Berbera weather in May

In May, Berbera sees average daytime highs of 32°C and overnight lows near 29°C, with 13 mm of rain across 2.6 wet days and about 12.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 31°C in the first days to 34°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 65% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Berbera's 8th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Berbera's year-round climate.

Daytime high
32°
5th warmest
Overnight low
29°
8th coldest
Rainfall
13 mm
2.6 wet days
Daylight
12 h 30 min
5:42 AM – 6:11 PM
Cloud cover
33%
8th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
6.24 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.9
out of 10

Berbera is city in the northwestern Berbera District of Somalia.

Density
48,469/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 31°C in the first days to 34°C by the end.

A typical May day in Berbera reaches about 32°C in the afternoon and slips back to 29°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13028
23028
33128
43128
53128
63128
73129
83129
93129
103129
113129
123229
133229
143229
153229
163229
173229
183229
193229
203330
213330
223330
233330
243330
253330
263330
273430
283430
293430
303430
313430

How May really feels in Berbera

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
23 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.

Berbera 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 23°92.211.58.4
Feb26° / 23°92.411.78.3
Mar27° / 25°152.111.98.2
Apr29° / 27°305.112.26.6
May32° / 29°132.612.54.9
Jun35° / 31°10.212.63.0
Jul35° / 30°10.312.53.3
Aug34° / 31°20.612.33.7
Sep34° / 30°40.712.14.2
Oct30° / 27°295.811.86.0
Nov28° / 25°283.911.57.6
Dec26° / 24°143.411.48.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 65% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 21%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27327
37327
47327
57327
67525
77525
87624
97723
107822
117822
127921
138020
148119
158119
168119
178119
188119
198218
208218
218218
228218
238119
248119
258119
268119
278119
288119
298119
308020
318020

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Berbera gets around 13 mm of rain over 2.6 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 9% and peaks near 15% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
115
214
313
412
512
611
710
810
910
1010
119
129
139
149
159
169
179
189
199
209
219
228
238
248
257
266
276
285
295
304
314

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 85% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
10991
20892
30892
40793
50793
60793
70793
80793
90694
100694
110694
120694
130793
140793
150793
160892
170991
1801090
1901189
2001288
2101486
2201684
2301882
2402080
2502377
2612574
2712871
2813168
2913465
3013762
3114158

Wind in May

Winds average 12 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 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
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1612calm
1712calm
1812calm
1912light breeze
2012light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 36 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 5:46 AM to 5:41 AM, and sunset from 6:08 PM to 6:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.45:466:08
212.45:466:08
312.45:456:08
412.45:456:08
512.45:456:09
612.45:446:09
712.45:446:09
812.45:446:09
912.45:446:09
1012.45:436:09
1112.45:436:10
1212.45:436:10
1312.55:426:10
1412.55:426:10
1512.55:426:10
1612.55:426:11
1712.55:426:11
1812.55:426:11
1912.55:416:11
2012.55:416:11
2112.55:416:12
2212.55:416:12
2312.55:416:12
2412.55:416:12
2512.55:416:13
2612.55:416:13
2712.55:416:13
2812.55:416:13
2912.65:416:14
3012.65:416:14
3112.65:416:14

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.24 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.27 kWh/m² to a high of 6.35 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 6.24 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.4Intense
56.4Intense
66.4Intense
76.4Intense
86.4Intense
96.4Intense
106.4Intense
116.4Intense
126.4Intense
136.3Intense
146.3Intense
156.3Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.0Intense
256.0Intense
266.0Bright
275.9Bright
285.9Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Berbera

In seasonPeak

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

Berbera sees seasonal dust haze (June–August), heaviest in July.

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

Is May a good time to visit Berbera?

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

4.9
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
7.9
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Berbera for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Berbera in May

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

In May, Berbera sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 29°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Berbera in May

The nearest coast averages about 30°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 24 km away) is warmest in June at about 31°C and coldest in February near 26°C.

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

24°26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb26Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun31Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep31Tropical
Oct30Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec27Warm

UV index in Berbera in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Berbera peaks around March 22 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near November 23 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeExtremeVery highMar 22UV 14Nov 23UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul9Very high
Aug13Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Berbera 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 Berbera is worst in July — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.0× the cleanest month (October, 12 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateModerateJul 1433 µg/m³Oct 2112 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar17Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun29Moderate
Jul34Moderate
Aug25Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov12Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Berbera?

Berbera sits at 10.4°N, 45.0°E, 11 m above sea level, in Somalia. The nearest listed city is Burao, 117 km away.

BuraoHargeysaGebileyRuqiBakiSaylacTog WajaaleBorama

Topography around Berbera

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Berbera has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 51 m around an average of 13 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 783 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,996 m.

The land around Berbera is covered by bare terrain (63%) and water (24%) within 3 km, bare terrain (54%) and water (43%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (46%) and water (31%) within 80 km.

3 km
51 m
16 km
783 m
80 km
1,996 m
shrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Burao 117 km · Hargeysa 143 km · Gebiley 173 km · Ruqi 181 km · Baki 188 km · Saylac 197 km · Tog Wajaale 206 km · Borama 208 km

Somalia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / G
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 52% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$661
2025
Happiness
4.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Road deaths
27.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 399
Religion
Muslim 100%ethnic religionist 0%

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 Berbera (10.4396°, 45.0143°, elevation 11 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).