Popondetta weather in May

In May, Popondetta sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 226 mm of rain across 25.1 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of May to 11 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Popondetta's 6th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Popondetta's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
7th warmest
Overnight low
23°
6th coldest
Rainfall
226 mm
25.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:15 AM – 5:51 PM
Cloud cover
80%
6th clearest
Wind
3 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.37 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Popondetta is city.

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 28°C through the month.

A typical May day in Popondetta reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°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)
12823
22823
32823
42823
52823
62823
72823
82823
92823
102823
112823
122823
132823
142823
152823
162823
172823
182823
192823
202823
212823
222823
232823
242823
252823
262823
272823
282823
292823
302823
312823

How May really feels in Popondetta

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.

Popondetta weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 24°49729.812.52.9
Feb29° / 24°46827.112.32.8
Mar29° / 24°5163012.12.9
Apr29° / 24°31526.911.83.2
May28° / 23°22625.111.63.8
Jun27° / 23°19122.311.54.4
Jul27° / 22°15821.811.54.6
Aug27° / 22°17021.611.74.7
Sep27° / 22°19521.811.94.5
Oct28° / 23°21624.612.24.0
Nov29° / 23°28926.312.43.4
Dec29° / 24°43029.212.53.0

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 11% 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 (%)
11387
21387
31387
41387
51387
61486
71486
81585
91585
101585
111684
121882
131882
141882
151981
162080
172179
182179
192179
202278
212377
222377
232377
242476
252575
262575
272773
282773
292773
302872
312872

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Popondetta gets around 226 mm of rain over 25.1 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 81% and peaks near 87% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
187
287
386
486
585
684
784
883
982
1081
1181
1280
1379
1479
1579
1678
1778
1878
1978
2079
2179
2279
2379
2479
2579
2679
2779
2879
2979
3079
3178

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 92% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
108812
208812
308911
409010
509010
60919
70928
80928
90937
100937
110937
120937
130937
140937
150937
161927
171927
181927
191927
201927
211927
222917
232917
242917
252926
263916
273925
283925
293925
304924
314924

Wind in May

Winds average 3 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 3 km/h on the calmest days to 3 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
13calm
23calm
33calm
43calm
53calm
63calm
73calm
83calm
93calm
103calm
113calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of May to 11 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:13 AM to 6:19 AM, and sunset from 5:55 PM to 5:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:135:55
211.76:135:55
311.76:145:54
411.76:145:54
511.76:145:54
611.76:145:54
711.76:145:53
811.66:145:53
911.66:145:53
1011.66:145:53
1111.66:145:52
1211.66:155:52
1311.66:155:52
1411.66:155:52
1511.66:155:51
1611.66:155:51
1711.66:155:51
1811.66:165:51
1911.66:165:51
2011.66:165:51
2111.66:165:51
2211.66:165:51
2311.66:175:51
2411.66:175:50
2511.66:175:50
2611.66:175:50
2711.56:185:50
2811.56:185:50
2911.56:185:50
3011.56:185:50
3111.56:195:50

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.37 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.01 kWh/m² to a high of 5.53 kWh/m² in November across the year — May's 4.37 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.4Bright
54.4Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.4Bright
134.4Bright
144.4Bright
154.4Bright
164.4Bright
174.4Bright
184.4Bright
194.4Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.2Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Popondetta

In seasonPeak

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

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

Popondetta's rainy season runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Popondetta?

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

3.8
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
4.4
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Popondetta.

What to pack for Popondetta in May

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

In May, Popondetta sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 25 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Popondetta 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 22 km away) is warmest in January 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°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan30Tropical
Feb30Tropical
Mar30Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Warm
Aug28Warm
Sep28Warm
Oct28Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec30Tropical

UV index in Popondetta in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Popondetta peaks around March 12 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeExtremeMar 12UV 16Jun 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep15Extreme
Oct15Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Popondetta?

Popondetta sits at 8.8°S, 148.2°E, 106 m above sea level, in Papua New Guinea. The nearest listed city is Port Moresby, 143 km away.

Port MoresbyBuloloLaeKimbeGorokaMadangMount HagenDaru

Topography around Popondetta

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Popondetta has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 119 m around an average of 109 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 803 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,979 m.

The land around Popondetta is covered by trees (61%) and grassland (38%) within 3 km, trees (86%) within 16 km, and trees (70%) and water (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
119 m
16 km
803 m
80 km
3,979 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
May weather nearby: Port Moresby 143 km · Bulolo 247 km · Lae 265 km · Kimbe 415 km · Goroka 433 km · Madang 478 km · Mount Hagen 547 km · Daru 553 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 Popondetta (-8.7654°, 148.2325°, elevation 106 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).