Essaouira weather in May

In May, Essaouira sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 11 mm of rain across 1.6 wet days and about 13.6 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 21°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 12 min at the start of May to 13 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Essaouira's 5th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Essaouira's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
6th warmest
Overnight low
16°
7th coldest
Rainfall
11 mm
1.6 wet days
Daylight
13 h 36 min
5:47 AM – 7:23 PM
Cloud cover
28%
5th clearest
Wind
21 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
7.52 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.5
out of 10

Essaouira is city in Marrakech-Safi, Morocco.

Density
17,027/km²
people per km²
Founded
1769

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 21°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical May day in Essaouira reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 5°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 warmer than April and about 2°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12115
22115
32115
42115
52116
62116
72116
82116
92116
102116
112116
122216
132216
142216
152216
162216
172216
182217
192217
202217
212217
222217
232217
242217
252217
262217
272217
282217
292217
302217
312217

Essaouira weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan18° / 12°394.410.26.9
Feb18° / 12°384.710.87.1
Mar19° / 13°385.211.87.3
Apr20° / 15°213.712.77.8
May22° / 16°111.613.68.5
Jun23° / 18°10.2149.4
Jul25° / 20°0013.89.4
Aug26° / 21°10.113.19.2
Sep25° / 19°50.912.29.1
Oct23° / 18°263.411.28.4
Nov21° / 15°474.810.47.6
Dec19° / 13°504.9107.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 15%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18515
28416
38416
48416
58416
68416
78317
88317
98317
108317
118317
128317
138317
148416
158416
168416
178416
188416
198416
208515
218614
228614
238614
248713
258713
268812
278911
288911
298911
309010
31919

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Essaouira gets around 11 mm of rain over 1.6 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 5% and peaks near 9% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
19
29
39
49
58
68
78
88
97
107
117
126
136
146
155
165
175
184
194
204
213
223
233
242
252
262
272
281
291
301
311

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 56% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
151454
250464
349474
448485
547485
646495
745505
844515
943516
1042526
1141536
1240537
1338557
1437567
1536568
1634588
1733589
18315910
19306010
20286111
21266113
22246214
23236215
24216217
25196318
26186220
27166222
28156124
29146125
30136027
31125929

Wind in May

Winds average 21 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 21 km/h on the calmest days to 21 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
121breezy
221breezy
321breezy
421breezy
521breezy
621breezy
721breezy
821breezy
921breezy
1021breezy
1121breezy
1221breezy
1321breezy
1421breezy
1521breezy
1621breezy
1721breezy
1821breezy
1921breezy
2021breezy
2121breezy
2221breezy
2321breezy
2421breezy
2521breezy
2621breezy
2721breezy
2821breezy
2921breezy
3021breezy
3121breezy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 12 min at the start of May to 13 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:00 AM to 5:40 AM, and sunset from 7:13 PM to 7:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.26:007:13
213.25:597:13
313.35:587:14
413.35:577:15
513.35:567:16
613.45:557:16
713.45:547:17
813.45:537:18
913.45:537:18
1013.55:527:19
1113.55:517:20
1213.55:507:21
1313.55:497:21
1413.65:497:22
1513.65:487:23
1613.65:477:23
1713.65:477:24
1813.65:467:25
1913.75:457:25
2013.75:457:26
2113.75:447:27
2213.75:447:27
2313.75:437:28
2413.85:437:29
2513.85:427:29
2613.85:427:30
2713.85:417:31
2813.85:417:31
2913.95:417:32
3013.95:407:32
3113.95:407:33

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.52 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.24 kWh/m² to a high of 7.89 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.52 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.3Intense
27.3Intense
37.3Intense
47.3Intense
57.3Intense
67.3Intense
77.4Intense
87.4Intense
97.4Intense
107.4Intense
117.4Intense
127.5Intense
137.5Intense
147.5Intense
157.5Intense
167.5Intense
177.6Intense
187.6Intense
197.6Intense
207.6Intense
217.6Intense
227.7Intense
237.7Intense
247.7Intense
257.7Intense
267.7Intense
277.7Intense
287.8Intense
297.8Intense
307.8Intense
317.8Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Essaouira

In seasonPeak

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

Essaouira sees seasonal dust haze (July–August), heaviest in July.

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

Is May a good time to visit Essaouira?

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

8.5
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
5.7
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Essaouira in May

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

In May, Essaouira sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 16°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a windbreaker.

sun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Essaouira 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 at the nearest coast (about 16 km away) is warmest in September at about 20°C and coldest in February near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Aug 4 to Oct 9 — about 2.2 months when the water holds above 20°C.

16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr17Cool
May18Cool
Jun19Cool
Jul20Cool
Aug20Refreshing
Sep20Refreshing
Oct20Cool
Nov18Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Essaouira 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 Essaouira peaks around July 15 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highExtremeVery highModerateJul 15UV 11Dec 17UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar8Very high
Apr9Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct7Very high
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Essaouira 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 Essaouira is worst in February — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.0× the cleanest month (June, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodGoodFeb 1715 µg/m³Jun 128 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb15Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr11Good
May9Good
Jun8Good
Jul12Good
Aug14Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct13Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Essaouira?

Essaouira sits at 31.5°N, 9.8°W, 7 m above sea level, in Morocco. The nearest listed city is Sebt Gzoula, 93 km away.

Sebt GzoulaImi-n-TanoutChichaouaSafiAourirAgadirDakhlaEchemmaia Est

Topography around Essaouira

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Essaouira has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 42 m around an average of 4 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 247 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,689 m.

The land around Essaouira is covered by water (61%) within 3 km, water (55%) and shrubs (30%) within 16 km, and grassland (37%) and water (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
42 m
16 km
247 m
80 km
1,689 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Sebt Gzoula 93 km · Imi-n-Tanout 95 km · Chichaoua 96 km · Safi 101 km · Aourir 114 km · Agadir 123 km · Dakhla 124 km · Echemmaia Est 125 km

Morocco travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 42% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$4,672
2025
Happiness
4.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
80%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
17
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 492
Religion
Muslim 99%other 1%

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 Essaouira (31.5125°, -9.77°, elevation 7 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. 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).