Balad weather in May

In May, Balad sees average daytime highs of 37°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 4 mm of rain across 1.4 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 34°C in the first days to 40°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% 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 Balad's 6th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Balad's year-round climate.

Daytime high
37°
5th warmest
Overnight low
23°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4 mm
1.4 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:07 AM – 6:53 PM
Cloud cover
26%
6th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
7.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.8
out of 10

Balad is city in Iraq.

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 34°C in the first days to 40°C by the end.

A typical May day in Balad reaches about 37°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 32°C and 42°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°C warmer than April and about 5°C cooler than June.

20°30°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13420
23421
33421
43421
53521
63521
73522
83522
93622
103622
113622
123623
133723
143723
153723
163723
173824
183824
193824
203824
213824
223925
233925
243925
253925
264025
274025
284026
294026
304026
314126

How May really feels in Balad

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
8 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.

Balad 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
Jan16° / 366105.9
Feb19° / 294.410.77.1
Mar24° / 12°274.411.78.2
Apr31° / 18°162.812.85.8
May37° / 23°41.413.71.8
Jun42° / 28°0014.20.0
Jul45° / 31°00140.0
Aug45° / 30°0013.30.0
Sep41° / 26°00.112.20.2
Oct34° / 20°121.711.13.8
Nov24° / 13°283.710.28.1
Dec18° / 345.29.86.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 14%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17624
27624
37624
47624
57723
67723
77921
88020
98020
108218
118218
128416
138416
148614
158614
168812
178812
188812
199010
209010
219010
229010
239010
24919
25919
26919
27928
28928
29937
30937
31937

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Balad gets around 4 mm of rain over 1.4 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 4% and peaks near 8% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
18
28
38
48
58
67
77
87
96
106
116
125
135
144
154
164
174
183
193
203
213
223
232
242
252
262
272
282
291
301
311

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 94% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
18974
28974
38974
48974
58974
68974
79064
89163
99163
109163
119163
129352
139352
149352
159451
169541
179541
189541
199631
209631
219631
229820
239820
249820
259820
269910
279910
289910
299910
309910
319910

Wind in May

Winds average 12 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
112calm
212calm
312calm
412calm
512calm
612calm
712calm
812calm
912calm
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1812light breeze
1912light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3114light breeze

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 5:20 AM to 4:58 AM, and sunset from 6:41 PM to 7:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.35:206:41
213.45:196:42
313.45:186:42
413.45:176:43
513.55:166:44
613.55:156:45
713.55:146:46
813.55:136:46
913.65:136:47
1013.65:126:48
1113.65:116:49
1213.75:106:49
1313.75:096:50
1413.75:086:51
1513.75:086:52
1613.85:076:53
1713.85:066:53
1813.85:056:54
1913.85:056:55
2013.95:046:56
2113.95:036:56
2213.95:036:57
2313.95:026:58
2413.95:026:58
2514.05:016:59
2614.05:017:00
2714.05:007:01
2814.05:007:01
2914.04:597:02
3014.14:597:02
3114.14:587:03

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.39 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.78 kWh/m² to a high of 7.92 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.39 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.0Intense
27.0Intense
37.0Intense
47.0Intense
57.1Intense
67.1Intense
77.1Intense
87.2Intense
97.2Intense
107.2Intense
117.3Intense
127.3Intense
137.3Intense
147.4Intense
157.4Intense
167.4Intense
177.5Intense
187.5Intense
197.5Intense
207.5Intense
217.6Intense
227.6Intense
237.6Intense
247.6Intense
257.7Intense
267.7Intense
277.7Intense
287.7Intense
297.7Intense
307.7Intense
317.8Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Balad

In seasonPeak

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

Balad sees seasonal dust haze (March–September), heaviest in May.

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

Is May a good time to visit Balad?

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

1.8
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
5.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Balad.

What to pack for Balad in May

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

In May, Balad sees daytime highs around 37°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Balad in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Balad peaks around June 13 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 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 highHighModerateJun 13UV 9Jan 11UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul5Moderate
Aug8Very high
Sep5Moderate
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Balad 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 Balad is worst in December — around 90 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyDec 2189 µg/m³Jul 1665 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan88Unhealthy
Feb85Unhealthy
Mar84Unhealthy
Apr79Unhealthy
May79Unhealthy
Jun68Unhealthy
Jul65Unhealthy
Aug68Unhealthy
Sep72Unhealthy
Oct85Unhealthy
Nov82Unhealthy
Dec90Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Balad?

Balad sits at 34.0°N, 44.1°E, 53 m above sea level, in Iraq. The nearest listed city is Ad Dujayl, 20 km away.

Al MiqdādīyahSadr CityBaghdadAbū Ghurayb

Topography around Balad

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Balad has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 13 m around an average of 48 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 28 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 224 m.

The land around Balad is covered by cropland (37%), trees (27%) and artificial surfaces (23%) within 3 km, cropland (64%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (46%) and cropland (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
13 m
16 km
28 m
80 km
224 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Ad Dujayl 20 km · Sāmarrā’ 31 km · Khāliş 43 km · Baqubah 51 km · Al Miqdādīyah 73 km · Sadr City 75 km · Baghdad 79 km · Abū Ghurayb 79 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 Balad (34.0149°, 44.1457°, elevation 53 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).