Baghdad weather in May

In May, Baghdad sees average daytime highs of 38°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 5 mm of rain across 1 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 35°C in the first days to 41°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% 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 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Baghdad's 6th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Baghdad's year-round climate.

Daytime high
38°
5th warmest
Overnight low
24°
8th coldest
Rainfall
5 mm
1 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
5:07 AM – 6:50 PM
Cloud cover
26%
6th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
7.36 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.3
out of 10

Baghdad is capital city of Iraq.

Air quality
Very high
PM2.5 42.5 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
10,722/km²
people per km²
Founded
~762 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 35°C in the first days to 41°C by the end.

A typical May day in Baghdad reaches about 38°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 33°C and 43°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°C warmer than April and about 5°C cooler than June.

20°30°40°50°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13521
23521
33522
43522
53622
63622
73622
83623
93723
103723
113723
123723
133824
143824
153824
163824
173924
183925
193925
203925
213925
224025
234026
244026
254026
264126
274126
284126
294127
304127
314227

How May really feels in Baghdad

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
12 feel dangerously hot (≥ 39°C)
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.

Baghdad weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan17° / 284.9106.6
Feb20° / 213.810.87.6
Mar25° / 13°223.611.78.2
Apr32° / 18°142.712.85.1
May38° / 24°5113.71.3
Jun43° / 29°0014.20.0
Jul46° / 31°00140.0
Aug46° / 31°0013.20.0
Sep42° / 27°00.212.20.1
Oct35° / 21°91.611.23.2
Nov25° / 14°263.410.38.0
Dec19° / 243.99.87.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 15%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17723
27723
37723
47822
57822
67822
77921
88020
98119
108119
118218
128317
138317
148416
158515
168614
178713
188713
198713
208812
218911
228911
238911
248911
259010
269010
27919
28919
29919
30928
31937

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Baghdad gets around 5 mm of rain over 1 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 3% and peaks near 9% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
19
28
38
48
57
67
76
86
95
105
114
124
133
143
153
163
172
182
192
202
212
221
231
241
251
261
271
281
290
300
310

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
191630
290631
390631
490631
590631
690631
790631
890631
992521
1092521
1192521
1292521
1394420
1495410
1595410
1696310
1796310
1896310
1996310
2097210
2197210
2297210
2398110
2499100
2599100
2699100
2799100
2899100
2999100
3099100
3199100

Wind in May

Winds average 13 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

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

Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:20 AM to 4:59 AM, and sunset from 6:39 PM to 7:01 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.35:206:39
213.35:196:40
313.45:186:40
413.45:176:41
513.45:166:42
613.55:156:43
713.55:156:43
813.55:146:44
913.55:136:45
1013.65:126:46
1113.65:116:46
1213.65:106:47
1313.65:096:48
1413.75:096:49
1513.75:086:49
1613.75:076:50
1713.75:066:51
1813.85:066:52
1913.85:056:52
2013.85:046:53
2113.85:046:54
2213.95:036:55
2313.95:036:55
2413.95:026:56
2513.95:026:57
2613.95:016:57
2714.05:016:58
2814.05:006:59
2914.05:006:59
3014.04:597:00
3114.04:597:01

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.36 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.91 kWh/m² to a high of 7.84 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.36 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.9Intense
27.0Intense
37.0Intense
47.0Intense
57.0Intense
67.1Intense
77.1Intense
87.1Intense
97.2Intense
107.2Intense
117.3Intense
127.3Intense
137.3Intense
147.3Intense
157.4Intense
167.4Intense
177.4Intense
187.5Intense
197.5Intense
207.5Intense
217.5Intense
227.5Intense
237.6Intense
247.6Intense
257.6Intense
267.6Intense
277.6Intense
287.7Intense
297.7Intense
307.7Intense
317.7Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Baghdad

In seasonPeak

In May, Baghdad sits inside its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Baghdad sees seasonal dust haze (March–October), heaviest in May.

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

Is May a good time to visit Baghdad?

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

1.3
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
4.5
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Baghdad.

What to pack for Baghdad in May

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

In May, Baghdad sees daytime highs around 38°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Baghdad in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Baghdad peaks around June 13 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highVery highHighModerateJun 13UV 10Jan 12UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul6High
Aug9Very high
Sep5High
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Baghdad 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 Baghdad is worst in December — around 50 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Baghdad's WHO annual average of 42.5 µg/m³.

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModeratePoorDec 2050 µg/m³Jul 1733 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan48Poor
Feb47Poor
Mar44Poor
Apr43Poor
May42Poor
Jun35Poor
Jul33Moderate
Aug35Poor
Sep40Poor
Oct47Poor
Nov46Poor
Dec50Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Baghdad?

Baghdad sits at 33.3°N, 44.4°E, 41 m above sea level, in Iraq. The nearest listed city is Sadr City, 8.0 km away.

KhālişAl FallūjahAş Şuwayrah

Topography around Baghdad

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Baghdad has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 22 m around an average of 36 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 62 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 68 m.

The land around Baghdad is covered by artificial surfaces (84%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (55%) and bare terrain (22%) within 16 km, and cropland (47%) and bare terrain (38%) within 80 km.

3 km
22 m
16 km
62 m
80 km
68 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Sadr City 8.0 km · Abū Ghurayb 20 km · Al Maḩmūdīyah 31 km · Baqubah 50 km · Nāḩiyat al Iskandarīyah 51 km · Khāliş 53 km · Al Fallūjah 57 km · Aş Şuwayrah 58 km

Iraq travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 38% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,410
2025
Happiness
5.2 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
60%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
9.5
per 100k, 2013
Road deaths
27.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 406
Religion
Christian 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 Baghdad (33.3406°, 44.4009°, elevation 41 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).