Nouadhibou weather in May

In May, Nouadhibou sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 0 mm of rain across 0.1 wet days and about 13 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 80% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of May to 13 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Nouadhibou's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nouadhibou's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
7th warmest
Overnight low
18°
6th coldest
Rainfall
0 mm
0.1 wet days
Daylight
13 hours
6:35 AM – 7:34 PM
Cloud cover
19%
4th clearest
Wind
30 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.6 kWh/m²
Travel score
9.1
out of 10

Nouadhibou is city in Mauritania.

Founded
1906

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 22°C through the month.

A typical May day in Nouadhibou reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 1°C cooler than June.

15°18°20°23°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12218
22218
32218
42218
52218
62218
72218
82218
92218
102218
112218
122218
132218
142218
152218
162318
172318
182318
192318
202318
212318
222318
232318
242318
252318
262318
272318
282319
292319
302319
312319

Nouadhibou weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 16°30.510.98.5
Feb21° / 17°10.311.38.6
Mar22° / 17°20.211.98.9
Apr22° / 18°00.112.58.8
May22° / 18°00.1139.1
Jun24° / 19°0013.29.6
Jul24° / 21°0013.19.7
Aug26° / 22°20.212.79.2
Sep27° / 23°20.512.18.8
Oct25° / 21°40.511.58.9
Nov23° / 19°10.2118.9
Dec22° / 17°10.210.88.5

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 80% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 8% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 11%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18515
28515
38515
48614
58713
68713
78713
88812
98812
108812
118911
128911
138911
148911
158911
168911
178911
188911
198911
208911
218911
228911
238911
248911
258911
269010
279010
289010
29919
30919
31919

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Nouadhibou gets around 0 mm of rain over 0.1 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 0% and peaks near 1% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
11
21
31
41
51
61
71
81
91
101
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
200
210
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the humid band about 49% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1556390
2555400
3555400
4554410
5554410
6554410
7554410
8554410
9554410
10455410
11454420
12454420
13453430
14353440
15353440
16352450
17252460
18250480
19149490
20148510
21147520
22145540
23043570
24042580
25040591
26039601
27037621
28036631
29034651
30032671
31031681

Wind in May

Winds average 30 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 29 km/h on the calmest days to 31 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
129windy
229windy
329windy
429windy
529windy
630windy
730windy
830windy
930windy
1030windy
1130windy
1230windy
1330windy
1430windy
1530windy
1630windy
1730windy
1830windy
1931windy
2031windy
2131windy
2231windy
2331windy
2431windy
2531windy
2631windy
2731windy
2831windy
2931windy
3031windy
3131windy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of May to 13 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:43 AM to 6:30 AM, and sunset from 7:28 PM to 7:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.86:437:28
212.86:427:28
312.86:417:29
412.86:417:29
512.86:407:30
612.86:407:30
712.96:397:30
812.96:387:31
912.96:387:31
1012.96:377:32
1112.96:377:32
1212.96:367:33
1313.06:367:33
1413.06:357:33
1513.06:357:34
1613.06:357:34
1713.06:347:35
1813.06:347:35
1913.06:337:35
2013.06:337:36
2113.16:337:36
2213.16:327:37
2313.16:327:37
2413.16:327:38
2513.16:327:38
2613.16:317:38
2713.16:317:39
2813.16:317:39
2913.16:317:40
3013.26:317:40
3113.26:307:41

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.6 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.53 kWh/m² to a high of 7.6 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 7.6 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.5Intense
27.5Intense
37.5Intense
47.5Intense
57.5Intense
67.6Intense
77.6Intense
87.6Intense
97.6Intense
107.6Intense
117.6Intense
127.6Intense
137.6Intense
147.6Intense
157.6Intense
167.6Intense
177.6Intense
187.6Intense
197.6Intense
207.6Intense
217.6Intense
227.6Intense
237.6Intense
247.6Intense
257.6Intense
267.6Intense
277.6Intense
287.6Intense
297.6Intense
307.6Intense
317.6Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Nouadhibou

In seasonPeak

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

Nouadhibou sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Nouadhibou sees seasonal dust haze (May–October), heaviest in July.

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

Is May a good time to visit Nouadhibou?

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

9.1
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Nouadhibou in May

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

In May, Nouadhibou sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 18°C. Pack sun protection and a windbreaker. Worth having: light clothes.

sun protectiona windbreakerlight clothes

Sea temperature near Nouadhibou in May

The nearest coast averages about 18°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in September at about 23°C and coldest in January near 18°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 6 to Nov 9 — about 4.2 months when the water holds above 20°C.

16°18°20°22°24°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan18Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar18Cool
Apr18Cool
May18Cool
Jun19Cool
Jul21Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep23Refreshing
Oct21Refreshing
Nov20Cool
Dec19Cool

UV index in Nouadhibou 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 Nouadhibou peaks around March 21 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highHighMar 21UV 10Dec 19UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb9Very high
Mar10Very high
Apr10Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov7High
Dec5High

Air quality in Nouadhibou 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 Nouadhibou is worst in January — around 68 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 3.0× the cleanest month (May, 22 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorModeratePoorModeratePoorUnhealthyJan 1267 µg/m³May 922 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan68Unhealthy
Feb57Unhealthy
Mar43Poor
Apr23Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun34Moderate
Jul32Moderate
Aug35Moderate
Sep40Poor
Oct34Moderate
Nov35Poor
Dec64Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Nouadhibou?

Nouadhibou sits at 20.9°N, 17.0°W, 16 m above sea level, in Mauritania. The nearest listed city is Akjoujt, 307 km away.

AkjoujtDakhlaTevragh ZeinaKsarDar NaimNouakchottAtarBoutilimitt

Topography around Nouadhibou

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Nouadhibou has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 21 m around an average of 7 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 29 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 71 m.

The land around Nouadhibou is covered by bare terrain (62%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 3 km, water (77%) and bare terrain (21%) within 16 km, and water (53%) and bare terrain (47%) within 80 km.

3 km
21 m
16 km
29 m
80 km
71 m
grasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Akjoujt 307 km · Dakhla 325 km · Tevragh Zeina 335 km · Ksar 336 km · Dar Naim 336 km · Nouakchott 336 km · Atar 418 km · Boutilimitt 451 km

Mauritania travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 31% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,198
2025
Happiness
4.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
1
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
25.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Muslim 100%

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 Nouadhibou (20.9419°, -17.0384°, elevation 16 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). 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).