Benghazi weather in May

In May, Benghazi sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 2 mm of rain across 0.7 wet days and about 13.6 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 26°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 12 min at the start of May to 13 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Benghazi's 5th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Benghazi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
6th warmest
Overnight low
19°
7th coldest
Rainfall
2 mm
0.7 wet days
Daylight
13 h 36 min
5:47 AM – 7:25 PM
Cloud cover
26%
5th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
7.3 kWh/m²
Travel score
9.0
out of 10

Benghazi is second largest city in Libya.

Density
2,412/km²
people per km²
Founded
~524 BCE

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 23°C in the first days to 26°C by the end.

A typical May day in Benghazi reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12317
22317
32317
42417
52417
62417
72418
82418
92418
102418
112418
122418
132418
142518
152518
162519
172519
182519
192519
202519
212519
222519
232519
242519
252619
262620
272620
282620
292620
302620
312620

How May really feels in Benghazi

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.

Benghazi weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan17° / 12°397.610.15.8
Feb17° / 12°305.610.86.1
Mar19° / 13°153.411.87.4
Apr22° / 16°41.112.88.5
May25° / 19°20.713.69.0
Jun27° / 22°10.214.18.8
Jul29° / 24°0013.97.9
Aug30° / 25°0013.27.3
Sep29° / 23°20.512.27.8
Oct26° / 21°112.111.28.5
Nov22° / 17°173.610.48.0
Dec18° / 14°437.69.96.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 17%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18317
28317
38416
48416
58416
68416
78416
88416
98416
108317
118317
128317
138218
148218
158119
168119
178119
188119
198119
208119
218119
228218
238218
248317
258416
268416
278416
288515
298614
308713
318713

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Benghazi gets around 2 mm of rain over 0.7 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 2% and peaks near 3% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
13
23
33
43
53
63
73
83
92
102
112
122
132
142
152
162
171
181
191
201
211
221
231
241
252
262
272
282
292
302
312

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 46% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1742420
2722530
3712630
4682840
5672940
6653050
7633160
8613270
9603370
10583480
11563590
125337100
135238100
145039110
154840120
164641130
174342140
184243150
194044170
203844180
213644200
223444211
233244231
243044251
252844271
262644282
272444302
282243322
292143343
301943353
311842373

Wind in May

Winds average 18 km/h in May.

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
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 12 min at the start of May to 13 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:00 AM to 5:39 AM, and sunset from 7:14 PM to 7:35 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.26:007:14
213.35:597:15
313.35:587:16
413.35:577:16
513.45:567:17
613.45:557:18
713.45:547:19
813.45:537:19
913.55:527:20
1013.55:517:21
1113.55:517:22
1213.55:507:22
1313.65:497:23
1413.65:487:24
1513.65:487:24
1613.65:477:25
1713.75:467:26
1813.75:467:27
1913.75:457:27
2013.75:447:28
2113.75:447:29
2213.85:437:29
2313.85:437:30
2413.85:427:31
2513.85:427:31
2613.85:417:32
2713.95:417:33
2813.95:407:33
2913.95:407:34
3013.95:407:34
3113.95:397:35

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.3 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.73 kWh/m² to a high of 7.76 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.3 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.0Intense
27.0Intense
37.1Intense
47.1Intense
57.1Intense
67.1Intense
77.2Intense
87.2Intense
97.2Intense
107.2Intense
117.2Intense
127.3Intense
137.3Intense
147.3Intense
157.3Intense
167.3Intense
177.3Intense
187.3Intense
197.3Intense
207.4Intense
217.4Intense
227.4Intense
237.4Intense
247.4Intense
257.4Intense
267.5Intense
277.5Intense
287.5Intense
297.5Intense
307.5Intense
317.5Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Benghazi

In seasonPeak

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

Benghazi sees seasonal dust haze (April–May), heaviest in April.

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

Is May a good time to visit Benghazi?

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

9.0
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.9
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Benghazi in May

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

In May, Benghazi sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 19°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes.

sun protectionlight clothes

Sea temperature near Benghazi in May

The nearest coast averages about 19°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 18 km away) is warmest in August at about 27°C and coldest in March near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 23 to Dec 19 — about 6.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan18Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr18Cool
May19Cool
Jun22Refreshing
Jul25Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct25Warm
Nov23Refreshing
Dec20Refreshing

UV index in Benghazi 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 Benghazi peaks around August 12 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 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 highVery highVery highHighModerateAug 12UV 10Jan 10UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7Very high
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct7High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Benghazi 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 Benghazi is worst in April — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (August, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateApr 1327 µg/m³Aug 119 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan20Moderate
Feb25Moderate
Mar24Moderate
Apr28Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun12Good
Jul9Good
Aug9Good
Sep11Good
Oct16Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Benghazi?

Benghazi sits at 32.1°N, 20.1°E, 3 m above sea level, in Libya. The nearest listed city is Al Abyār, 50 km away.

Az ZuwaytīnahAjdabiyaAl Bayḑā’ShahhatAl Burayqah

Topography around Benghazi

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Benghazi has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 23 m around an average of 5 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 89 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 648 m.

The land around Benghazi is covered by artificial surfaces (48%) and water (33%) within 3 km, water (49%) and grassland (20%) within 16 km, and water (39%) and bare terrain (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
23 m
16 km
89 m
80 km
648 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Al Abyār 50 km · Qaryat Sulūq 53 km · Al Marj 83 km · Az Zuwaytīnah 129 km · Ajdabiya 152 km · Al Bayḑā’ 174 km · Shahhat 185 km · Al Burayqah 196 km

Libya travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F / L
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 39% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,449
2025
Happiness
5.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Road deaths
21.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 395
Religion
Muslim 97%Christian 3%

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 Benghazi (32.1149°, 20.0686°, elevation 3 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).