Busia weather in May

In May, Busia sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 276 mm of rain across 29 wet days and about 12 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 hours at the start of May to 12 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Busia's 9th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Busia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
9th warmest
Overnight low
19°
9th coldest
Rainfall
276 mm
29 wet days
Daylight
12 hours
6:39 AM – 6:40 PM
Cloud cover
74%
9th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
5.18 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.7
out of 10

Busia is town in Western Kenya.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical May day in Busia reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12719
22719
32719
42719
52719
62719
72719
82719
92719
102719
112719
122719
132719
142719
152719
162719
172719
182719
192719
202718
212718
222718
232718
242718
252718
262718
272718
282718
292718
302718
312718

Busia weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 9th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 18°11214.9125.1
Feb29° / 19°10914.7124.5
Mar29° / 19°21622.7124.1
Apr27° / 19°29127.5123.6
May27° / 19°27629123.7
Jun27° / 18°17724.3124.3
Jul27° / 17°13420.9124.9
Aug27° / 18°16823.9124.5
Sep27° / 18°18125.5124.1
Oct27° / 18°22028123.7
Nov27° / 18°21024.1124.1
Dec28° / 18°14219.2125.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% 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 74%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11387
21387
31387
41486
51585
61585
71585
81684
91783
101882
111981
122080
132278
142377
152476
162674
172773
182872
193070
203169
213268
223466
233565
243664
253763
263862
274060
284159
294159
304159
314258

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Busia gets around 276 mm of rain over 29 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 93% and peaks near 95% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
195
295
395
495
595
695
795
895
995
1095
1195
1294
1394
1494
1594
1693
1793
1893
1993
2092
2192
2292
2391
2491
2591
2691
2790
2890
2990
3090
3189

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 95% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 95% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1496
2397
3397
4397
5397
6397
7397
8397
9298
10298
11397
12397
13397
14397
15397
16397
17397
18496
19496
20496
21595
22694
23694
24793
25892
26991
271090
281189
291288
301387
311486

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 5 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
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 hours at the start of May to 12 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:40 AM to 6:40 AM, and sunset from 6:41 PM to 6:42 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.06:406:41
212.06:406:41
312.06:406:41
412.06:406:41
512.06:406:41
612.06:406:41
712.06:406:41
812.06:396:41
912.06:396:41
1012.06:396:40
1112.06:396:40
1212.06:396:40
1312.06:396:40
1412.06:396:40
1512.06:396:40
1612.06:396:40
1712.06:396:40
1812.06:396:40
1912.06:396:41
2012.06:396:41
2112.06:396:41
2212.06:396:41
2312.06:396:41
2412.06:396:41
2512.06:406:41
2612.06:406:41
2712.06:406:41
2812.06:406:41
2912.06:406:41
3012.06:406:42
3112.06:406:42

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.18 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.07 kWh/m² to a high of 6.34 kWh/m² in February across the year — May's 5.18 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
55.0Bright
65.0Bright
75.1Bright
85.1Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.1Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.2Bright
185.2Bright
195.2Bright
205.2Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.3Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.3Bright
295.3Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Busia?

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

3.7
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
3.8
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Busia.

What to pack for Busia in May

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

In May, Busia sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 19°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 29 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Busia in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Busia peaks around March 15 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 10 (extreme).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 15UV 15Jun 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Busia 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 Busia is worst in January — around 60 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorJan 1759 µg/m³Apr 1939 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan60Unhealthy
Feb54Poor
Mar45Poor
Apr38Poor
May41Poor
Jun48Poor
Jul52Poor
Aug47Poor
Sep43Poor
Oct45Poor
Nov50Poor
Dec54Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Busia?

Busia sits at 0.5°N, 34.1°E, 1,222 m above sea level, in Kenya. The nearest listed city is Busia, 2.0 km away.

Topography around Busia

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Busia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 79 m around an average of 1,203 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 362 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,664 m.

The land around Busia is covered by shrubs (31%), artificial surfaces (25%) and trees (23%) within 3 km, shrubs (43%) within 16 km, and shrubs (29%), cropland (22%) and trees (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
79 m
16 km
362 m
80 km
2,664 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Busia 2.0 km · Lugulu 23 km · Malaba 26 km · Tororo 27 km · Malaba 27 km · Namavundu 34 km · Bugiri 43 km · Mumias 44 km

Kenya travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,363
2025
Happiness
4.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.9
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
28.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 593
Religion
Christian 86%Muslim 11%other 2%none 2%

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 Busia (0.4601°, 34.1117°, elevation 1,222 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).