Makhachkala weather in May

In May, Makhachkala sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 39 mm of rain across 8.3 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 16°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Makhachkala's 6th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Makhachkala's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
5th warmest
Overnight low
14°
8th coldest
Rainfall
39 mm
8.3 wet days
Daylight
14 h 30 min
4:33 AM – 7:00 PM
Cloud cover
58%
6th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.74 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Makhachkala is city in Dagestan, Russia.

Density
1,274/km²
people per km²
Founded
1844

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 16°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical May day in Makhachkala reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 22°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°C warmer than April and about 5°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11511
21611
31611
41611
51612
61712
71712
81712
91713
101813
111813
121813
131813
141914
151914
161914
171914
181914
192015
202015
212015
222015
232015
242115
252116
262116
272116
282116
292116
302216
312217

How May really feels in Makhachkala

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.

Makhachkala weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 266.64.39.20.0
Feb / 266.14.310.20.1
Mar / 276.72.111.60.9
Apr12° / 317.20.113.13.3
May19° / 14°398.3014.46.2
Jun24° / 19°387015.17.4
Jul27° / 22°407.5014.87.3
Aug27° / 22°527.6013.87.2
Sep22° / 18°659012.37.0
Oct17° / 12°498.70.110.85.4
Nov10° / 427.61.59.52.4
Dec / 276.42.78.90.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 53%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14456
24456
34456
44357
54357
64357
74456
84357
94357
104357
114456
124456
134456
144654
154654
164753
174753
184753
194951
204951
214951
225050
234951
245050
255050
265050
275149
285050
295050
305149
315050

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Makhachkala gets around 39 mm of rain over 8.3 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 29% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
128
228
329
429
529
629
729
829
929
1029
1129
1229
1328
1428
1527
1627
1726
1826
1925
2025
2125
2225
2324
2424
2524
2625
2725
2825
2926
3026
3126

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 55% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
193700
291900
3901000
4871210
5851410
6831610
7801820
8782020
9752230
10732430
11692740
12662950
13633160
14603370
15593470
16553690
175238100
184939110
194641120
204443140
214144150
223845170
233546181
243346201
253047221
262847231
272647252
282447262
292347283
302146303
311945314

Wind in May

Winds average 13 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 60 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:51 AM to 4:20 AM, and sunset from 6:43 PM to 7:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.94:516:43
213.94:506:44
313.94:496:45
414.04:476:46
514.04:466:48
614.14:456:49
714.14:436:50
814.24:426:51
914.24:416:52
1014.24:396:53
1114.34:386:54
1214.34:376:56
1314.34:366:57
1414.44:356:58
1514.44:346:59
1614.54:337:00
1714.54:327:01
1814.54:317:02
1914.64:307:03
2014.64:297:04
2114.64:287:05
2214.74:277:06
2314.74:267:07
2414.74:257:08
2514.74:247:09
2614.84:247:10
2714.84:237:11
2814.84:227:12
2914.94:227:13
3014.94:217:14
3114.94:207:14

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.74 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.36 kWh/m² to a high of 6.26 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.74 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.9Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
235.9Bright
246.0Bright
256.0Bright
266.0Intense
276.0Intense
286.0Intense
296.0Intense
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Makhachkala?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Makhachkala for sightseeing.

What to pack for Makhachkala in May

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

In May, Makhachkala sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Makhachkala in May

The nearest coast averages about 15°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 August at about 26°C and coldest in February near 5°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 11 to Oct 2 — about 3.7 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan6Bracing
Feb5Bracing
Mar5Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May15Cool
Jun21Refreshing
Jul25Warm
Aug26Warm
Sep23Refreshing
Oct18Cool
Nov13Bracing
Dec9Bracing

UV index in Makhachkala 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 Makhachkala peaks around July 16 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highModerateLowJul 16UV 9Jan 10UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep5Moderate
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Makhachkala 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 Makhachkala is worst in March — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMar 2316 µg/m³Dec 197 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar16Moderate
Apr16Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun12Moderate
Jul13Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Makhachkala?

Makhachkala sits at 43.0°N, 47.5°E, -10 m above sea level, in Russia. The nearest listed city is Semender, 8.0 km away.

Topography around Makhachkala

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Makhachkala has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 416 m around an average of 20 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 920 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,729 m.

The land around Makhachkala is covered by artificial surfaces (57%) and water (28%) within 3 km, water (39%) and grassland (34%) within 16 km, and water (41%) and grassland (40%) within 80 km.

3 km
416 m
16 km
920 m
80 km
2,729 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Semender 8.0 km · Kaspiysk 16 km · Buynaksk 35 km · Izberbash 55 km · Kizilyurt 57 km · Khasavyurt 80 km · Dagestanskiye Ogni 111 km · Kizlyar 116 km

Russia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 32% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$17,547
2025
Happiness
5.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
76%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
6.8
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
12
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 521
Religion
other Christian 2%

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 Makhachkala (42.9778°, 47.5003°, elevation -10 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. 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).