Mendi weather in May

In May, Mendi sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 557 mm of rain across 29.9 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 0% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.

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 Mendi's 5th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mendi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
7th warmest
Overnight low
13°
11th coldest
Rainfall
557 mm
29.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:30 AM – 6:13 PM
Cloud cover
91%
5th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Mendi is capital city of Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea.

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 21°C through the month.

A typical May day in Mendi reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 23°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 1°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12114
22114
32114
42114
52114
62114
72114
82114
92114
102114
112114
122114
132114
142113
152113
162113
172113
182113
192113
202113
212113
222113
232113
242113
252113
262113
272113
282113
292113
302113
312113

Mendi weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 13°45029.412.33.4
Feb22° / 13°42726.812.23.4
Mar21° / 13°50429.9123.3
Apr21° / 14°58329.211.93.3
May21° / 13°55729.911.73.4
Jun20° / 13°46829.111.73.3
Jul20° / 13°41229.711.73.3
Aug20° / 13°48029.611.83.3
Sep20° / 13°56728.4123.4
Oct21° / 13°59128.712.13.5
Nov22° / 13°4862812.33.5
Dec22° / 13°45229.312.43.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 0% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 2% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 98%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1199
2199
3199
4199
5199
6199
7298
8298
9298
10298
11298
12298
13298
14298
15298
16298
17298
18298
19298
20298
21298
22298
23199
24199
25199
26199
27199
28199
29199
30199
31199

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Mendi gets around 557 mm of rain over 29.9 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 96% and peaks near 99% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
199
299
398
498
598
697
797
897
996
1096
1196
1296
1395
1495
1595
1695
1795
1895
1995
2095
2196
2296
2396
2496
2596
2696
2796
2896
2996
3096
3196

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the comfortable band about 71% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
116336
216336
316336
416435
516435
616534
716534
816633
926632
1026632
1126731
1226830
1326929
1427028
1527127
1637126
1737225
1837324
1937324
2037423
2137522
2237522
2337621
2437621
2537621
2637720
2737720
2837720
2937720
3037621
3137621

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 6:29 AM to 6:33 AM, and sunset from 6:16 PM to 6:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.86:296:16
211.86:296:16
311.86:296:16
411.86:296:15
511.86:296:15
611.86:296:15
711.86:296:15
811.86:296:14
911.86:296:14
1011.76:296:14
1111.76:296:14
1211.76:306:14
1311.76:306:14
1411.76:306:13
1511.76:306:13
1611.76:306:13
1711.76:306:13
1811.76:306:13
1911.76:306:13
2011.76:316:13
2111.76:316:13
2211.76:316:13
2311.76:316:13
2411.76:316:13
2511.76:316:13
2611.76:326:13
2711.76:326:13
2811.76:326:13
2911.76:326:13
3011.76:326:13
3111.76:336:13

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.05 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.57 kWh/m² to a high of 4.88 kWh/m² in November across the year — May's 4.05 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.1Bright
24.1Bright
34.1Bright
44.1Bright
54.1Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.1Bright
104.1Bright
114.1Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.1Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.1Bright
214.1Bright
224.1Bright
234.0Bright
244.0Bright
254.0Bright
264.0Bright
274.0Bright
284.0Bright
294.0Moderate
304.0Moderate
314.0Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Mendi?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
2.1
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Mendi.

What to pack for Mendi in May

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

In May, Mendi sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 13°C. Pack rain gear. About 30 days see rain.

rain gear

UV index in Mendi in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mendi peaks around March 14 at about 18 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 12 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 14UV 18Jun 19UV 12
UV index (midday)Level
Jan17Extreme
Feb17Extreme
Mar18Extreme
Apr16Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep16Extreme
Oct16Extreme
Nov16Extreme
Dec15Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Mendi?

Mendi sits at 6.1°S, 143.7°E, 1,729 m above sea level, in Papua New Guinea. The nearest listed city is Mount Hagen, 71 km away.

GorokaMadangWewakDaruBuloloLaeMerauke

Topography around Mendi

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mendi has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 889 m around an average of 1,903 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,714 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,228 m.

The land around Mendi is covered by trees (63%) and grassland (33%) within 3 km, trees (80%) within 16 km, and trees (87%) within 80 km.

3 km
889 m
16 km
1,714 m
80 km
4,228 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswetland
May weather nearby: Mount Hagen 71 km · Goroka 191 km · Madang 257 km · Wewak 289 km · Daru 330 km · Bulolo 350 km · Lae 375 km · Merauke 444 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 Mendi (-6.1475°, 143.6563°, elevation 1,729 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).