Sāmarrā’ weather in May

In May, Sāmarrā’ sees average daytime highs of 37°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 4 mm of rain across 1 wet days and about 13.8 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 73% 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 Sāmarrā’'s 6th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sāmarrā’'s year-round climate.

Daytime high
37°
5th warmest
Overnight low
23°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4 mm
1 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:07 AM – 6:54 PM
Cloud cover
25%
6th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
7.44 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.1
out of 10

Sāmarrā’ is city in Iraq.

Density
1,053/km²
people per km²

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 Sāmarrā’ 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 41°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)
13320
23320
33420
43420
53421
63421
73521
83521
93521
103522
113622
123622
133622
143622
153723
163723
173723
183723
193823
203824
213824
223824
233824
243924
253925
263925
273925
283925
294025
304025
314026

How May really feels in Sāmarrā’

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
6 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.

Sāmarrā’ 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° / 355.8105.6
Feb18° / 304.410.77.0
Mar24° / 12°284.511.78.1
Apr30° / 17°172.912.86.1
May37° / 23°4113.82.1
Jun42° / 28°00.114.20.0
Jul45° / 30°00140.0
Aug44° / 30°0013.30.0
Sep40° / 25°00.112.20.4
Oct34° / 20°111.711.14.1
Nov24° / 12°253.810.28.1
Dec18° / 325.59.86.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% 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 (%)
17525
27624
37624
47624
57723
67822
77822
88020
98020
108119
118317
128317
138515
148515
158713
168713
178812
188911
198911
208911
219010
22919
23919
24919
25919
26928
27928
28928
29928
30937
31946

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Sāmarrā’ gets around 4 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 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
27
37
47
56
66
76
85
95
105
115
124
134
144
154
163
173
183
193
202
212
222
232
241
251
261
271
281
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
79073
89073
99163
109163
119163
129352
139352
149352
159442
169541
179631
189631
199721
209721
219721
229811
239811
249811
259811
269811
279811
289910
299910
3010000
319910

Wind in May

Winds average 14 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light 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
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light 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 5:21 AM to 4:59 AM, and sunset from 6:42 PM to 7:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.35:216:42
213.45:206:43
313.45:196:44
413.45:186:45
513.55:176:45
613.55:166:46
713.55:156:47
813.65:146:48
913.65:136:49
1013.65:126:49
1113.65:116:50
1213.75:116:51
1313.75:106:52
1413.75:096:52
1513.75:086:53
1613.85:076:54
1713.85:076:55
1813.85:066:55
1913.85:056:56
2013.95:056:57
2113.95:046:58
2213.95:036:58
2313.95:036:59
2414.05:027:00
2514.05:027:01
2614.05:017:01
2714.05:017:02
2814.05:007:03
2914.15:007:03
3014.14:597:04
3114.14:597:05

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.44 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.77 kWh/m² to a high of 7.96 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.44 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.0Intense
27.0Intense
37.0Intense
47.1Intense
57.1Intense
67.2Intense
77.2Intense
87.2Intense
97.3Intense
107.3Intense
117.3Intense
127.3Intense
137.4Intense
147.4Intense
157.5Intense
167.5Intense
177.5Intense
187.5Intense
197.6Intense
207.6Intense
217.6Intense
227.6Intense
237.7Intense
247.7Intense
257.7Intense
267.7Intense
277.7Intense
287.8Intense
297.8Intense
307.8Intense
317.8Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Sāmarrā’

In seasonPeak

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

Sāmarrā’ sees seasonal dust haze (March–August), heaviest in May.

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

Is May a good time to visit Sāmarrā’?

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

2.1
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
5.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sāmarrā’.

What to pack for Sāmarrā’ in May

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

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

light clothessun protection

UV index in Sāmarrā’ 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 Sāmarrā’ 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 Sāmarrā’ 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 Sāmarrā’ is worst in March — around 59 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorUnhealthyPoorMar 1859 µg/m³Nov 1553 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan53Poor
Feb53Poor
Mar59Unhealthy
Apr55Poor
May58Unhealthy
Jun56Unhealthy
Jul56Unhealthy
Aug56Unhealthy
Sep55Poor
Oct55Poor
Nov53Poor
Dec55Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Sāmarrā’?

Sāmarrā’ sits at 34.2°N, 43.9°E, 80 m above sea level, in Iraq. The nearest listed city is Balad, 31 km away.

Al-'AlamKhālişBaqubahBayjīAl Fallūjah

Topography around Sāmarrā’

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sāmarrā’ has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 36 m around an average of 74 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 63 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 329 m.

The land around Sāmarrā’ is covered by artificial surfaces (50%) and bare terrain (31%) within 3 km, cropland (58%) and bare terrain (31%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (51%) and cropland (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
36 m
16 km
63 m
80 km
329 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Balad 31 km · Ad Dujayl 50 km · Tikrīt 50 km · Al-'Alam 60 km · Khāliş 74 km · Baqubah 83 km · Bayjī 89 km · Al Fallūjah 95 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 Sāmarrā’ (34.1959°, 43.8857°, elevation 80 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).