Zihuatanejo weather in May
In May, Zihuatanejo sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 16 mm of rain across 2.7 wet days and about 12.8 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of May to 13 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Zihuatanejo's 6th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Zihuatanejo's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 30°
- 1st warmest
- Overnight low
- 22°
- 7th coldest
- Rainfall
- 16 mm
- 2.7 wet days
- Daylight
- 12 h 48 min
- 6:18 AM – 7:07 PM
- Cloud cover
- 38%
- 6th clearest
- Wind
- 6 km/h
- 1st windiest
- Solar energy
- 7.06 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.8
- out of 10
Zihuatanejo is municipal seat of Zihuatanejo, State of Guerrero, Mexico.
- Founded
- 1520
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month.
A typical May day in Zihuatanejo reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 1°C warmer than June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Avg low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | 21 |
| 2 | 30 | 21 |
| 3 | 30 | 21 |
| 4 | 30 | 21 |
| 5 | 30 | 21 |
| 6 | 31 | 21 |
| 7 | 31 | 21 |
| 8 | 31 | 21 |
| 9 | 31 | 21 |
| 10 | 31 | 22 |
| 11 | 31 | 22 |
| 12 | 31 | 22 |
| 13 | 31 | 22 |
| 14 | 31 | 22 |
| 15 | 31 | 22 |
| 16 | 31 | 22 |
| 17 | 31 | 22 |
| 18 | 31 | 22 |
| 19 | 31 | 22 |
| 20 | 31 | 22 |
| 21 | 31 | 22 |
| 22 | 30 | 22 |
| 23 | 30 | 22 |
| 24 | 30 | 22 |
| 25 | 30 | 22 |
| 26 | 30 | 23 |
| 27 | 30 | 23 |
| 28 | 30 | 23 |
| 29 | 30 | 23 |
| 30 | 30 | 23 |
| 31 | 30 | 23 |
How May really feels in Zihuatanejo
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 14 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Zihuatanejo weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 1st-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28° / 19° | 11 | 1.1 | 11.1 | 7.4 |
| Feb | 29° / 19° | 5 | 0.4 | 11.4 | 7.4 |
| Mar | 29° / 19° | 9 | 0.4 | 11.9 | 7.2 |
| Apr | 30° / 20° | 0 | 0 | 12.4 | 6.7 |
| May | 30° / 22° | 16 | 2.7 | 12.8 | 5.8 |
| Jun | 30° / 23° | 187 | 17.3 | 13 | 4.2 |
| Jul | 30° / 24° | 178 | 20.8 | 13 | 3.8 |
| Aug | 29° / 23° | 231 | 22 | 12.6 | 3.7 |
| Sep | 29° / 23° | 341 | 25 | 12.1 | 3.5 |
| Oct | 29° / 23° | 216 | 22.5 | 11.6 | 4.1 |
| Nov | 29° / 21° | 35 | 6.7 | 11.2 | 6.3 |
| Dec | 28° / 19° | 8 | 1.5 | 11 | 7.4 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 27%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 77 | 76 | 77 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 69 | 68 | 66 | 64 | 63 | 61 | 59 | 56 |
| Cloudier (%) | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 44 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 77 | 23 |
| 2 | 76 | 24 |
| 3 | 77 | 23 |
| 4 | 76 | 24 |
| 5 | 76 | 24 |
| 6 | 76 | 24 |
| 7 | 76 | 24 |
| 8 | 77 | 23 |
| 9 | 77 | 23 |
| 10 | 77 | 23 |
| 11 | 77 | 23 |
| 12 | 76 | 24 |
| 13 | 76 | 24 |
| 14 | 77 | 23 |
| 15 | 77 | 23 |
| 16 | 76 | 24 |
| 17 | 77 | 23 |
| 18 | 76 | 24 |
| 19 | 75 | 25 |
| 20 | 74 | 26 |
| 21 | 73 | 27 |
| 22 | 72 | 28 |
| 23 | 71 | 29 |
| 24 | 69 | 31 |
| 25 | 68 | 32 |
| 26 | 66 | 34 |
| 27 | 64 | 36 |
| 28 | 63 | 37 |
| 29 | 61 | 39 |
| 30 | 59 | 41 |
| 31 | 56 | 44 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Zihuatanejo gets around 16 mm of rain over 2.7 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 10% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 |
| 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 |
| 7 | 2 |
| 8 | 2 |
| 9 | 2 |
| 10 | 2 |
| 11 | 3 |
| 12 | 3 |
| 13 | 3 |
| 14 | 4 |
| 15 | 5 |
| 16 | 6 |
| 17 | 7 |
| 18 | 8 |
| 19 | 9 |
| 20 | 10 |
| 21 | 12 |
| 22 | 14 |
| 23 | 15 |
| 24 | 17 |
| 25 | 19 |
| 26 | 21 |
| 27 | 23 |
| 28 | 25 |
| 29 | 27 |
| 30 | 29 |
| 31 | 31 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 43% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 65% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Humid (%) | 44 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 35 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Muggy (%) | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 44 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 39 | 38 | 37 |
| Oppressive (%) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 36 | 39 | 41 | 44 | 47 | 49 | 52 | 54 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 16 | 44 | 33 | 2 |
