Swakopmund weather in May

In May, Swakopmund sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 1 mm of rain across 0.2 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 89% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 12 min at the start of May to 10 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Swakopmund's 3rd-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Swakopmund's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
4th warmest
Overnight low
14°
7th coldest
Rainfall
1 mm
0.2 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
7:31 AM – 6:26 PM
Cloud cover
14%
3rd clearest
Wind
13 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.77 kWh/m²
Travel score
9.4
out of 10

Swakopmund is city in Namibia.

Founded
1892

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 23°C through the month.

A typical May day in Swakopmund reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12314
22314
32314
42314
52314
62314
72314
82314
92414
102414
112414
122414
132414
142414
152414
162414
172414
182314
192314
202314
212314
222314
232314
242313
252313
262313
272313
282313
292313
302313
312313

Swakopmund weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 4th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 17°4113.28.6
Feb24° / 17°61.112.88.7
Mar24° / 17°40.712.29.1
Apr24° / 15°40.611.59.3
May23° / 14°10.210.99.4
Jun23° / 13°00.110.69.4
Jul22° / 13°00.110.79.3
Aug20° / 11°00.111.28.6
Sep20° / 11°10.211.98.3
Oct20° / 12°0012.58.4
Nov21° / 14°10.213.18.6
Dec22° / 15°20.513.48.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 89% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 4%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1964
2964
3964
4964
5964
6964
7964
8964
9973
10973
11973
12973
13973
14973
15973
16973
17973
18973
19973
20964
21964
22964
23955
24955
25955
26955
27955
28955
29955
30964
31964

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Swakopmund gets around 1 mm of rain over 0.2 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 1% and peaks near 1% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
141
151
161
171
181
191
201
211
221
231
241
251
261
271
281
291
301
310

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 87% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
166322
268302
371281
473261
575241
677221
779201
881181
983161
1084151
1187130
1288120
1389110
1490100
159190
169190
179190
189280
199280
209280
219370
229370
239370
249460
259460
269460
279550
289550
299640
309640
319730

Wind in May

Winds average 13 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
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
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 min at the start of May to 10 h 42 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 7:24 AM to 7:38 AM, and sunset from 6:34 PM to 6:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.27:246:34
211.27:246:34
311.17:256:33
411.17:256:32
511.17:266:32
611.17:266:31
711.17:276:30
811.07:276:30
911.07:276:29
1011.07:286:29
1111.07:286:28
1211.07:296:28
1311.07:296:27
1410.97:306:27
1510.97:306:26
1610.97:316:26
1710.97:316:25
1810.97:326:25
1910.97:326:24
2010.97:336:24
2110.87:336:24
2210.87:346:23
2310.87:346:23
2410.87:346:23
2510.87:356:22
2610.87:356:22
2710.87:366:22
2810.87:366:22
2910.77:376:21
3010.77:376:21
3110.77:386:21

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.77 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.31 kWh/m² to a high of 7.9 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 4.77 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.1Bright
35.1Bright
45.1Bright
55.0Bright
65.0Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
94.9Bright
104.9Bright
114.9Bright
124.9Bright
134.8Bright
144.8Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.7Bright
224.6Bright
234.6Bright
244.6Bright
254.6Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Swakopmund?

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

9.4
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.4
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Swakopmund in May

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

In May, Swakopmund sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Swakopmund in May

The nearest coast averages about 15°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 17 km away) is warmest in February at about 18°C and coldest in September near 13°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

12°14°16°18°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan18Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar18Cool
Apr17Cool
May15Cool
Jun14Bracing
Jul14Bracing
Aug14Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct14Bracing
Nov15Cool
Dec17Cool

UV index in Swakopmund in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Swakopmund peaks around January 15 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeJan 15UV 14Jun 18UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr9Very high
May7High
Jun5High
Jul6High
Aug7Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Swakopmund 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 Swakopmund is worst in July — around 39 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 7.6× the cleanest month (January, 5 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodJul 1138 µg/m³Jan 15 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb6Good
Mar6Good
Apr11Good
May27Moderate
Jun36Poor
Jul39Poor
Aug26Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Swakopmund?

Swakopmund sits at 22.7°S, 14.5°E, 18 m above sea level, in Namibia. The nearest listed city is Walvis Bay, 31 km away.

OkahandjaKatuturaWindhoekRehobothOtjiwarongoMarientalLüderitz

Topography around Swakopmund

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Swakopmund has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 38 m around an average of 10 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 189 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,011 m.

The land around Swakopmund is covered by water (44%), bare terrain (33%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 3 km, water (49%) and bare terrain (48%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (67%) and water (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
38 m
16 km
189 m
80 km
1,011 m
shrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Walvis Bay 31 km · Okahandja 256 km · Katutura 261 km · Windhoek 263 km · Rehoboth 272 km · Otjiwarongo 330 km · Mariental 412 km · Lüderitz 446 km

Namibia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / M
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$4,876
2025
Happiness
4.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.2
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
34.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Christian 98%unaffiliated 2%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 Swakopmund (-22.6784°, 14.5266°, elevation 18 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).