Balqash weather in May

In May, Balqash sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 14 mm of rain across 3.3 wet days and about 14.8 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 18°C in the first days to 24°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Balqash's 5th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Balqash's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
4th warmest
Overnight low
13°
9th coldest
Rainfall
14 mm
3.3 wet days
Daylight
14 h 48 min
5:32 AM – 8:21 PM
Cloud cover
41%
5th clearest
Wind
19 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
6.84 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.9
out of 10

Balqash is city in Kazakhstan.

Density
354/km²
people per km²
Founded
1932

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 18°C in the first days to 24°C by the end.

A typical May day in Balqash reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 10°C warmer than April and about 6°C cooler than June.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1179
2179
31810
41810
51810
61911
71911
82011
92012
102012
112112
122113
132113
142113
152213
162214
172214
182214
192214
202314
212315
222315
232315
242315
252415
262416
272416
282416
292416
302516
312517

How May really feels in Balqash

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.

Balqash weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-9° / -14°1043.98.80.0
Feb-6° / -12°103.22.7100.0
Mar / -5°143.91.111.60.1
Apr12° / 112.80.313.33.6
May21° / 13°143.3014.87.9
Jun27° / 19°154015.67.5
Jul29° / 21°153.3015.36.9
Aug27° / 19°62.20148.2
Sep20° / 13°41.1012.48.1
Oct11° / 103.20.210.63.6
Nov / -3°164.11.59.20.1
Dec-6° / -11°133.63.38.40.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16535
26634
36634
46733
56733
66733
76832
86832
96832
106832
116832
126931
136931
146931
156931
167030
177030
187030
197030
207030
217030
227030
237030
247129
257030
267030
277129
287030
297030
307030
317030

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Balqash gets around 14 mm of rain over 3.3 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 11% and peaks near 12% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
19
210
310
410
510
610
710
810
910
1010
1110
1211
1311
1411
1511
1611
1711
1811
1911
2011
2111
2211
2311
2411
2511
2611
2711
2811
2911
3011
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 89% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19820
29730
39730
49730
59640
69550
79550
89361
99271
109271
119181
129181
139091
149091
1589101
1689101
1789101
1889101
1988111
2088111
2188111
2286122
2386122
2485132
2583143
2683143
2781154
2880164
2978175
3076186
3174206

Wind in May

Winds average 19 km/h in May, the windiest month of the year.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 19 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
119light breeze
219light breeze
319light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2119light breeze
2219light breeze
2319light breeze
2419light breeze
2519light breeze
2619light breeze
2719light breeze
2819light breeze
2919light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 72 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:53 AM to 5:17 AM, and sunset from 8:01 PM to 8:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.15:538:01
214.25:528:03
314.25:508:04
414.35:488:05
514.35:478:07
614.45:458:08
714.45:448:09
814.55:428:11
914.55:418:12
1014.65:398:13
1114.65:388:15
1214.75:378:16
1314.75:358:17
1414.75:348:19
1514.85:338:20
1614.85:328:21
1714.95:308:22
1814.95:298:24
1914.95:288:25
2015.05:278:26
2115.05:268:27
2215.15:258:28
2315.15:248:29
2415.15:238:31
2515.25:228:32
2615.25:218:33
2715.25:208:34
2815.35:198:35
2915.35:188:36
3015.35:188:37
3115.35:178:38

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.84 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.34 kWh/m² to a high of 7.17 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.84 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.5Intense
36.5Intense
46.5Intense
56.6Intense
66.6Intense
76.6Intense
86.7Intense
96.7Intense
106.7Intense
116.7Intense
126.8Intense
136.8Intense
146.8Intense
156.8Intense
166.9Intense
176.9Intense
186.9Intense
196.9Intense
206.9Intense
217.0Intense
227.0Intense
237.0Intense
247.0Intense
257.0Intense
267.0Intense
277.0Intense
287.1Intense
297.1Intense
307.1Intense
317.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Balqash?

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

7.9
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
5.0
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Balqash for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Balqash in May

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

In May, Balqash sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 13°C. Pack sun protection. About 3 days see rain.

sun protection

UV index in Balqash in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Balqash peaks around August 10 at about 7 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highVery highModerateLowAug 10UV 7Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Balqash 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 Balqash is worst in April — around 46 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 6.3× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodApr 1743 µg/m³Dec 228 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb11Good
Mar17Moderate
Apr46Poor
May23Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct21Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Balqash?

Balqash sits at 46.8°N, 75.0°E, 372 m above sea level, in Kazakhstan. The nearest listed city is Ushtobe, 292 km away.

UshtobeTaldykorganAbayKaragandyTekeliShakhtinskSaranKonayev

Topography around Balqash

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Balqash has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 72 m around an average of 369 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 428 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,084 m.

The land around Balqash is covered by bare terrain (35%), artificial surfaces (28%) and grassland (23%) within 3 km, grassland (50%) and water (29%) within 16 km, and grassland (60%) and water (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
72 m
16 km
428 m
80 km
1,084 m
shrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Ushtobe 292 km · Taldykorgan 332 km · Abay 348 km · Karagandy 357 km · Tekeli 364 km · Shakhtinsk 364 km · Saran 365 km · Konayev 369 km

Kazakhstan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 33% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$14,692
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
92%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.6
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 417
Religion
Muslim 69%Christian 17%non-believers 2%Buddhism 0%

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 Balqash (46.8455°, 74.9821°, elevation 372 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).