Xai-Xai weather in May

In May, Xai-Xai sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 28 mm of rain across 6.1 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 06 min at the start of May to 10 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Xai-Xai's 2nd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Xai-Xai's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
9th warmest
Overnight low
19°
4th coldest
Rainfall
28 mm
6.1 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:18 AM – 5:05 PM
Cloud cover
28%
2nd clearest
Wind
11 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
3.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.7
out of 10

Xai-Xai is city in Gaza Province, Mozambique.

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 27°C through the month.

A typical May day in Xai-Xai reaches about 27°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 24°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12820
22820
32820
42820
52820
62719
72719
82719
92719
102719
112719
122719
132719
142719
152719
162719
172719
182718
192718
202718
212718
222718
232718
242618
252618
262618
272618
282618
292618
302617
312617

How May really feels in Xai-Xai

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.

Xai-Xai 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
Jan31° / 24°12913.813.44.4
Feb31° / 24°8311.512.94.5
Mar30° / 23°741212.25.0
Apr28° / 21°449.411.46.2
May27° / 19°286.110.87.7
Jun25° / 17°204.810.58.2
Jul25° / 16°184.610.68.4
Aug26° / 17°153.411.18.2
Sep28° / 19°254.411.87.4
Oct28° / 20°376.512.66.4
Nov30° / 22°739.613.25.3
Dec30° / 23°11110.813.54.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 13%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18416
28515
38515
48515
58515
68614
78614
88614
98614
108614
118614
128614
138614
148515
158515
168515
178614
188614
198614
208713
218713
228812
238911
248911
258911
268911
279010
289010
299010
308911
318911

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Xai-Xai gets around 28 mm of rain over 6.1 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 20% and peaks near 24% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
124
224
323
423
523
623
722
822
922
1022
1122
1221
1321
1421
1521
1621
1720
1820
1920
2019
2119
2218
2318
2417
2517
2617
2717
2816
2916
3017
3117

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 48% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 26% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
111142414
221144404
321144393
421145392
521246382
621247372
731248371
831248361
931249351
1031250341
1131350331
1231450321
1331453300
1431652290
1531753270
1631853260
1732053240
1842152230
1942351220
2042452200
2152650190
2252750180
2362949160
2473048150
2573247140
2683347130
2793446120
2893545110
29103744100
3011384290
3112394180

Wind in May

Winds average 11 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2512calm
2612calm
2712calm
2812calm
2912calm
3012calm
3112calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 min at the start of May to 10 h 36 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 6:10 AM to 6:26 AM, and sunset from 5:15 PM to 5:00 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.16:105:15
211.16:115:14
311.06:115:13
411.06:125:13
511.06:125:12
611.06:135:11
711.06:135:11
810.96:145:10
910.96:145:09
1010.96:155:09
1110.96:165:08
1210.96:165:07
1310.86:175:07
1410.86:175:06
1510.86:185:06
1610.86:185:05
1710.86:195:05
1810.86:195:04
1910.76:205:04
2010.76:205:03
2110.76:215:03
2210.76:215:03
2310.76:225:02
2410.76:225:02
2510.66:235:01
2610.66:235:01
2710.66:245:01
2810.66:245:01
2910.66:255:00
3010.66:255:00
3110.66:265:00

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.91 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.43 kWh/m² to a high of 6.37 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.91 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.2Bright
34.2Bright
44.2Bright
54.1Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.0Bright
104.0Bright
114.0Moderate
124.0Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.9Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.8Moderate
203.8Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.8Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.7Moderate
273.7Moderate
283.7Moderate
293.7Moderate
303.6Moderate
313.6Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Xai-Xai

In seasonPeak

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

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

Xai-Xai'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 Xai-Xai?

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

7.7
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
7.7
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Xai-Xai in May

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

In May, Xai-Xai sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 19°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 6 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Xai-Xai in May

The nearest coast averages about 25°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 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
May25Warm
Jun24Refreshing
Jul23Refreshing
Aug22Refreshing
Sep22Refreshing
Oct23Refreshing
Nov24Warm
Dec26Warm

UV index in Xai-Xai 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 Xai-Xai peaks around January 19 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 11 at about 5 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 19UV 14Jul 11UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug7High
Sep8Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Xai-Xai 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 Xai-Xai is worst in September — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1316 µg/m³Jan 206 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb7Good
Mar7Good
Apr8Good
May10Good
Jun12Good
Jul12Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Xai-Xai?

Xai-Xai sits at 25.1°S, 33.6°E, 4 m above sea level, in Mozambique. The nearest listed city is Chibuto, 42 km away.

MaputoMatolaRessano Garcia

Topography around Xai-Xai

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Xai-Xai has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 89 m around an average of 10 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 110 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 158 m.

The land around Xai-Xai is covered by cropland (35%) within 3 km, grassland (31%) and cropland (31%) within 16 km, and trees (30%), water (30%) and grassland (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
89 m
16 km
110 m
80 km
158 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Chibuto 42 km · Macia 55 km · Xilembene 56 km · Chokwé 88 km · Manhiça 93 km · Maputo 147 km · Matola 156 km · Ressano Garcia 171 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 Xai-Xai (-25.0519°, 33.6442°, elevation 4 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).