Baalbek weather in May

In May, Baalbek sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 24 mm of rain across 6.1 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 19°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% 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 Baalbek's 5th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Baalbek's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
5th warmest
Overnight low
10°
7th coldest
Rainfall
24 mm
6.1 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
4:38 AM – 6:24 PM
Cloud cover
28%
5th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.45 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.7
out of 10

Baalbek is city in Baalbek-Hermel, Lebanon.

Density
826/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 19°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical May day in Baalbek reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 5°C warmer than April and about 5°C cooler than June.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1187
2188
3198
4198
5198
6198
7198
8209
9209
10209
11209
12209
13209
142110
152110
162110
172110
182110
192210
202210
212211
222211
232211
242311
252311
262311
272311
282311
292312
302412
312412

How May really feels in Baalbek

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.

Baalbek 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 / -2°6811.58100.3
Feb / -1°6210.27.110.70.8
Mar11° / 529.4411.72.7
Apr16° / 317.70.612.85.4
May21° / 10°246.1013.77.7
Jun26° / 14°41.1014.29.1
Jul29° / 17°20.40147.8
Aug29° / 17°20.7013.37.6
Sep26° / 14°51.7012.29.0
Oct21° / 10°205.4011.17.7
Nov14° / 356.50.610.24.5
Dec / 518.83.89.81.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 13%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17822
27822
37921
48020
58020
68119
78119
88317
98317
108317
118416
128416
138515
148614
158614
168713
178812
188812
198812
208911
219010
229010
239010
24928
25928
26928
27928
28946
29946
30946
31946

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Baalbek gets around 24 mm of rain over 6.1 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 19% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
125
225
325
426
526
626
726
825
925
1024
1124
1223
1322
1422
1521
1620
1719
1818
1917
2016
2115
2214
2314
2413
2513
2612
2712
2812
2911
3011
3111

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

Winds average 7 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

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 4:52 AM to 4:30 AM, and sunset from 6:13 PM to 6:35 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.34:526:13
213.44:516:13
313.44:506:14
413.44:496:15
513.54:486:16
613.54:476:16
713.54:466:17
813.54:456:18
913.64:446:19
1013.64:436:20
1113.64:426:20
1213.74:426:21
1313.74:416:22
1413.74:406:23
1513.74:396:23
1613.84:386:24
1713.84:386:25
1813.84:376:26
1913.84:366:27
2013.94:366:27
2113.94:356:28
2213.94:346:29
2313.94:346:29
2413.94:336:30
2514.04:336:31
2614.04:326:32
2714.04:326:32
2814.04:316:33
2914.04:316:34
3014.14:316:34
3114.14:306:35

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.45 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.78 kWh/m² to a high of 8.2 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.45 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.0Intense
27.0Intense
37.0Intense
47.1Intense
57.1Intense
67.1Intense
77.1Intense
87.2Intense
97.2Intense
107.2Intense
117.3Intense
127.3Intense
137.3Intense
147.4Intense
157.4Intense
167.5Intense
177.5Intense
187.5Intense
197.6Intense
207.6Intense
217.7Intense
227.7Intense
237.7Intense
247.8Intense
257.8Intense
267.8Intense
277.8Intense
287.9Intense
297.9Intense
307.9Intense
317.9Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Baalbek?

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

7.7
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
4.7
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Baalbek in May

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

In May, Baalbek sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 10°C. Pack sun protection. About 6 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Baalbek in May

The nearest coast averages about 21°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 56 km away) is warmest in August at about 28°C and coldest in February near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 3 to Dec 23 — about 7.7 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr19Cool
May21Refreshing
Jun25Warm
Jul27Warm
Aug28Tropical
Sep28Warm
Oct26Warm
Nov23Refreshing
Dec21Refreshing

UV index in Baalbek 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 Baalbek peaks around June 21 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 21UV 12Jan 12UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr8Very high
May9Very high
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep10Very high
Oct7High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Baalbek 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 Baalbek is worst in November — around 58 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 1.9× the cleanest month (July, 31 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorPoorModeratePoorUnhealthyNov 2258 µg/m³Jul 2231 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan52Poor
Feb57Unhealthy
Mar52Poor
Apr54Poor
May44Poor
Jun35Poor
Jul31Moderate
Aug31Moderate
Sep41Poor
Oct51Poor
Nov58Unhealthy
Dec57Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Baalbek?

Baalbek sits at 34.0°N, 36.2°E, 1,183 m above sea level, in Lebanon. The nearest listed city is Chmistâr, 19 km away.

ChmistârAarsâlAz ZabadānīBsharriZahleYabrūdAt TallEl Hermel

Topography around Baalbek

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Baalbek has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 483 m around an average of 1,235 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,505 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,068 m.

The land around Baalbek is covered by grassland (55%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 3 km, grassland (59%) and cropland (25%) within 16 km, and grassland (36%) and bare terrain (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
483 m
16 km
1,505 m
80 km
3,068 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Chmistâr 19 km · Aarsâl 27 km · Az Zabadānī 33 km · Bsharri 33 km · Zahle 34 km · Yabrūd 41 km · At Tall 45 km · El Hermel 46 km

Lebanon travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / D / G
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 38% of US
price level, 2024
GDP per capita
$4,473
2024
Happiness
3.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
48%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.2
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
16.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 477
Religion
Muslim 68%Christian 32%Druze 5%

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 Baalbek (34.0058°, 36.2181°, elevation 1,183 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).