| 2 | 4 | 16 | 44 | 34 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | 16 | 43 | 35 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | 15 | 42 | 36 | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | 15 | 41 | 37 | 4 |
| 6 | 2 | 14 | 40 | 39 | 5 |
| 7 | 2 | 14 | 39 | 40 | 5 |
| 8 | 2 | 13 | 38 | 41 | 6 |
| 9 | 1 | 12 | 37 | 43 | 7 |
| 10 | 1 | 12 | 35 | 44 | 8 |
| 11 | 1 | 11 | 34 | 46 | 9 |
| 12 | 1 | 10 | 32 | 47 | 10 |
| 13 | 1 | 9 | 30 | 48 | 11 |
| 14 | 1 | 9 | 29 | 49 | 12 |
| 15 | 1 | 8 | 27 | 50 | 14 |
| 16 | 1 | 7 | 25 | 51 | 16 |
| 17 | 1 | 7 | 24 | 50 | 18 |
| 18 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 51 | 20 |
| 19 | 1 | 6 | 21 | 50 | 22 |
| 20 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 49 | 25 |
| 21 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 49 | 28 |
| 22 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 48 | 30 |
| 23 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 46 | 33 |
| 24 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 45 | 36 |
| 25 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 44 | 39 |
| 26 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 43 | 41 |
| 27 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 42 | 44 |
| 28 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 41 | 47 |
| 29 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 39 | 49 |
| 30 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 38 | 52 |
| 31 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 37 | 54 |
Wind in May
Winds average 6 km/h in May, the windiest month of the year.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | calm |
| 2 | 6 | calm |
| 3 | 6 | calm |
| 4 | 6 | calm |
| 5 | 6 | calm |
| 6 | 6 | calm |
| 7 | 6 | calm |
| 8 | 6 | calm |
| 9 | 6 | calm |
| 10 | 6 | calm |
| 11 | 6 | calm |
| 12 | 6 | calm |
| 13 | 6 | calm |
| 14 | 6 | calm |
| 15 | 6 | calm |
| 16 | 6 | calm |
| 17 | 6 | calm |
| 18 | 6 | calm |
| 19 | 6 | calm |
| 20 | 6 | calm |
| 21 | 6 | calm |
| 22 | 6 | calm |
| 23 | 6 | calm |
| 24 | 6 | calm |
| 25 | 6 | calm |
| 26 | 6 | calm |
| 27 | 6 | calm |
| 28 | 6 | calm |
| 29 | 6 | calm |
| 30 | 6 | calm |
| 31 | 6 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min at the start of May to 13 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:25 AM to 6:15 AM, and sunset from 7:02 PM to 7:13 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:25 | 6:24 | 6:23 | 6:23 | 6:22 | 6:22 | 6:21 | 6:21 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:02 | 7:03 | 7:03 | 7:03 | 7:04 | 7:04 | 7:04 | 7:04 | 7:05 | 7:05 | 7:05 | 7:06 | 7:06 | 7:07 | 7:07 | 7:07 | 7:08 | 7:08 | 7:08 | 7:09 | 7:09 | 7:09 | 7:10 | 7:10 | 7:10 | 7:11 | 7:11 | 7:12 | 7:12 | 7:12 | 7:13 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.6 | 6:25 | 7:02 |
| 2 | 12.6 | 6:24 | 7:03 |
| 3 | 12.7 | 6:23 | 7:03 |
| 4 | 12.7 | 6:23 | 7:03 |
| 5 | 12.7 | 6:22 | 7:04 |
| 6 | 12.7 | 6:22 | 7:04 |
| 7 | 12.7 | 6:21 | 7:04 |
| 8 | 12.7 | 6:21 | 7:04 |
| 9 | 12.7 | 6:20 | 7:05 |
| 10 | 12.8 | 6:20 | 7:05 |
| 11 | 12.8 | 6:20 | 7:05 |
| 12 | 12.8 | 6:19 | 7:06 |
| 13 | 12.8 | 6:19 | 7:06 |
| 14 | 12.8 | 6:18 | 7:07 |
| 15 | 12.8 | 6:18 | 7:07 |
| 16 | 12.8 | 6:18 | 7:07 |
| 17 | 12.8 | 6:17 | 7:08 |
| 18 | 12.8 | 6:17 | 7:08 |
| 19 | 12.9 | 6:17 | 7:08 |
| 20 | 12.9 | 6:16 | 7:09 |
| 21 | 12.9 | 6:16 | 7:09 |
| 22 | 12.9 | 6:16 | 7:09 |
| 23 | 12.9 | 6:16 | 7:10 |
| 24 | 12.9 | 6:16 | 7:10 |
| 25 | 12.9 | 6:15 | 7:10 |
| 26 | 12.9 | 6:15 | 7:11 |
| 27 | 12.9 | 6:15 | 7:11 |
| 28 | 12.9 | 6:15 | 7:12 |
| 29 | 13.0 | 6:15 | 7:12 |
| 30 | 13.0 | 6:15 | 7:12 |
| 31 | 13.0 | 6:15 | 7:13 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.06 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.78 kWh/m² to a high of 7.45 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 7.06 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.3 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 2 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 3 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 4 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 5 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 6 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 7 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 