Dedza weather in May

In May, Dedza sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 13 mm of rain across 3.6 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of May to 11 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Dedza's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dedza's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
9th warmest
Overnight low
12°
4th coldest
Rainfall
13 mm
3.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
5:59 AM – 5:19 PM
Cloud cover
41%
6th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.09 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.2
out of 10

Dedza is human settlement.

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 23°C through the month.

A typical May day in Dedza reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12414
22413
32413
42413
52313
62313
72313
82313
92313
102313
112313
122313
132313
142312
152312
162312
172312
182312
192312
202312
212312
222312
232312
242312
252212
262212
272212
282212
292212
302211
312211

Dedza 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° / 17°34727.712.83.9
Feb25° / 17°25922.412.54.4
Mar25° / 17°20122.212.14.9
Apr24° / 15°5410.211.77.0
May23° / 12°133.611.38.2
Jun21° / 10°51.611.28.1
Jul21° / 10°62.211.27.9
Aug23° / 11°51.311.58.6
Sep25° / 14°61.511.98.7
Oct27° / 16°326.212.37.5
Nov27° / 18°10013.912.76.0
Dec25° / 17°26824.912.84.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 27% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 25%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27327
37327
47327
57426
67426
77426
87426
97525
107525
117525
127525
137426
147426
157426
167426
177426
187426
197525
207525
217525
227624
237624
247624
257624
267624
277723
287723
297723
307723
317921

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Dedza gets around 13 mm of rain over 3.6 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 11% and peaks near 17% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
216
316
415
515
614
713
813
912
1012
1111
1211
1311
1411
1511
1611
1710
1810
1910
2010
2110
2210
2310
2410
2510
2610
279
289
299
308
318

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 68% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1464112
2494011
3513910
453389
556377
657367
759356
861345
963334
1065323
1166313
1268302
1368302
1470291
1571281
1671281
1772271
1873261
1974260
2074260
2174260
2274260
2375250
2475250
2576240
2677230
2778220
2879210
2981190
3082180
3184160

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 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
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 30 min at the start of May to 11 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:55 AM to 6:03 AM, and sunset from 5:25 PM to 5:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.55:555:25
211.55:555:24
311.55:565:24
411.55:565:23
511.45:565:23
611.45:565:22
711.45:565:22
811.45:575:22
911.45:575:21
1011.45:575:21
1111.45:575:21
1211.45:585:20
1311.45:585:20
1411.45:585:20
1511.35:595:19
1611.35:595:19
1711.35:595:19
1811.35:595:18
1911.36:005:18
2011.36:005:18
2111.36:005:18
2211.36:015:18
2311.36:015:17
2411.36:015:17
2511.36:025:17
2611.36:025:17
2711.26:025:17
2811.26:035:17
2911.26:035:17
3011.26:035:17
3111.26:035:17

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.09 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.71 kWh/m² to a high of 6.88 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.09 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.2Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.1Bright
165.1Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.0Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
245.0Bright
254.9Bright
264.9Bright
274.9Bright
284.9Bright
294.9Bright
304.9Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Dedza

In seasonPeak

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

Dedza sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

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

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

Is May a good time to visit Dedza?

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

8.2
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
6.2
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Dedza in May

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

In May, Dedza sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 4 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Dedza in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dedza peaks around January 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 19UV 16Jun 19UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Dedza 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 Dedza is worst in September — around 33 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.1× the cleanest month (December, 10 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1232 µg/m³Dec 2310 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul24Moderate
Aug30Moderate
Sep33Moderate
Oct24Moderate
Nov14Moderate
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Dedza?

Dedza sits at 14.4°S, 34.3°E, 1,608 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Ulongué, 38 km away.

NtcheuSalimaMonkey BayLilongweBalakaMangochiMponela

Topography around Dedza

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Dedza has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 638 m around an average of 1,607 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,124 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,693 m.

The land around Dedza is covered by cropland (49%) and trees (20%) within 3 km, cropland (73%) within 16 km, and cropland (54%) within 80 km.

3 km
638 m
16 km
1,124 m
80 km
1,693 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Ulongué 38 km · Ntcheu 59 km · Salima 68 km · Monkey Bay 71 km · Lilongwe 75 km · Balaka 95 km · Mangochi 101 km · Mponela 114 km

Malawi travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 53% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$672
2025
Happiness
3.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
18%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.8
per 100k, 2012
Road deaths
33.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 465
Religion
Protestant 34%other Christian 27%Roman Catholic 17%Muslim 14%

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 Dedza (-14.3779°, 34.3332°, elevation 1,608 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).