Soran weather in May

In May, Soran sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 60 mm of rain across 8.7 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 21°C in the first days to 27°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Soran's 6th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Soran's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
5th warmest
Overnight low
12°
8th coldest
Rainfall
60 mm
8.7 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
5:00 AM – 6:57 PM
Cloud cover
37%
6th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
7.02 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Soran is District in Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region, 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 21°C in the first days to 27°C by the end.

A typical May day in Soran reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 6°C warmer than April and about 7°C cooler than June.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1219
2219
32110
42110
52210
62210
72210
82210
92210
102311
112311
122311
132311
142411
152411
162412
172412
182512
192512
202512
212512
222613
232613
242613
252713
262713
272713
282714
292714
302814
312814

How May really feels in Soran

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 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
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Soran weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -3°15011.88.89.80.5
Feb / -2°15612.47.610.61.2
Mar13° / 16913.94.311.73.2
Apr18° / 13212.90.312.95.5
May24° / 12°608.7013.97.3
Jun31° / 17°51.5014.55.9
Jul36° / 20°20.6014.33.1
Aug36° / 20°10.3013.43.0
Sep31° / 15°30.7012.26.0
Oct24° / 10°455011.18.0
Nov15° / 1008.60.7104.8
Dec / -1°1331059.51.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 24%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16337
26436
36436
46535
56535
66535
76634
86733
96832
106931
117030
127129
137327
147426
157624
167624
177822
188020
198020
208119
218218
228317
238317
248515
258515
268614
278614
288713
298713
308911
318911

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Soran gets around 60 mm of rain over 8.7 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 27% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
140
239
339
438
538
637
737
836
936
1035
1134
1233
1331
1430
1529
1628
1727
1826
1924
2023
2122
2221
2320
2419
2518
2617
2716
2815
2914
3013
3112

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23982
24982
25982
26982
27982
28982
29982
30982
31982

Wind in May

Winds average 5 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 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 5:15 AM to 4:50 AM, and sunset from 6:43 PM to 7:08 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:156:43
213.55:136:44
313.55:126:45
413.65:116:46
513.65:106:47
613.65:096:48
713.75:086:49
813.75:076:50
913.75:066:50
1013.85:056:51
1113.85:046:52
1213.85:036:53
1313.95:026:54
1413.95:016:55
1513.95:006:56
1613.95:006:57
1714.04:596:57
1814.04:586:58
1914.04:576:59
2014.14:577:00
2114.14:567:01
2214.14:557:01
2314.14:557:02
2414.24:547:03
2514.24:537:04
2614.24:537:05
2714.24:527:05
2814.24:527:06
2914.34:517:07
3014.34:517:07
3114.34:507:08

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.02 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.25 kWh/m² to a high of 7.87 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.02 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.5Intense
46.5Intense
56.5Intense
66.6Intense
76.6Intense
86.7Intense
96.7Intense
106.8Intense
116.8Intense
126.9Intense
136.9Intense
147.0Intense
157.0Intense
167.1Intense
177.1Intense
187.2Intense
197.2Intense
207.2Intense
217.3Intense
227.3Intense
237.3Intense
247.4Intense
257.4Intense
267.5Intense
277.5Intense
287.5Intense
297.5Intense
307.6Intense
317.6Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Soran

In seasonPeak

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

Soran's rainy season runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Soran sees seasonal dust haze (May), heaviest in May.

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

Is May a good time to visit Soran?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.2
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Soran for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Soran in May

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

In May, Soran sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 12°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

UV index in Soran in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Soran peaks around June 21 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 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 highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 21UV 11Jan 1UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May9Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Soran 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 Soran is worst in April — around 38 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateApr 1338 µg/m³Dec 1325 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan26Moderate
Feb30Moderate
Mar37Poor
Apr38Poor
May37Poor
Jun30Moderate
Jul29Moderate
Aug29Moderate
Sep28Moderate
Oct29Moderate
Nov25Moderate
Dec25Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Soran?

Soran sits at 36.7°N, 44.5°E, 741 m above sea level, in Iraq. The nearest listed city is Ṟuwandiz, 5.0 km away.

HajiawaPiranshahrRānyah

Topography around Soran

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Soran has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 792 m around an average of 714 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,150 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,445 m.

The land around Soran is covered by grassland (39%) and artificial surfaces (36%) within 3 km, grassland (76%) within 16 km, and grassland (70%) within 80 km.

3 km
792 m
16 km
2,150 m
80 km
3,445 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Ṟuwandiz 5.0 km · Khalīfān 13 km · Ḩarir 21 km · Shaqlāwah 34 km · Pīrmām 43 km · Hajiawa 52 km · Piranshahr 54 km · Rānyah 54 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 Soran (36.6556°, 44.5422°, elevation 741 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).