8 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 9 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 10 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 11 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 12 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 13 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 14 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 15 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 16 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 17 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 18 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 19 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 20 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.3 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Zihuatanejo
In May, Zihuatanejo sits inside its pacific hurricane season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Zihuatanejo sits in the eastern Pacific hurricane zone; the season peaks August–September.
Zihuatanejo's monsoon runs June–October, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is May a good time to visit Zihuatanejo?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Zihuatanejo for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Zihuatanejo in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Zihuatanejo sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
Sea temperature near Zihuatanejo in May
The nearest coast averages about 28°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 August at about 30°C and coldest in March near 27°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | Tropical |
| Feb | 28 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 27 | Warm |
| May | 28 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 30 | Tropical |
| Aug | 30 | Tropical |
| Sep | 30 | Tropical |
| Oct | 30 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 29 | Tropical |
UV index in Zihuatanejo in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Zihuatanejo peaks around March 24 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 10 at about 7 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Very high |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 10 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 9 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | High |
| Dec | 7 | High |
Air quality in Zihuatanejo in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Zihuatanejo is worst in May — around 61 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 7.5× the cleanest month (February, 8 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 10 | 8 | 10 | 31 | 61 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Good |
| Feb | 8 | Good |
| Mar | 10 | Good |
| Apr | 31 | Moderate |
| May | 61 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 16 | Moderate |
| Jul | 16 | Moderate |
| Aug | 13 | Moderate |
| Sep | 13 | Moderate |
| Oct | 13 | Moderate |
| Nov | 11 | Good |
| Dec | 10 | Good |
Where is Zihuatanejo?
Zihuatanejo sits at 17.6°N, 101.6°W, 13 m above sea level, in Mexico. The nearest listed city is Petatlán, 32 km away.
Topography around Zihuatanejo
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Zihuatanejo.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Zihuatanejo has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 578 m around an average of 96 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,040 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,828 m.
The land around Zihuatanejo is covered by trees (60%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 3 km, water (46%) and trees (37%) within 16 km, and trees (55%) and water (35%) within 80 km.
Mexico travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 / 127 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 54% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,889
- 2025
- Happiness
- 7.0 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 43%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 24.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.8
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 440
- Religion
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 Zihuatanejo (17.6434°, -101.5521°, elevation 13 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).