Sokoto weather in May

In May, Sokoto sees average daytime highs of 39°C and overnight lows near 28°C, with 21 mm of rain across 4.9 wet days and about 12.6 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 40°C in the first days to 38°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% 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 Sokoto's 9th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sokoto's year-round climate.

Daytime high
39°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
28°
12th coldest
Rainfall
21 mm
4.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 36 min
6:17 AM – 6:53 PM
Cloud cover
49%
9th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.74 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.5
out of 10

Sokoto is a city in Nigeria, capital of Sokoto State.

Density
7,172/km²
people per km²

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 40°C in the first days to 38°C by the end.

A typical May day in Sokoto reaches about 39°C in the afternoon and slips back to 28°C overnight — a 11°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.

25°30°35°40°45°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
14029
24029
34029
44029
54029
64029
74029
84029
94029
104029
114029
124029
133929
143929
153929
163929
173929
183929
193928
203928
213928
223928
233928
243828
253828
263828
273828
283828
293828
303828
313828

How May really feels in Sokoto

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.

Sokoto 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
Jan32° / 18°0011.35.4
Feb35° / 21°0011.63.3
Mar39° / 25°00.211.90.8
Apr41° / 28°30.912.30.0
May39° / 28°214.912.60.5
Jun36° / 27°33812.82.1
Jul33° / 25°8314.312.73.2
Aug31° / 24°17118.812.43.5
Sep33° / 24°689.212.13.7
Oct36° / 24°132.911.72.6
Nov35° / 21°0011.43.1
Dec33° / 19°0011.25.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 36%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16139
26139
36139
46040
56040
66040
76040
86139
96139
106139
116139
126238
136337
146337
156436
166436
176535
186634
196733
206733
216634
226634
236634
246733
256733
266733
276733
286733
296733
306733
316832

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Sokoto gets around 21 mm of rain over 4.9 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 15% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
110
211
312
412
513
613
713
813
913
1013
1113
1213
1313
1414
1514
1614
1714
1814
1915
2015
2116
2216
2317
2418
2519
2619
2720
2821
2922
3022
3123

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 46% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 66% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1231127327
2211027348
3191026369
4189253810
5169244010
6159234211
7148234312
8138224512
9128214613
10118214713
11118204814
12108204914
1398194914
1488195015
1588195016
1678185017
1768185018
1868184919
1958174920
2048174922
2148164923
2238164825
2337154827
2427144829
2526134831
2626124733
2715114735
2815114737
2914104738
301394740
311384741

Wind in May

Winds average 10 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 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
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

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 6:22 AM to 6:15 AM, and sunset from 6:50 PM to 6:58 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.56:226:50
212.56:226:50
312.56:226:50
412.56:216:51
512.56:216:51
612.56:206:51
712.56:206:51
812.56:206:51
912.56:196:52
1012.56:196:52
1112.66:196:52
1212.66:186:52
1312.66:186:53
1412.66:186:53
1512.66:176:53
1612.66:176:53
1712.66:176:54
1812.66:176:54
1912.66:176:54
2012.66:166:54
2112.66:166:55
2212.66:166:55
2312.76:166:55
2412.76:166:56
2512.76:166:56
2612.76:166:56
2712.76:156:56
2812.76:156:57
2912.76:156:57
3012.76:156:57
3112.76:156:58

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.74 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.08 kWh/m² to a high of 7.09 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 6.74 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.9Intense
26.8Intense
36.8Intense
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
186.8Intense
196.7Intense
206.7Intense
216.7Intense
226.7Intense
236.7Intense
246.7Intense
256.7Intense
266.7Intense
276.7Intense
286.7Intense
296.7Intense
306.7Intense
316.7Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Sokoto

In seasonPeak

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

Sokoto sees seasonal dust haze (December–July), heaviest in April.

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

Is May a good time to visit Sokoto?

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

0.5
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
3.4
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sokoto.

What to pack for Sokoto in May

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

In May, Sokoto sees daytime highs around 39°C and nights near 28°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Sokoto 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 Sokoto peaks around August 16 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highHighAug 16UV 13Dec 17UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb8Very high
Mar10Very high
Apr11Extreme
May10Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct10Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec6High

Air quality in Sokoto 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 Sokoto is worst in February — around 105 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 4.8× the cleanest month (August, 22 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorModeratePoorUnhealthyFeb 16104 µg/m³Aug 1122 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan96Unhealthy
Feb105Unhealthy
Mar98Unhealthy
Apr76Unhealthy
May45Poor
Jun34Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep30Moderate
Oct53Poor
Nov69Unhealthy
Dec89Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Sokoto?

Sokoto sits at 13.1°N, 5.2°E, 296 m above sea level, in Nigeria. The nearest listed city is Gwadabawa, 33 km away.

IllelaBirni N KonniArgunguTambuwalGummiTalata MafaraBirnin Kebbi

Topography around Sokoto

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sokoto has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 62 m around an average of 274 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 93 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 192 m.

The land around Sokoto is covered by artificial surfaces (64%) within 3 km, cropland (67%) within 16 km, and cropland (50%) and grassland (40%) within 80 km.

3 km
62 m
16 km
93 m
80 km
192 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
May weather nearby: Gwadabawa 33 km · Illela 75 km · Birni N Konni 82 km · Argungu 85 km · Tambuwal 98 km · Gummi 103 km · Talata Mafara 104 km · Birnin Kebbi 132 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 Sokoto (13.0627°, 5.2432°, elevation 296 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).