Hamhŭng weather in May

In May, Hamhŭng sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 88 mm of rain across 8.4 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 18°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 42 min at the start of May to 14 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Hamhŭng's 8th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hamhŭng's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
5th warmest
Overnight low
10°
8th coldest
Rainfall
88 mm
8.4 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
5:20 AM – 7:32 PM
Cloud cover
56%
8th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.92 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Hamhŭng is city in North Korea.

Density
1,694/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 climb over the month, from about 18°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical May day in Hamhŭng reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 6°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1187
2188
3188
4188
5198
6198
7199
8199
9199
10199
11199
12209
132010
142010
152010
162010
172010
182111
192111
202111
212111
222111
232111
242212
252212
262212
272212
282212
292212
302213
312213

How May really feels in Hamhŭng

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.

Hamhŭng weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -10°416.77.49.50.0
Feb / -8°366.16.110.40.0
Mar / -2°487.55.511.71.3
Apr15° / 607.31.1134.8
May20° / 10°888.4014.26.6
Jun24° / 15°10510.6014.86.6
Jul26° / 19°22615.7014.55.6
Aug26° / 20°24316.1013.65.6
Sep23° / 14°1319.4012.36.8
Oct17° / 677.80.110.96.0
Nov / 768.93.19.82.0
Dec / -7°446.45.89.20.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15446
25347
35248
45149
55149
65050
74951
84951
94951
104951
114951
124951
134951
144951
154951
165050
175149
185248
195248
205347
215347
225446
235446
245446
255446
265347
275347
285347
295149
305149
315050

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Hamhŭng gets around 88 mm of rain over 8.4 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 27% and peaks near 28% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
126
226
327
427
527
627
728
828
928
1028
1128
1228
1328
1428
1528
1628
1728
1828
1928
2028
2127
2227
2327
2426
2526
2626
2725
2825
2925
3025
3125

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 88% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19910
29910
39910
49910
59820
69820
79820
89820
99820
109730
119730
129640
139640
149550
159460
169370
179280
189190
1989110
2087121
2186131
2284151
2382171
2480191
2579201
2675232
2773252
2871272
2967303
3064324
3160355

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 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 42 min at the start of May to 14 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:37 AM to 5:09 AM, and sunset from 7:17 PM to 7:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.75:377:17
213.75:367:18
313.75:357:19
413.85:337:20
513.85:327:21
613.95:317:22
713.95:307:23
813.95:297:24
914.05:277:25
1014.05:267:26
1114.05:257:27
1214.15:247:28
1314.15:237:29
1414.15:227:30
1514.25:217:31
1614.25:207:32
1714.25:197:33
1814.35:187:34
1914.35:187:35
2014.35:177:36
2114.35:167:37
2214.45:157:38
2314.45:147:38
2414.45:147:39
2514.55:137:40
2614.55:127:41
2714.55:127:42
2814.55:117:43
2914.65:107:43
3014.65:107:44
3114.65:097:45

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.92 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.27 kWh/m² to a high of 5.92 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.92 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
196.0Bright
206.0Bright
216.0Intense
226.0Intense
236.0Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Hamhŭng

In seasonPeak

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

Hamhŭng sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Hamhŭng's rainy season runs July–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Hamhŭng?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
3.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Hamhŭng for sightseeing.

What to pack for Hamhŭng in May

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

In May, Hamhŭng sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 10°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Hamhŭng in May

The nearest coast averages about 12°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 29 km away) is warmest in August at about 24°C and coldest in February near 4°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 5 to Sep 28 — about 2.8 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan5Bracing
Feb4Bracing
Mar5Bracing
Apr8Bracing
May12Bracing
Jun18Cool
Jul22Refreshing
Aug24Refreshing
Sep22Refreshing
Oct18Cool
Nov13Bracing
Dec8Bracing

UV index in Hamhŭng 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 Hamhŭng peaks around August 20 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighVery highModerateLowAug 20UV 8Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7High
Jul6High
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Hamhŭng 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 Hamhŭng is worst in March — around 96 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.3× the cleanest month (July, 43 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorUnhealthyMar 996 µg/m³Jul 1943 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan95Unhealthy
Feb96Unhealthy
Mar96Unhealthy
Apr80Unhealthy
May64Unhealthy
Jun51Poor
Jul43Poor
Aug46Poor
Sep62Unhealthy
Oct83Unhealthy
Nov87Unhealthy
Dec84Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Hamhŭng?

Hamhŭng sits at 39.9°N, 127.5°E, 16 m above sea level, in North Korea. The nearest listed city is Hŭngnam, 12 km away.

HongwŏnYuktae-dongSinp’oKowŏn-ŭpWŏnsan

Topography around Hamhŭng

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Hamhŭng has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 302 m around an average of 29 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 595 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,400 m.

The land around Hamhŭng is covered by artificial surfaces (47%) and cropland (22%) within 3 km, cropland (50%) and trees (27%) within 16 km, and trees (58%) and water (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
302 m
16 km
595 m
80 km
2,400 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Hŭngnam 12 km · Yŏnggwang-ŭp 13 km · Samho-rodongjagu 29 km · Hongwŏn 38 km · Yuktae-dong 54 km · Sinp’o 58 km · Kowŏn-ŭp 59 km · Wŏnsan 85 km

North Korea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Safe drinking water
67%
of population, 2023
Road deaths
24.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank

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 Hamhŭng (39.9183°, 127.5364°, elevation 16 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).