Burao weather in May

In May, Burao sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 33 mm of rain across 7.7 wet days and about 12.4 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 31°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 46% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

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 Burao's 12th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Burao's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
4th warmest
Overnight low
21°
10th coldest
Rainfall
33 mm
7.7 wet days
Daylight
12 h 24 min
5:41 AM – 6:07 PM
Cloud cover
48%
12th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
6.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

Burao is city in Somaliland.

Density
3,545/km²
people per km²
Founded
1750

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 30°C in the first days to 31°C by the end.

A typical May day in Burao reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13020
23020
33020
43020
53020
63020
73020
83020
93020
103020
113020
123021
133021
143021
153021
163121
173121
183121
193121
203121
213121
223121
233121
243121
253121
263121
273121
283121
293121
303121
313121

Burao weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 15°00.111.58.7
Feb29° / 16°10.211.77.5
Mar30° / 18°81.811.96.2
Apr30° / 20°358.112.25.4
May30° / 21°337.712.45.1
Jun31° / 21°30.512.55.7
Jul30° / 20°40.912.56.2
Aug31° / 21°30.912.35.9
Sep31° / 21°61.412.15.6
Oct29° / 19°245.811.86.3
Nov28° / 17°11211.68.0
Dec27° / 15°20.611.58.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 46% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 26% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 28%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26436
36535
46535
56733
66832
76931
87030
97228
107327
117426
127525
137624
147624
157624
167624
177624
187624
197624
207624
217525
227525
237426
247426
257327
267327
277228
287129
297129
307129
317030

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Burao gets around 33 mm of rain over 7.7 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 25% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
137
237
336
436
535
634
734
833
932
1031
1130
1229
1328
1427
1525
1624
1723
1822
1921
2020
2119
2218
2318
2417
2516
2615
2714
2814
2913
3012
3111

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the humid band about 40% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 28% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
18153444
27143444
37143544
46143644
55143843
65143942
75144041
84144140
94154239
104164337
114174436
124184434
134204432
144214431
154234429
164254427
174264425
184284424
195294322
205314321
216324220
227334118
237354117
248364016
259373815
2610393714
2711403613
2812413512
2912433411
3013453210
311447308

Wind in May

Winds average 16 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 23 km/h at its breeziest. Calmer and breezier days trade off through the month.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
212calm
312calm
412calm
512light breeze
612light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1917light breeze
2017light breeze
2117light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2419light breeze
2519light breeze
2620light breeze
2720breezy
2821breezy
2921breezy
3022breezy
3123breezy

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 5:45 AM to 5:40 AM, and sunset from 6:05 PM to 6:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.35:456:05
212.35:456:05
312.35:446:05
412.45:446:05
512.45:446:05
612.45:436:06
712.45:436:06
812.45:436:06
912.45:436:06
1012.45:426:06
1112.45:426:06
1212.45:426:06
1312.45:426:07
1412.45:416:07
1512.45:416:07
1612.45:416:07
1712.45:416:07
1812.45:416:08
1912.55:416:08
2012.55:406:08
2112.55:406:08
2212.55:406:08
2312.55:406:09
2412.55:406:09
2512.55:406:09
2612.55:406:09
2712.55:406:10
2812.55:406:10
2912.55:406:10
3012.55:406:10
3112.55:406:11

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.05 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.35 kWh/m² to a high of 7.1 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 6.05 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.2Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.2Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.0Intense
196.0Intense
206.0Intense
216.0Bright
226.0Bright
235.9Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Burao

In seasonPeak

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

Burao 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 Burao?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
7.3
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Burao in May

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

In May, Burao sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Burao in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Burao peaks around March 22 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near November 22 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 22UV 15Nov 22UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov10Extreme
Dec10Extreme

Air quality in Burao 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 Burao is worst in July — around 44 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.1× the cleanest month (November, 11 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateGoodJul 1642 µg/m³Nov 1611 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan14Moderate
Feb17Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun34Moderate
Jul44Poor
Aug32Moderate
Sep20Moderate
Oct12Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Burao?

Burao sits at 9.5°N, 45.5°E, 1,041 m above sea level, in Somalia. The nearest listed city is Berbera, 117 km away.

BerberaHargeysaGebileyLaascaanoodCeerigaaboRuqiBakiTog Wajaale

Topography around Burao

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Burao has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 33 m around an average of 1,041 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 150 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,659 m.

The land around Burao is covered by artificial surfaces (36%), bare terrain (32%) and grassland (22%) within 3 km, grassland (67%) and bare terrain (20%) within 16 km, and grassland (49%), shrubs (31%) and bare terrain (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
33 m
16 km
150 m
80 km
1,659 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
May weather nearby: Berbera 117 km · Hargeysa 161 km · Gebiley 210 km · Laascaanood 232 km · Ceerigaabo 235 km · Ruqi 236 km · Baki 239 km · Tog Wajaale 241 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 Burao (9.5221°, 45.5336°, elevation 1,041 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. 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).