Dhahran weather in May

In May, Dhahran sees average daytime highs of 39°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 1 mm of rain across 0.1 wet days and about 13.3 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 36°C in the first days to 41°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 81% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of May to 13 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Dhahran's 6th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dhahran's year-round climate.

Daytime high
39°
5th warmest
Overnight low
26°
8th coldest
Rainfall
1 mm
0.1 wet days
Daylight
13 h 18 min
4:57 AM – 6:14 PM
Cloud cover
17%
6th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
7.61 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.1
out of 10

Dhahran is city in Saudi Arabia.

Density
995/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 36°C in the first days to 41°C by the end.

A typical May day in Dhahran reaches about 39°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 35°C and 42°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 6°C warmer than April and about 4°C cooler than June.

20°25°30°35°40°45°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13624
23624
33624
43624
53725
63725
73725
83725
93725
103825
113825
123826
133826
143826
153826
163926
173926
183926
193927
203927
214027
224027
234027
244027
254027
264027
274128
284128
294128
304128
314128

How May really feels in Dhahran

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
14 feel dangerously hot (≥ 39°C)
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.

Dhahran weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 12°193.310.58.0
Feb23° / 13°122.311.18.7
Mar27° / 16°142.111.88.1
Apr33° / 21°5112.64.8
May39° / 26°10.113.31.1
Jun42° / 29°0013.60.0
Jul43° / 31°0013.50.0
Aug43° / 30°0012.90.0
Sep40° / 27°0012.20.3
Oct36° / 23°00.211.43.1
Nov28° / 18°152.110.77.3
Dec23° / 14°192.910.48.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 81% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 8% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 11%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18119
28218
38317
48317
58416
68416
78515
88515
98614
108713
118713
128812
138911
148911
158911
168911
179010
18919
19919
20919
21928
22928
23928
24937
25937
26937
27946
28955
29955
30955
31964

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Dhahran gets around 1 mm of rain over 0.1 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 0% and peaks near 2% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
12
21
31
41
51
61
71
81
91
101
111
121
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
200
210
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310

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 46% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 7% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
147301940
246311940
346311940
445311940
545311950
645311950
745311950
845311951
945301951
1045301961
1145301961
1245301961
1345291961
1445291961
1545291961
1646281971
1746281871
1846281871
1947281871
2047271871
2148271771
2248271771
2348271771
2448271771
2548261781
2648261781
2748261781
2848251782
2948251782
3048251682
3149241682

Wind in May

Winds average 16 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 17 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2817light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 hours at the start of May to 13 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 30 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:07 AM to 4:52 AM, and sunset from 6:06 PM to 6:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.05:076:06
213.05:076:07
313.05:066:07
413.05:056:08
513.15:046:08
613.15:046:09
713.15:036:09
813.15:026:10
913.25:016:10
1013.25:016:11
1113.25:006:12
1213.25:006:12
1313.24:596:13
1413.24:586:13
1513.34:586:14
1613.34:576:14
1713.34:576:15
1813.34:566:15
1913.34:566:16
2013.44:556:17
2113.44:556:17
2213.44:546:18
2313.44:546:18
2413.44:546:19
2513.44:536:19
2613.44:536:20
2713.54:536:20
2813.54:526:21
2913.54:526:21
3013.54:526:22
3113.54:526:22

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.61 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.96 kWh/m² to a high of 7.69 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.61 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.3Intense
27.3Intense
37.4Intense
47.4Intense
57.4Intense
67.4Intense
77.5Intense
87.5Intense
97.5Intense
107.5Intense
117.5Intense
127.6Intense
137.6Intense
147.6Intense
157.6Intense
167.6Intense
177.7Intense
187.7Intense
197.7Intense
207.7Intense
217.7Intense
227.7Intense
237.7Intense
247.7Intense
257.7Intense
267.7Intense
277.7Intense
287.7Intense
297.7Intense
307.7Intense
317.7Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Dhahran

In seasonPeak

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

Dhahran sees seasonal dust haze (February–August), heaviest in May.

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

Is May a good time to visit Dhahran?

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

1.1
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
4.4
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Dhahran.

What to pack for Dhahran in May

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

In May, Dhahran sees daytime highs around 39°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Dhahran in May

The nearest coast averages about 27°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 28 km away) is warmest in August at about 34°C and coldest in February near 18°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Mar 14 to Jan 3 — about 9.7 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°30°35°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar20Refreshing
Apr23Refreshing
May27Warm
Jun30Tropical
Jul32Tropical
Aug34Tropical
Sep33Tropical
Oct30Tropical
Nov26Warm
Dec22Refreshing

UV index in Dhahran in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dhahran peaks around July 17 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highHighModerateJul 17UV 10Dec 19UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5Moderate
Feb7High
Mar6High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct7Very high
Nov5High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Dhahran 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 Dhahran is worst in July — around 83 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.3× the cleanest month (November, 37 µg/m³).

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

0306090JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorUnhealthyPoorJul 2282 µg/m³Nov 1838 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan50Poor
Feb49Poor
Mar56Unhealthy
Apr66Unhealthy
May67Unhealthy
Jun69Unhealthy
Jul83Unhealthy
Aug80Unhealthy
Sep58Unhealthy
Oct48Poor
Nov37Poor
Dec44Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Dhahran?

Dhahran sits at 26.3°N, 50.1°E, 44 m above sea level, in Saudi Arabia. The nearest listed city is Khobar, 9.0 km away.

Topography around Dhahran

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Dhahran has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 83 m around an average of 45 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 139 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 199 m.

The land around Dhahran is covered by bare terrain (57%) and artificial surfaces (38%) within 3 km, bare terrain (52%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (51%) and water (44%) within 80 km.

3 km
83 m
16 km
139 m
80 km
199 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Khobar 9.0 km · Thuqbah 10 km · Dammam 16 km · Sayhāt 23 km · ‘Inak 27 km · Tārūt 32 km · Al Qaţīf 33 km · Al ‘Awwāmīyah 36 km

Saudi Arabia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 47% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$34,537
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2019
Road deaths
35.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 404

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 Dhahran (26.2886°, 50.114°, elevation 44 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).