Ocotal weather in May

In May, Ocotal sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 169 mm of rain across 16.8 wet days and about 12.6 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 32°C in the first days to 30°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 30 min at the start of May to 12 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Ocotal's 9th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ocotal's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
21°
12th coldest
Rainfall
169 mm
16.8 wet days
Daylight
12 h 36 min
5:23 AM – 6:01 PM
Cloud cover
73%
9th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
5.63 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.7
out of 10

Ocotal is Urban area of the Ocotal Municipality, Nicaragua..

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 32°C in the first days to 30°C by the end.

A typical May day in Ocotal reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13220
23220
33221
43221
53221
63221
73221
83221
93221
103221
113121
123121
133121
143121
153121
163121
173121
183121
193121
203020
213020
223020
233020
243020
253020
263020
273020
283020
293020
302920
312920

How May really feels in Ocotal

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 11 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
11
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Ocotal weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 17°93.211.37.7
Feb28° / 17°51.311.57.3
Mar30° / 18°82.111.96.0
Apr32° / 20°274.712.34.6
May31° / 21°16916.812.63.7
Jun29° / 20°17121.612.83.9
Jul28° / 20°8917.712.74.8
Aug29° / 20°1161912.54.3
Sep29° / 20°17021.912.13.7
Oct28° / 19°19320.911.74.5
Nov27° / 18°47911.46.5
Dec27° / 17°13411.27.5

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% 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 74%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14357
24258
34159
44060
53862
63862
73664
83565
93466
103268
113169
122971
132674
142674
152476
162278
172179
182179
191981
201882
211882
221783
231783
241684
251684
261684
271585
281585
291585
301585
311585

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Ocotal gets around 169 mm of rain over 16.8 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 54% and peaks near 73% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
231
332
433
534
635
737
838
939
1041
1143
1245
1348
1451
1553
1656
1758
1861
1963
2065
2166
2268
2369
2470
2571
2672
2773
2873
2973
3073
3173

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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 54% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 58% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
142543281
242343291
332243311
432143321
532042341
631942361
731841371
831740391
931639411
1031538431
1131536451
1231435471
1331333492
1431231522
1531130533
1631028563
173926584
183825604
193724615
203623635
212522656
222521666
232420686
242419687
251319707
261318717
271217737
281216747
291215757
300215767
310214777

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min at the start of May to 12 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:29 AM to 5:21 AM, and sunset from 5:57 PM to 6:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.55:295:57
212.55:285:58
312.55:285:58
412.55:275:58
512.55:275:58
612.55:275:59
712.55:265:59
812.65:265:59
912.65:255:59
1012.65:255:59
1112.65:256:00
1212.65:246:00
1312.65:246:00
1412.65:246:00
1512.65:246:01
1612.65:236:01
1712.65:236:01
1812.65:236:02
1912.75:236:02
2012.75:226:02
2112.75:226:02
2212.75:226:03
2312.75:226:03
2412.75:226:03
2512.75:226:04
2612.75:216:04
2712.75:216:04
2812.75:216:05
2912.75:216:05
3012.75:216:05
3112.75:216:05

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.63 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.27 kWh/m² to a high of 6.36 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 5.63 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.1Intense
36.1Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.0Intense
76.0Intense
86.0Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Ocotal

In seasonPeak

In May, Ocotal sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Ocotal's rainy season runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Ocotal?

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

3.7
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
5.5
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Ocotal.

What to pack for Ocotal in May

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

In May, Ocotal sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 17 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Ocotal in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Ocotal peaks around March 24 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highMar 24UV 14Dec 14UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Ocotal 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 Ocotal is worst in April — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.9× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 2324 µg/m³Dec 225 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb6Good
Mar8Good
Apr24Moderate
May24Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov7Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Ocotal?

Ocotal sits at 13.6°N, 86.5°W, 600 m above sea level, in Nicaragua. The nearest listed city is Somoto, 20 km away.

DanlíJalapaEstelíMorocelíTeupasentiJinotega

Topography around Ocotal

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ocotal has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 500 m around an average of 627 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,571 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,039 m.

The land around Ocotal is covered by grassland (38%) and trees (34%) within 3 km, trees (57%) and grassland (32%) within 16 km, and trees (61%) and grassland (34%) within 80 km.

3 km
500 m
16 km
1,571 m
80 km
2,039 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
May weather nearby: Somoto 20 km · El Paraíso 27 km · Danlí 46 km · Jalapa 50 km · Estelí 61 km · Morocelí 69 km · Teupasenti 69 km · Jinotega 79 km

Nicaragua travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,173
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.3
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
16.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 512
Religion
Roman Catholic 45%Protestant 39%none 14%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 Ocotal (13.6322°, -86.474°, elevation 600 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. 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).