Lilongwe weather in May

In May, Lilongwe sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 4 mm of rain across 0.7 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 25°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% 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 Lilongwe's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lilongwe's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
9th warmest
Overnight low
14°
4th coldest
Rainfall
4 mm
0.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
6:00 AM – 5:22 PM
Cloud cover
37%
6th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.17 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.7
out of 10

Lilongwe is capital of Malawi.

Density
1,533/km²
people per km²
Founded
1902

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 25°C through the month.

A typical May day in Lilongwe reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12615
22615
32615
42614
52614
62614
72614
82614
92614
102614
112614
122614
132614
142514
152514
162514
172514
182513
192513
202513
212513
222513
232513
242513
252513
262513
272513
282513
292513
302513
312413

Lilongwe 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
Jan26° / 18°2082512.74.2
Feb26° / 18°15820.212.54.6
Mar26° / 18°11317.212.15.4
Apr26° / 16°245.411.77.5
May25° / 14°40.711.48.7
Jun23° / 12°10.111.29.0
Jul23° / 11°10.211.38.8
Aug25° / 13°10.111.59.0
Sep28° / 15°10.311.98.3
Oct29° / 18°101.712.36.7
Nov30° / 19°397.412.65.4
Dec28° / 19°14219.312.84.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 22%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18020
27921
37921
47921
57921
67921
77921
87921
97822
107822
117822
127822
137723
147723
157723
167723
177624
187624
197723
207723
217723
227723
237822
247921
257921
267921
277921
288020
298020
308020
318119

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Lilongwe gets around 4 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 6% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
16
26
36
45
55
65
74
84
93
103
113
122
132
142
152
162
172
182
191
201
211
221
231
241
251
261
271
281
291
301
311

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 60% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1364420
2384418
3414316
4434315
5454213
6474112
7494011
8513910
953389
1054388
1156377
1257376
1359365
1460364
1561363
1662353
1764342
1864342
1965332
2065332
2166322
2266322
2367321
2468311
2569301
2670291
2771281
2873261
2975241
3077221
3179201

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
3110calm

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 5:57 AM to 6:05 AM, and sunset from 5:27 PM to 5:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.55:575:27
211.55:575:27
311.55:575:26
411.55:575:26
511.55:585:26
611.55:585:25
711.45:585:25
811.45:585:24
911.45:595:24
1011.45:595:24
1111.45:595:23
1211.45:595:23
1311.46:005:23
1411.46:005:22
1511.46:005:22
1611.46:005:22
1711.36:015:22
1811.36:015:21
1911.36:015:21
2011.36:025:21
2111.36:025:21
2211.36:025:20
2311.36:025:20
2411.36:035:20
2511.36:035:20
2611.36:035:20
2711.36:045:20
2811.36:045:20
2911.36:045:20
3011.26:055:20
3111.26:055:20

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.17 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.83 kWh/m² to a high of 6.91 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.17 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.3Bright
115.3Bright
125.3Bright
135.3Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.2Bright
185.2Bright
195.1Bright
205.1Bright
215.1Bright
225.1Bright
235.1Bright
245.0Bright
255.0Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Lilongwe

In seasonPeak

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

Lilongwe'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 Lilongwe?

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

8.7
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
7.9
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Lilongwe in May

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

In May, Lilongwe sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Lilongwe 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 Lilongwe peaks around January 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 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 18UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Lilongwe 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 Lilongwe is worst in August — around 39 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.8× the cleanest month (January, 14 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateAug 1938 µg/m³Jan 1214 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan14Moderate
Feb17Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May25Moderate
Jun28Moderate
Jul33Moderate
Aug39Poor
Sep36Poor
Oct25Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Lilongwe?

Lilongwe sits at 14.0°S, 33.8°E, 1,056 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Mponela, 49 km away.

MponelaDedzaSalimaMchinjiUlonguéKasunguMonkey BayNkhotakota

Topography around Lilongwe

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Lilongwe has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 94 m around an average of 1,056 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 287 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,693 m.

The land around Lilongwe is covered by artificial surfaces (41%) and trees (35%) within 3 km, cropland (61%) within 16 km, and cropland (63%) within 80 km.

3 km
94 m
16 km
287 m
80 km
1,693 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
May weather nearby: Mponela 49 km · Dedza 75 km · Salima 75 km · Mchinji 100 km · Ulongué 104 km · Kasungu 109 km · Monkey Bay 122 km · Nkhotakota 128 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 Lilongwe (-13.9669°, 33.7873°, elevation 1,056 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).