Maiduguri weather in May

In May, Maiduguri sees average daytime highs of 39°C and overnight lows near 27°C, with 22 mm of rain across 5.4 wet days and about 12.5 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 39°C in the first days to 38°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Maiduguri's 7th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Maiduguri's year-round climate.

Daytime high
39°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
27°
12th coldest
Rainfall
22 mm
5.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 30 min
5:47 AM – 6:20 PM
Cloud cover
48%
7th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.73 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.7
out of 10

Maiduguri is capital and largest city of Borno state in Northeastern Nigeria.

Founded
1909

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 39°C in the first days to 38°C by the end.

A typical May day in Maiduguri reaches about 39°C in the afternoon and slips back to 27°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 36°C and 41°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 3°C warmer than June.

20°25°30°35°40°45°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
14027
24027
33927
43927
53927
63927
73927
83927
93927
103927
113927
123927
133927
143927
153927
163927
173927
183927
193927
203927
213927
223827
233827
243827
253827
263827
273827
283827
293827
303827
313827

How May really feels in Maiduguri

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 31 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
31
31 feel dangerously hot (≥ 39°C)
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.

Maiduguri weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 2nd-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 15°0011.46.0
Feb34° / 18°0011.63.9
Mar38° / 22°0011.91.3
Apr40° / 25°41.412.30.1
May39° / 27°225.412.50.7
Jun36° / 26°358.512.72.1
Jul33° / 24°10416.612.63.1
Aug31° / 23°18921.612.43.3
Sep33° / 24°821312.13.4
Oct35° / 23°173.811.72.8
Nov35° / 19°0011.53.5
Dec31° / 15°0011.35.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16040
26040
36139
46139
56139
66238
76238
86337
96337
106535
116535
126634
136634
146634
156733
166733
176832
186832
196832
206832
216832
226733
236733
246733
256733
266634
276634
286535
296535
306634
316634

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Maiduguri gets around 22 mm of rain over 5.4 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 18% and peaks near 24% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
113
213
314
414
514
614
714
814
914
1014
1114
1214
1314
1415
1515
1616
1716
1817
1918
2019
2119
2220
2321
2422
2522
2623
2724
2824
2924
3024
3124

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 43% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 59% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
127822358
225822369
324822379
4238223710
5228223710
6208233811
7209233811
8199233812
9189233812
10179233812
11169243813
12169243813
13159243813
14159243913
15149243914
16139244014
17139234114
18129234215
19118224315
20107224416
21107214517
2296204718
2385194820
2475184921
2564174923
2663165124
2753155126
2842145228
2942135130
3032125231
3121115432

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 36 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 5:52 AM to 5:46 AM, and sunset from 6:17 PM to 6:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.45:526:17
212.45:526:17
312.45:516:17
412.45:516:17
512.55:516:18
612.55:506:18
712.55:506:18
812.55:506:18
912.55:496:18
1012.55:496:19
1112.55:496:19
1212.55:486:19
1312.55:486:19
1412.55:486:19
1512.55:486:20
1612.55:476:20
1712.65:476:20
1812.65:476:20
1912.65:476:21
2012.65:476:21
2112.65:466:21
2212.65:466:21
2312.65:466:22
2412.65:466:22
2512.65:466:22
2612.65:466:23
2712.65:466:23
2812.65:466:23
2912.65:466:23
3012.65:466:24
3112.65:466:24

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.73 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.22 kWh/m² to a high of 7.16 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 6.73 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.9Intense
26.9Intense
36.9Intense
46.8Intense
56.8Intense
66.8Intense
76.8Intense
86.8Intense
96.8Intense
106.8Intense
116.8Intense
126.8Intense
136.8Intense
146.8Intense
156.8Intense
166.8Intense
176.8Intense
186.7Intense
196.7Intense
206.7Intense
216.7Intense
226.7Intense
236.7Intense
246.6Intense
256.6Intense
266.6Intense
276.6Intense
286.6Intense
296.6Intense
306.5Intense
316.5Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Maiduguri

In seasonPeak

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

Maiduguri sees seasonal dust haze (December–July), heaviest in March.

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

Is May a good time to visit Maiduguri?

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

0.7
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
3.6
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Maiduguri.

What to pack for Maiduguri in May

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

In May, Maiduguri sees daytime highs around 39°C and nights near 27°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Maiduguri in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Maiduguri peaks around August 18 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeExtremeVery highAug 18UV 13Dec 16UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Very high
Feb11Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May10Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec7Very high

Air quality in Maiduguri 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 Maiduguri is worst in February — around 109 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 4.1× the cleanest month (August, 26 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorModerateUnhealthyFeb 15109 µg/m³Aug 1227 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan104Unhealthy
Feb109Unhealthy
Mar104Unhealthy
Apr77Unhealthy
May49Poor
Jun41Poor
Jul28Moderate
Aug26Moderate
Sep33Moderate
Oct78Unhealthy
Nov81Unhealthy
Dec99Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Maiduguri?

Maiduguri sits at 11.8°N, 13.2°E, 325 m above sea level, in Nigeria. The nearest listed city is Magumeri, 47 km away.

DikwaDamboaMarteGwozaMongunoKukawa

Topography around Maiduguri

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Maiduguri has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 24 m around an average of 321 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 36 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 112 m.

The land around Maiduguri is covered by artificial surfaces (85%) within 3 km, cropland (43%) and grassland (38%) within 16 km, and grassland (76%) within 80 km.

3 km
24 m
16 km
36 m
80 km
112 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Magumeri 47 km · Bama 68 km · Dikwa 85 km · Damboa 88 km · Marte 93 km · Gwoza 103 km · Monguno 104 km · Kukawa 128 km

Nigeria travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 13% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,224
2025
Happiness
4.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
30%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
15.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
20.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 569
Religion
Muslim 54%other Christian 35%Roman Catholic 11%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 Maiduguri (11.8469°, 13.1571°, elevation 325 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).