Sumbawa Besar weather in May

In May, Sumbawa Besar sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 31 mm of rain across 7 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of May to 11 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Sumbawa Besar's 6th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sumbawa Besar's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
4th warmest
Overnight low
23°
5th coldest
Rainfall
31 mm
7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:18 AM – 5:55 PM
Cloud cover
50%
6th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
5.18 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.4
out of 10

Sumbawa Besar is place in Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia.

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 30°C through the month.

A typical May day in Sumbawa Besar reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13024
23024
33024
43024
53024
63024
73024
83024
93024
103024
113024
123024
133023
143023
153023
163023
173023
183023
193023
203023
213023
223023
233023
243023
253023
263023
273023
283023
293023
303023
313023

How May really feels in Sumbawa Besar

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.

Sumbawa Besar weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 4th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 24°33829.112.43.0
Feb29° / 24°31726.412.33.1
Mar29° / 24°23525.312.13.4
Apr30° / 24°1061711.84.2
May30° / 23°31711.65.4
Jun30° / 23°143.311.56.1
Jul29° / 22°61.611.66.5
Aug30° / 22°10.411.76.3
Sep31° / 23°51.2125.5
Oct32° / 24°224.812.24.7
Nov31° / 24°9414.712.43.7
Dec30° / 24°26426.612.53.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 36%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15842
25842
35941
46040
56040
66139
76139
86238
96238
106238
116238
126238
136337
146436
156436
166535
176535
186634
196733
206733
216733
226634
236634
246733
256733
266733
276634
286634
296535
306535
316535

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Sumbawa Besar gets around 31 mm of rain over 7 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 22% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
228
327
426
525
624
723
823
922
1021
1121
1221
1320
1420
1520
1620
1720
1821
1921
2021
2122
2222
2322
2422
2521
2621
2720
2820
2919
3019
3118

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 77% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
107867
207867
308857
409847
509847
6010837
7011827
8011827
9012817
10013807
11013807
12014797
13015796
14015796
15116776
16117766
17118756
18118756
19119746
20120736
21020746
22021736
23022735
24023725
25024715
26025705
27025705
28026695
29026704
30027694
31027694

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of May to 11 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:16 AM to 6:21 AM, and sunset from 5:59 PM to 5:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:165:59
211.76:165:58
311.76:175:58
411.76:175:58
511.76:175:57
611.76:175:57
711.76:175:57
811.76:175:57
911.76:175:56
1011.66:175:56
1111.66:175:56
1211.66:185:56
1311.66:185:55
1411.66:185:55
1511.66:185:55
1611.66:185:55
1711.66:185:55
1811.66:195:55
1911.66:195:55
2011.66:195:54
2111.66:195:54
2211.66:195:54
2311.66:205:54
2411.66:205:54
2511.66:205:54
2611.66:205:54
2711.66:205:54
2811.66:215:54
2911.66:215:54
3011.56:215:54
3111.56:215:54

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.18 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.84 kWh/m² to a high of 6.73 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.18 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.3Bright
115.3Bright
125.3Bright
135.3Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.2Bright
185.2Bright
195.1Bright
205.1Bright
215.1Bright
225.1Bright
235.1Bright
245.1Bright
255.0Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Sumbawa Besar

In seasonPeak

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

Sumbawa Besar sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Sumbawa Besar's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Sumbawa Besar?

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

5.4
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
7.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Sumbawa Besar for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Sumbawa Besar in May

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

In May, Sumbawa Besar sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 7 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Sumbawa Besar 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 14 km away) is warmest in November at about 30°C and coldest in August 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
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Warm
Aug28Warm
Sep28Warm
Oct29Tropical
Nov30Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Sumbawa Besar in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sumbawa Besar peaks around March 12 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 10 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 highExtremeMar 12UV 15Jul 10UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Sumbawa Besar 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 Sumbawa Besar is worst in October — around 30 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.0× the cleanest month (March, 10 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateOct 1529 µg/m³Mar 1610 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb10Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May12Good
Jun12Good
Jul12Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct30Moderate
Nov21Moderate
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sumbawa Besar?

Sumbawa Besar sits at 8.5°S, 117.4°E, 14 m above sea level, in Indonesia. The nearest listed city is Taliwang, 68 km away.

Topography around Sumbawa Besar

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sumbawa Besar has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 115 m around an average of 32 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 948 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,795 m.

The land around Sumbawa Besar is covered by grassland (33%), trees (24%) and artificial surfaces (23%) within 3 km, trees (31%), water (25%) and grassland (22%) within 16 km, and water (54%) and trees (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
115 m
16 km
948 m
80 km
2,795 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Taliwang 68 km · Selong 99 km · Dompu 115 km · Praya 129 km · Lombok 144 km · Bima 144 km · Gili Trawangan 153 km · Amlapura 198 km

Indonesia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,060
2025
Happiness
5.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
30%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.3
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
11.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 471
Religion
Muslim 87%Protestant 8%Roman Catholic 3%Hindu 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 Sumbawa Besar (-8.4932°, 117.4202°, 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).