Port Loko weather in May

In May, Port Loko sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 246 mm of rain across 24.9 wet days and about 12.4 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 32°C in the first days to 30°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of May to 12 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Port Loko's 8th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Port Loko's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
6th warmest
Overnight low
24°
11th coldest
Rainfall
246 mm
24.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 24 min
6:35 AM – 6:59 PM
Cloud cover
82%
8th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
4.57 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.9
out of 10

Port Loko 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

Highs ease over the month, from about 32°C in the first days to 30°C by the end.

A typical May day in Port Loko reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13225
23225
33225
43225
53224
63224
73124
83124
93124
103124
113124
123124
133124
143124
153124
163124
173124
183124
193124
203124
213024
223024
233024
243024
253024
263024
273024
283024
293024
303024
313024

How May really feels in Port Loko

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
heat index over the day's high
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.

Port Loko weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 22°112.711.54.7
Feb34° / 23°71.711.74.1
Mar34° / 24°21511.93.6
Apr33° / 25°568.912.23.5
May31° / 24°24624.912.42.9
Jun29° / 23°39429.512.52.8
Jul28° / 23°53930.212.53.1
Aug28° / 23°61030.112.33.3
Sep29° / 23°49429.612.12.9
Oct30° / 23°30229.911.82.8
Nov30° / 23°12921.711.63.6
Dec31° / 23°276.711.55.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% 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 86%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12773
22674
32575
42476
52278
62179
72179
81981
91981
101783
111783
121684
131486
141387
151387
161288
171288
181189
191189
201090
21892
22892
23892
24793
25793
26793
27694
28694
29694
30694
31595

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Port Loko gets around 246 mm of rain over 24.9 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 80% and peaks near 95% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
154
257
359
461
563
665
767
869
971
1073
1175
1276
1378
1480
1581
1683
1784
1886
1987
2088
2189
2290
2390
2491
2592
2692
2793
2893
2994
3094
3195

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the miserable band about 60% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
134750
234552
334453
424256
524157
623959
723860
823761
923662
1023563
1123464
1223365
1323266
1413267
1513267
1613168
1713168
1813267
1913267
2013366
2113465
2203565
2303763
2403862
2504060
2604258
2704456
2804753
2904951
3005149
3105347

Wind in May

Winds average 6 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of May to 12 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:39 AM to 6:34 AM, and sunset from 6:57 PM to 7:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.36:396:57
212.36:396:58
312.36:396:58
412.36:386:58
512.36:386:58
612.36:386:58
712.36:376:58
812.46:376:58
912.46:376:58
1012.46:376:58
1112.46:366:59
1212.46:366:59
1312.46:366:59
1412.46:366:59
1512.46:366:59
1612.46:356:59
1712.46:357:00
1812.46:357:00
1912.46:357:00
2012.46:357:00
2112.46:357:00
2212.46:357:01
2312.46:357:01
2412.46:357:01
2512.46:357:01
2612.46:347:01
2712.56:347:02
2812.56:347:02
2912.56:347:02
3012.56:347:02
3112.56:347:03

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.57 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.42 kWh/m² to a high of 6.03 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 4.57 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.1Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
74.9Bright
84.8Bright
94.8Bright
104.8Bright
114.7Bright
124.7Bright
134.6Bright
144.6Bright
154.6Bright
164.5Bright
174.5Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.4Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.2Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Port Loko

In seasonPeak

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

Port Loko's monsoon runs June–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Port Loko sees seasonal dust haze (February–April), heaviest in February.

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

Is May a good time to visit Port Loko?

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

2.9
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Port Loko.

What to pack for Port Loko in May

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

In May, Port Loko sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 25 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Port Loko in May

The nearest coast averages about 28°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 66 km away) is warmest in November at about 29°C and coldest in August near 27°C.

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

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Warm
May28Tropical
Jun28Tropical
Jul28Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep27Warm
Oct28Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Port Loko in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Port Loko peaks around August 20 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highAug 20UV 13Dec 15UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb12Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec8Very high

Air quality in Port Loko 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 Port Loko is worst in April — around 267 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 19.2× the cleanest month (August, 14 µg/m³).

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

0306090120150180210240270JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyVery unhealthyModerateUnhealthyApr 15244 µg/m³Aug 1614 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan96Unhealthy
Feb97Unhealthy
Mar93Unhealthy
Apr267Very unhealthy
May55Poor
Jun25Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep17Moderate
Oct24Moderate
Nov35Poor
Dec67Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Port Loko?

Port Loko sits at 8.8°N, 12.8°W, 51 m above sea level, in Sierra Leone. The nearest listed city is Lunsar, 29 km away.

LunsarWaterlooFreetownGoderichMile 91ForécariahMakeniNjala

Topography around Port Loko

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Port Loko has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 65 m around an average of 31 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 120 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 885 m.

The land around Port Loko is covered by trees (60%) and grassland (22%) within 3 km, trees (59%) and grassland (27%) within 16 km, and trees (44%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
65 m
16 km
120 m
80 km
885 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfaceswaterwetlandmangroves
May weather nearby: Lunsar 29 km · Waterloo 57 km · Freetown 58 km · Goderich 67 km · Mile 91 71 km · Forécariah 81 km · Makeni 83 km · Njala 104 km

Sierra Leone travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 24% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$846
2025
Happiness
3.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
11%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.2
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
33
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
Religion
Muslim 77%Christian 23%

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 Port Loko (8.7661°, -12.787°, elevation 51 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).