Ambalavao weather in May

In May, Ambalavao sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 26 mm of rain across 6.8 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 12 min at the start of May to 10 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Ambalavao's 5th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ambalavao's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
9th warmest
Overnight low
13°
5th coldest
Rainfall
26 mm
6.8 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:20 AM – 5:17 PM
Cloud cover
50%
5th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.07 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical May day in Ambalavao reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12314
22314
32314
42314
52314
62314
72314
82214
92214
102214
112214
122214
132214
142214
152213
162213
172213
182213
192213
202213
212213
222213
232213
242213
252213
262113
272112
282112
292112
302112
312112

Ambalavao weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 18°27124.213.24.5
Feb25° / 18°21420.912.84.6
Mar25° / 17°14719.212.25.4
Apr24° / 16°5312.111.56.7
May22° / 13°266.8117.3
Jun20° / 11°185.210.77.2
Jul19° / 10°246.610.86.8
Aug20° / 10°123.911.37.5
Sep23° / 12°144.511.97.9
Oct25° / 14°459.112.57.4
Nov26° / 16°9214.5136.0
Dec26° / 17°19020.313.35.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 39%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16040
25941
35941
45941
55842
65842
75842
85743
95743
105743
115644
125644
135644
145743
155743
165743
175842
185941
195941
206139
216139
226337
236337
246436
256535
266634
276733
286832
296931
306931
316931

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Ambalavao gets around 26 mm of rain over 6.8 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 22% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
228
328
427
527
627
726
826
925
1025
1125
1224
1324
1423
1523
1622
1722
1821
1920
2020
2119
2219
2318
2418
2518
2618
2718
2818
2917
3017
3117

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the comfortable band about 58% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
11660231
21761211
31764181
41865161
51965151
62066131
72166121
82365111
92464111
102564101
11276391
12286381
13306181
14316171
15335971
16346060
17365950
18375850
19395740
20405730
21415630
22435430
23445420
24455320
25475120
26485020
27504910
28524710
29544510
30564310
31584110

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 min at the start of May to 10 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:13 AM to 6:26 AM, and sunset from 5:26 PM to 5:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.26:135:26
211.26:145:25
311.26:145:24
411.26:155:24
511.16:155:23
611.16:155:22
711.16:165:22
811.16:165:21
911.16:175:21
1011.16:175:20
1111.06:185:20
1211.06:185:19
1311.06:185:19
1411.06:195:18
1511.06:195:18
1611.06:205:17
1710.96:205:17
1810.96:215:16
1910.96:215:16
2010.96:225:16
2110.96:225:15
2210.96:225:15
2310.96:235:15
2410.96:235:14
2510.86:245:14
2610.86:245:14
2710.86:255:14
2810.86:255:13
2910.86:265:13
3010.86:265:13
3110.86:265:13

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.07 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.72 kWh/m² to a high of 6.57 kWh/m² in November across the year — May's 4.07 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.3Bright
74.2Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.1Bright
114.1Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.1Bright
154.0Bright
164.0Bright
174.0Bright
184.0Bright
194.0Bright
204.0Moderate
214.0Moderate
224.0Moderate
234.0Moderate
244.0Moderate
254.0Moderate
264.0Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.9Moderate
303.9Moderate
313.9Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Ambalavao

In seasonPeak

None of Ambalavao's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Ambalavao's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Ambalavao?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
5.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Ambalavao in May

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

In May, Ambalavao sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 7 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in Ambalavao 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 Ambalavao peaks around February 12 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeFeb 12UV 16Jun 18UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr10Extreme
May7Very high
Jun6High
Jul7High
Aug8Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec15Extreme

Air quality in Ambalavao 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 Ambalavao is worst in October — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.7× the cleanest month (February, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodOct 1721 µg/m³Feb 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb6Good
Mar7Good
Apr10Good
May15Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct22Moderate
Nov16Moderate
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Ambalavao?

Ambalavao sits at 21.8°S, 46.9°E, 1,009 m above sea level, in Madagascar. The nearest listed city is Fianarantsoa, 45 km away.

IkalamavonyIfanadianaAmboanjoIhosyVohipeno

Topography around Ambalavao

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ambalavao has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 140 m around an average of 969 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,185 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,594 m.

The land around Ambalavao is covered by grassland (57%) and cropland (35%) within 3 km, grassland (75%) and cropland (23%) within 16 km, and grassland (69%) within 80 km.

3 km
140 m
16 km
1,185 m
80 km
2,594 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
May weather nearby: Fianarantsoa 45 km · Ikongo 52 km · Ivohibe 72 km · Ikalamavony 84 km · Ifanadiana 94 km · Amboanjo 96 km · Ihosy 105 km · Vohipeno 109 km

Madagascar travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 31% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$599
2025
Happiness
4.2 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
22%
of population, 2024
Road deaths
29.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 457
Religion
Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/Malagasy Lutheran Church/Anglican Church 34%Roman Catholic 32%none 22%other Christian 8%

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 Ambalavao (-21.8333°, 46.9333°, elevation 1,009 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).