°N, 86.8°W, 14 m above sea level, in Honduras. The nearest listed city is Olanchito, 38 km away.

OlanchitoSonagueraArizonaSabáRoatanTelaYoroTocoa

Topography around La Ceiba

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around La Ceiba has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 274 m around an average of 53 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,191 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,437 m.

The land around La Ceiba is covered by trees (60%) and artificial surfaces (30%) within 3 km, trees (51%) and water (42%) within 16 km, and trees (46%) and water (44%) within 80 km.

3 km
274 m
16 km
2,191 m
80 km
2,437 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Olanchito 38 km · Sonaguera 50 km · Arizona 59 km · Sabá 66 km · Roatan 67 km · Tela 73 km · Yoro 78 km · Tocoa 84 km

Honduras travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 46% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,598
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
66%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
31.4
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
16.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 553
Religion
Evangelical 55%Roman Catholic 33%none 10%

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 La Ceiba (15.7597°, -86.7822°, elevation 14 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).