Ziguinchor weather in May

In May, Ziguinchor sees average daytime highs of 37°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 2 mm of rain across 0.3 wet days and about 12.6 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 37°C in the first days to 36°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Ziguinchor's 4th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ziguinchor's year-round climate.

Daytime high
37°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
23°
7th coldest
Rainfall
2 mm
0.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 36 min
6:44 AM – 7:19 PM
Cloud cover
36%
4th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
6.92 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.1
out of 10

Ziguinchor is city and regional capital in Senegal.

Density
6,551/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 ease over the month, from about 37°C in the first days to 36°C by the end.

A typical May day in Ziguinchor reaches about 37°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 34°C and 39°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

20°25°30°35°40°45°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13823
23723
33723
43723
53723
63723
73723
83723
93723
103723
113723
123723
133723
143723
153723
163723
173723
183723
193724
203624
213624
223624
233624
243624
253624
263624
273624
283624
293624
303624
313624

How May really feels in Ziguinchor

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
19 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.

Ziguinchor weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 3rd-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan34° / 19°10.111.33.8
Feb36° / 20°10.111.62.5
Mar38° / 22°0011.91.5
Apr38° / 22°0012.31.4
May37° / 23°20.312.62.1
Jun34° / 25°517.212.73.0
Jul31° / 25°27723.512.73.0
Aug30° / 24°39127.812.42.8
Sep31° / 24°30725.512.12.7
Oct33° / 25°12818.411.73.0
Nov34° / 23°162.811.43.4
Dec34° / 20°10.311.33.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 27%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17921
28020
38020
48020
58020
68119
78119
88119
98119
108119
117921
127921
137921
147822
157624
167624
177525
187426
197327
207228
217129
227030
236832
246733
256535
266436
276337
286238
296040
305941
315842

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Ziguinchor gets around 2 mm of rain over 0.3 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 2% and peaks near 6% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
10
20
30
40
50
61
71
81
91
101
111
121
131
141
151
161
171
181
191
201
211
222
232
242
252
263
273
284
294
305
316

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 49% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 68% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1218383840
2217384040
3115384150
4114384250
5113374350
6112374460
7111364570
8110364670
919354880
1018344990
11173350100
12163151110
13153052120
14042954130
15032854150
16032754160
17022655170
18022554190
19012356200
20012255220
21012154240
22012052261
23011852281
24011751301
25001650331
26001449351
27001348381
28001246401
29001145431
3000943452
3100842482

Wind in May

Winds average 10 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:49 AM to 6:42 AM, and sunset from 7:16 PM to 7:23 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.46:497:16
212.56:497:16
312.56:487:16
412.56:487:16
512.56:477:16
612.56:477:16
712.56:477:17
812.56:467:17
912.56:467:17
1012.56:467:17
1112.56:457:17
1212.56:457:18
1312.66:457:18
1412.66:447:18
1512.66:447:18
1612.66:447:19
1712.66:447:19
1812.66:447:19
1912.66:437:19
2012.66:437:20
2112.66:437:20
2212.66:437:20
2312.66:437:21
2412.66:437:21
2512.66:427:21
2612.66:427:21
2712.76:427:22
2812.76:427:22
2912.76:427:22
3012.76:427:23
3112.76:427:23

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.92 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.19 kWh/m² to a high of 7.13 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 6.92 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.1Intense
27.1Intense
37.1Intense
47.1Intense
57.1Intense
67.1Intense
77.1Intense
87.1Intense
97.0Intense
107.0Intense
117.0Intense
127.0Intense
137.0Intense
147.0Intense
156.9Intense
166.9Intense
176.9Intense
186.9Intense
196.8Intense
206.8Intense
216.8Intense
226.8Intense
236.8Intense
246.7Intense
256.7Intense
266.7Intense
276.7Intense
286.6Intense
296.6Intense
306.6Intense
316.5Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Ziguinchor

In seasonPeak

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

Ziguinchor sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Ziguinchor's monsoon runs July–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Ziguinchor sees seasonal dust haze (February–July), heaviest in June.

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

Is May a good time to visit Ziguinchor?

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

2.1
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
5.6
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Ziguinchor.

What to pack for Ziguinchor in May

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

In May, Ziguinchor sees daytime highs around 37°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Ziguinchor in May

The nearest coast averages about 26°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 50 km away) is warmest in October at about 29°C and coldest in January near 24°C.

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

22°24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan24Refreshing
Feb24Refreshing
Mar25Warm
Apr25Warm
May26Warm
Jun28Warm
Jul28Tropical
Aug28Warm
Sep28Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec26Warm

UV index in Ziguinchor 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 Ziguinchor peaks around March 17 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highMar 17UV 13Dec 19UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb11Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec7High

Air quality in Ziguinchor 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 Ziguinchor is worst in February — around 100 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.2× the cleanest month (August, 19 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorModeratePoorUnhealthyFeb 1698 µg/m³Aug 2020 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan81Unhealthy
Feb100Unhealthy
Mar84Unhealthy
Apr57Unhealthy
May49Poor
Jun55Poor
Jul31Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct42Poor
Nov56Unhealthy
Dec74Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Ziguinchor?

Ziguinchor sits at 12.6°N, 16.3°W, 19 m above sea level, in Senegal. The nearest listed city is Bignona, 27 km away.

GoudompSédhiouGunjurNema KunkuBrikamaLaminSanyang

Topography around Ziguinchor

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ziguinchor has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 31 m around an average of 12 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 50 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 57 m.

The land around Ziguinchor is covered by artificial surfaces (55%) within 3 km, trees (37%) within 16 km, and trees (33%) and water (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
31 m
16 km
50 m
80 km
57 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
May weather nearby: Bignona 27 km · Goudomp 44 km · Sédhiou 79 km · Gunjur 86 km · Nema Kunku 87 km · Brikama 88 km · Lamin 89 km · Sanyang 94 km

Senegal travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / D / E / K
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 36% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,955
2025
Happiness
4.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
27%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.3
per 100k, 2015
Road deaths
23.5
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 442
Religion
Muslim 97%Christian 3%

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 Ziguinchor (12.568°, -16.2733°, elevation 19 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. 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).