Madang weather in May

In May, Madang sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 262 mm of rain across 24.4 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 min at the start of May to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Madang's 6th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Madang's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
8th warmest
Overnight low
24°
10th coldest
Rainfall
262 mm
24.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
6:20 AM – 6:06 PM
Cloud cover
80%
6th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.7
out of 10

Madang is human settlement in Papua New Guinea.

Founded
1884

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 29°C through the month.

A typical May day in Madang reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12924
22924
32924
42924
52924
62924
72924
82924
92924
102924
112924
122924
132924
142924
152924
162924
172924
182924
192924
202924
212924
222924
232924
242924
252924
262924
272924
282924
292924
302924
312924

How May really feels in Madang

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
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.

Madang weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 24°43028.812.32.9
Feb29° / 24°39526.412.22.8
Mar29° / 24°46628.2123.0
Apr29° / 24°41427.411.93.1
May29° / 24°26224.411.83.7
Jun28° / 24°15020.611.74.1
Jul28° / 24°16920.511.74.4
Aug28° / 24°15117.611.84.7
Sep29° / 24°15117.3124.5
Oct29° / 24°22922.112.13.9
Nov29° / 24°33725.912.23.3
Dec29° / 24°4272912.32.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 80%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11486
21486
31585
41585
51585
61585
71684
81684
91783
101783
111783
121882
131882
141882
152080
162179
172179
182179
192179
202278
212377
222377
232377
242476
252476
262476
272575
282674
292674
302674
312674

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Madang gets around 262 mm of rain over 24.4 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 79% and peaks near 86% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
186
285
385
485
584
684
783
883
982
1081
1181
1280
1379
1479
1578
1678
1777
1877
1977
2076
2176
2276
2375
2475
2575
2675
2775
2874
2974
3073
3173

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the miserable band about 58% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
13763
23664
33664
43565
53565
63565
73565
83565
93664
103664
113763
123862
133961
144060
154159
164258
174357
184456
194555
204555
214654
224753
234852
244852
254951
264951
274951
284951
294951
304951
314951

Wind in May

Winds average 4 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 min at the start of May to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:19 AM to 6:23 AM, and sunset from 6:09 PM to 6:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.86:196:09
211.86:196:08
311.86:196:08
411.86:196:08
511.86:196:08
611.86:206:07
711.86:206:07
811.86:206:07
911.86:206:07
1011.86:206:07
1111.86:206:07
1211.86:206:06
1311.86:206:06
1411.86:206:06
1511.86:206:06
1611.86:206:06
1711.86:206:06
1811.86:206:06
1911.86:216:06
2011.86:216:06
2111.76:216:06
2211.76:216:06
2311.76:216:06
2411.76:216:06
2511.76:216:06
2611.76:226:06
2711.76:226:06
2811.76:226:06
2911.76:226:06
3011.76:226:06
3111.76:236:06

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.43 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.4 kWh/m² to a high of 5.37 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 4.43 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.4Bright
54.4Bright
64.3Bright
74.3Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.4Bright
134.4Bright
144.4Bright
154.4Bright
164.4Bright
174.5Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.5Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.6Bright
304.6Bright
314.6Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Madang

In seasonPeak

None of Madang's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Madang sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

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

Is May a good time to visit Madang?

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

3.7
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
4.5
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Madang.

What to pack for Madang in May

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

In May, Madang sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 24 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Madang in May

The nearest coast averages about 29°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 15 km away) is warmest in December at about 30°C and coldest in August near 28°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug28Warm
Sep28Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec30Tropical

UV index in Madang in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Madang peaks around March 13 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 13UV 16Jun 21UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar17Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Madang?

Madang sits at 5.2°S, 145.8°E, 4 m above sea level, in Papua New Guinea. The nearest listed city is Goroka, 106 km away.

GorokaMount HagenLaeBuloloMendiWewakPopondettaKimbe

Topography around Madang

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Madang has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 45 m around an average of 9 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 548 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,835 m.

The land around Madang is covered by trees (45%), water (25%) and grassland (21%) within 3 km, water (51%) and trees (47%) within 16 km, and trees (60%) and water (38%) within 80 km.

3 km
45 m
16 km
548 m
80 km
3,835 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
May weather nearby: Goroka 106 km · Mount Hagen 186 km · Lae 214 km · Bulolo 240 km · Mendi 257 km · Wewak 303 km · Popondetta 478 km · Kimbe 483 km

Papua New Guinea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type I
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 58% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,020
2025
Homicide rate
9.3
per 100k, 2010
Road deaths
12.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 64%Roman Catholic 26%other Christian 5%non-Christian 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 Madang (-5.2215°, 145.7869°, elevation 4 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).