Malaba weather in May

In May, Malaba sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 286 mm of rain across 25.3 wet days and about 12 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-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 8% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

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 Malaba's 9th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Malaba's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
10th warmest
Overnight low
18°
11th coldest
Rainfall
286 mm
25.3 wet days
Daylight
12 hours
6:38 AM – 6:40 PM
Cloud cover
75%
9th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.69 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

Malaba is place in Busia County, 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 Malaba reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 9°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)
12718
22718
32718
42718
52718
62718
72718
82718
92718
102718
112718
122718
132718
142718
152718
162718
172718
182718
192718
202718
212718
222718
232718
242718
252718
262718
272717
282717
292717
302717
312717

Malaba weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 10th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 17°10610.8125.6
Feb30° / 17°809.3125.2
Mar29° / 18°20116.6124.7
Apr27° / 18°31924.9124.0
May27° / 18°28625.3124.2
Jun26° / 17°17320.3124.9
Jul26° / 17°8514.9125.7
Aug27° / 17°8716.2125.5
Sep27° / 17°10016.4125.3
Oct27° / 18°15020.3124.8
Nov27° / 17°21019124.9
Dec27° / 17°16915.2125.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% 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 75%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11288
21288
31387
41387
51387
61387
71387
81486
91585
101684
111882
121882
132179
142278
152476
162476
172674
182773
192971
203070
213268
223367
233466
243565
253565
263763
273763
283862
293763
303763
313763

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Malaba gets around 286 mm of rain over 25.3 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 82% and peaks near 89% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
189
289
389
489
588
688
788
887
987
1086
1186
1285
1384
1484
1583
1682
1781
1880
1979
2078
2178
2277
2376
2476
2575
2675
2775
2875
2975
3075
3175

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the humid band about 57% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 43% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)
14852
24852
34753
44753
54654
64654
74654
84654
94654
104654
114753
124753
134852
144951
155050
165248
175347
185545
195743
205941
216139
226337
236535
246733
256931
267129
277228
287426
297525
307723
317822

Wind in May

Winds average 4 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

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 6:39 AM to 6:39 AM, and sunset from 6:41 PM to 6:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.06:396:41
212.06:396:41
312.06:396:41
412.06:396:40
512.06:396:40
612.06:396:40
712.06:396:40
812.06:396:40
912.06:396:40
1012.06:386:40
1112.06:386:40
1212.06:386:40
1312.06:386:40
1412.06:386:40
1512.06:386:40
1612.06:386:40
1712.06:386:40
1812.06:386:40
1912.06:386:40
2012.06:386:40
2112.06:386:40
2212.06:386:40
2312.06:386:40
2412.06:396:40
2512.06:396:41
2612.06:396:41
2712.06:396:41
2812.06:396:41
2912.06:396:41
3012.06:396:41
3112.06:396:41

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.69 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.44 kWh/m² to a high of 6.18 kWh/m² in February across the year — May's 4.69 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.5Bright
74.6Bright
84.6Bright
94.6Bright
104.6Bright
114.6Bright
124.6Bright
134.6Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.7Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.8Bright
224.8Bright
234.8Bright
244.8Bright
254.8Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Malaba?

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

4.2
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Malaba for sightseeing.

What to pack for Malaba in May

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

In May, Malaba sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 18°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 25 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Malaba 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 Malaba peaks around March 15 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 15UV 16Jun 18UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Malaba 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 Malaba is worst in December — around 83 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0306090JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyDec 1883 µg/m³Aug 2270 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan82Unhealthy
Feb80Unhealthy
Mar79Unhealthy
Apr74Unhealthy
May73Unhealthy
Jun78Unhealthy
Jul74Unhealthy
Aug70Unhealthy
Sep71Unhealthy
Oct75Unhealthy
Nov81Unhealthy
Dec83Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Malaba?

Malaba sits at 0.6°N, 34.3°E, 1,156 m above sea level, in Kenya. The nearest listed city is Malaba, 3.0 km away.

Topography around Malaba

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Malaba has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 108 m around an average of 1,158 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 443 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,250 m.

The land around Malaba is covered by shrubs (31%) and grassland (26%) within 3 km, cropland (35%), shrubs (31%) and grassland (20%) within 16 km, and shrubs (29%), cropland (28%) and trees (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
108 m
16 km
443 m
80 km
3,250 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Malaba 3.0 km · Tororo 13 km · Lugulu 27 km · Busia 27 km · Busia 28 km · Bungoma 32 km · Manafwa 35 km · Mumias 41 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 Malaba (0.6351°, 34.2816°, elevation 1,156 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).