Maputo weather in May

In May, Maputo sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 23 mm of rain across 3.3 wet days and about 10.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 77% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of May to 10 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Maputo's 3rd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Maputo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
9th warmest
Overnight low
19°
4th coldest
Rainfall
23 mm
3.3 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
6:24 AM – 5:08 PM
Cloud cover
23%
3rd clearest
Wind
13 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
3.87 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.3
out of 10

Maputo is capital and chief port of Mozambique.

Density
3,619/km²
people per km²
Founded
1781

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 26°C through the month.

A typical May day in Maputo reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12720
22720
32720
42720
52719
62719
72719
82719
92719
102719
112719
122619
132619
142619
152619
162619
172619
182618
192618
202618
212618
222618
232618
242618
252618
262618
272618
282618
292617
302617
312617

How May really feels in Maputo

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Maputo weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 23°11511.913.45.2
Feb30° / 24°9510.612.95.2
Mar29° / 23°7310.212.25.7
Apr28° / 21°426.511.47.2
May26° / 19°233.310.78.3
Jun25° / 16°122.510.48.9
Jul24° / 16°112.610.59.0
Aug25° / 17°132.511.18.6
Sep26° / 19°313.811.88.0
Oct27° / 20°516.812.67.1
Nov28° / 21°911013.36.3
Dec29° / 23°10310.313.65.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 77% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% 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 (%)
18614
28614
38614
48713
58812
68812
78812
88812
98911
108911
118911
128911
138911
148911
158911
168812
178812
188812
198812
208911
218911
228812
238812
249010
259010
269010
279010
289010
29919
30919
31919

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Maputo gets around 23 mm of rain over 3.3 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
217
316
416
516
615
715
814
914
1014
1113
1213
1312
1412
1512
1611
1711
1810
1910
209
219
228
238
248
257
267
277
287
297
307
317

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. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 21% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
131241422
241243401
341245391
441246371
541248351
641349340
751350330
851351310
951451300
1051452290
1151553270
1251653260
1351655240
1461755220
1561855210
1661956190
1772055180
1882155160
1992254150
20102452140
21112551130
22122750120
23132849100
2414294790
2515314680
2616324570
2718334360
2819344160
2920354050
3022363840
3123363730

Wind in May

Winds average 13 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of May to 10 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 30 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:16 AM to 6:32 AM, and sunset from 5:18 PM to 5:02 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:165:18
211.06:165:17
311.06:175:16
411.06:175:16
510.96:185:15
610.96:185:14
710.96:195:13
810.96:205:13
910.96:205:12
1010.86:215:11
1110.86:215:11
1210.86:225:10
1310.86:225:10
1410.86:235:09
1510.86:235:08
1610.76:245:08
1710.76:245:07
1810.76:255:07
1910.76:265:06
2010.76:265:06
2110.66:275:06
2210.66:275:05
2310.66:285:05
2410.66:285:04
2510.66:295:04
2610.66:295:04
2710.66:305:03
2810.56:305:03
2910.56:315:03
3010.56:315:03
3110.56:325:02

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.87 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.47 kWh/m² to a high of 6.07 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 3.87 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.1Bright
24.1Bright
34.1Bright
44.0Bright
54.0Bright
64.0Bright
74.0Moderate
84.0Moderate
94.0Moderate
103.9Moderate
113.9Moderate
123.9Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.8Moderate
193.8Moderate
203.8Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.8Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.7Moderate
273.7Moderate
283.7Moderate
293.7Moderate
303.7Moderate
313.6Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Maputo

In seasonPeak

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

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

Maputo's rainy season runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Maputo?

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

8.3
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
8.0
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Maputo in May

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

In May, Maputo sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 19°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 3 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Maputo in May

The nearest coast averages about 24°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 31 km away) is warmest in February at about 28°C and coldest in August near 22°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

20°22°24°26°28°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr26Warm
May24Warm
Jun23Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug22Refreshing
Sep22Refreshing
Oct23Refreshing
Nov24Warm
Dec26Warm

UV index in Maputo in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Maputo peaks around January 18 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 5 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 18UV 13Jun 23UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr7High
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug6High
Sep8Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Maputo 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 Maputo is worst in July — around 42 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 5.2× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodJul 1142 µg/m³Jan 178 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar15Moderate
Apr23Moderate
May35Moderate
Jun41Poor
Jul42Poor
Aug37Poor
Sep30Moderate
Oct19Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Maputo?

Maputo sits at 26.0°S, 32.6°E, 70 m above sea level, in Mozambique. The nearest listed city is Matola, 12 km away.

DriekoppiesSchoemansdal

Topography around Maputo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Maputo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 71 m around an average of 24 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 71 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 794 m.

The land around Maputo is covered by artificial surfaces (58%) and water (33%) within 3 km, water (37%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 16 km, and grassland (32%), water (29%) and trees (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
71 m
16 km
71 m
80 km
794 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
May weather nearby: Matola 12 km · Boane 27 km · Manhiça 67 km · Kamaqhekeza 79 km · Ressano Garcia 83 km · Komatipoort 86 km · Driekoppies 106 km · Schoemansdal 111 km

Mozambique travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F / M
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 37% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$627
2025
Happiness
5.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
28%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
3.6
per 100k, 2011
Road deaths
30
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 465
Religion
Catholic 27%Islam 19%Pentecostal 17%Saio/Zione 16%

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 Maputo (-25.9655°, 32.5832°, elevation 70 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).