Leh weather in May

In May, Leh sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -10°C, with 39 mm of precipitation across 9.9 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about -1°C in the first days to 4°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 18 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Leh's 6th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Leh's year-round climate.

Daytime high
6th warmest
Overnight low
-10°
8th coldest
Precipitation
39 mm
9.9 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:23 AM – 7:09 PM
Cloud cover
51%
6th clearest
Wind
3 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
8.28 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Leh is city, one of the capitals of Ladakh, India.

Density
1/km²
people per km²
Founded
~800 CE

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about -1°C in the first days to 4°C by the end.

A typical May day in Leh reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -10°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -2°C and 5°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 6°C warmer than April and about 7°C cooler than June.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1-1-12
2-1-12
3-1-12
40-12
50-12
60-12
70-11
80-11
91-11
101-11
111-11
121-11
131-11
141-10
152-10
162-10
172-10
182-10
192-9
203-9
213-9
223-9
233-9
243-9
254-8
264-8
274-8
284-8
294-8
305-8
315-7

How May really feels in Leh

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
16 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

The story in May is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Leh weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-15° / -25°236.610.4100.0
Feb-13° / -22°30811.410.70.0
Mar-9° / -18°359.211.611.70.0
Apr-4° / -15°369.210.512.80.0
May / -10°399.99.413.80.0
Jun / -4°389.8614.21.6
Jul15° / 4511.71.9144.3
Aug16° / 5413.61.113.34.6
Sep11° / -1°308.13.412.22.9
Oct / -11°1344.311.10.2
Nov-6° / -19°144.1610.20.0
Dec-13° / -24°165.17.19.80.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 25% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15941
25941
35941
45941
55941
65941
76040
86040
96040
106139
116139
126238
136337
146337
156337
166337
176337
186436
196436
206535
216535
226535
236634
246634
256634
266634
276634
286733
296733
306733
316931

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Leh gets around 39 mm of rain and snow over 9.9 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 31% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 9 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13031
23031
33031
43031
53031
63030
72930
82930
92829
102828
112828
122828
132828
142827
152828
162928
173028
183028
193129
203229
213330
223330
233431
243531
253531
263631
273631
283631
293631
303630
313630

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

Winds average 3 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 3 km/h on the calmest days to 3 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
13calm
23calm
33calm
43calm
53calm
63calm
73calm
83calm
93calm
103calm
113calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 18 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:36 AM to 5:14 AM, and sunset from 6:57 PM to 7:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.35:366:57
213.45:356:58
313.45:346:59
413.45:337:00
513.55:327:00
613.55:317:01
713.55:307:02
813.65:297:03
913.65:297:04
1013.65:287:04
1113.65:277:05
1213.75:267:06
1313.75:257:07
1413.75:247:08
1513.75:237:08
1613.85:237:09
1713.85:227:10
1813.85:217:11
1913.85:217:11
2013.95:207:12
2113.95:197:13
2213.95:197:14
2313.95:187:14
2414.05:187:15
2514.05:177:16
2614.05:177:16
2714.05:167:17
2814.05:167:18
2914.15:157:18
3014.15:157:19
3114.15:147:20

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 8.28 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.48 kWh/m² to a high of 8.28 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 8.28 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
18.2Intense
28.2Intense
38.2Intense
48.2Intense
58.2Intense
68.2Intense
78.2Intense
88.3Intense
98.3Intense
108.3Intense
118.3Intense
128.3Intense
138.3Intense
148.3Intense
158.3Intense
168.3Intense
178.3Intense
188.3Intense
198.3Intense
208.3Intense
218.3Intense
228.3Intense
238.3Intense
248.3Intense
258.3Intense
268.3Intense
278.3Intense
288.3Intense
298.3Intense
308.3Intense
318.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Leh?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Leh.

What to pack for Leh in May

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

In May, Leh sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -10°C. Pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatsun protectionrain gear

UV index in Leh 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 Leh peaks around June 19 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateExtremeVery highModerateJun 19UV 15Jan 11UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb7High
Mar11Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun15Extreme
Jul15Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct8Very high
Nov5Moderate
Dec4Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Leh?

Leh sits at 34.2°N, 77.6°E, 3,502 m above sea level, in India. The nearest listed city is Skardu, 218 km away.

SkarduSialkotShimlaGilgitHunzaMuzaffarabadAmritsarMurree

Topography around Leh

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Leh has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 842 m around an average of 3,615 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,635 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,688 m.

The land around Leh is covered by bare terrain (80%) within 3 km, bare terrain (84%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (81%) within 80 km.

3 km
842 m
16 km
2,635 m
80 km
4,688 m
grasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
May weather nearby: Skardu 218 km · Sialkot 339 km · Shimla 343 km · Gilgit 356 km · Hunza 358 km · Muzaffarabad 379 km · Amritsar 379 km · Murree 387 km

India travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / D / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 23% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,702
2025
Happiness
4.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
76%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.8
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
15.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 484
Religion
Hindu 80%Muslim 14%Christian 2%other and unspecified 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 Leh (34.165°, 77.584°, elevation 3,502 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).