Barberton weather in May

In May, Barberton sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 17 mm of rain across 3.1 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of May to 10 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Barberton's 3rd-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Barberton's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
9th warmest
Overnight low
10°
4th coldest
Rainfall
17 mm
3.1 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
6:30 AM – 5:14 PM
Cloud cover
24%
3rd clearest
Wind
6 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.09 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.7
out of 10

Barberton is town in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.

Founded
1884

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month.

A typical May day in Barberton reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12412
22412
32412
42412
52412
62411
72411
82411
92411
102411
112411
122411
132410
142310
152310
162310
172310
182310
192310
202310
21239
22239
23239
24239
25239
26239
27239
28238
29238
30238
31228

Barberton weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 9th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 18°12916.213.45.5
Feb27° / 18°10913.512.95.8
Mar26° / 17°8812.212.26.4
Apr25° / 14°44711.47.6
May23° / 10°173.110.88.7
Jun22° / 71.510.48.7
Jul21° / 71.410.68.6
Aug23° / 122.511.18.7
Sep25° / 12°244.711.88.1
Oct25° / 14°5810.812.66.8
Nov26° / 16°10415.213.35.8
Dec27° / 17°1281713.65.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% 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 15%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18020
28119
38218
48317
58317
68416
78416
88416
98515
108515
118614
128515
138515
148515
158515
168515
178515
188416
198416
208416
218515
228515
238515
248614
258713
268713
278812
288812
298812
308812
318812

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Barberton gets around 17 mm of rain over 3.1 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 10% and peaks near 16% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
116
216
315
415
514
614
714
813
913
1013
1112
1212
1311
1411
1510
1610
179
189
199
208
218
227
237
247
256
266
276
286
296
306
316

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 86% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
162335
265314
367303
469283
572262
674242
776222
878211
980191
1081181
1183161
1284151
1386131
1488120
1589110
1690100
179190
189280
199370
209370
219460
229460
239550
249640
259640
269730
279730
289730
299820
309820
319910

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
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of May to 10 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 30 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:22 AM to 6:38 AM, and sunset from 5:24 PM to 5:09 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:225:24
211.06:225:23
311.06:235:23
411.06:235:22
511.06:245:21
610.96:245:21
710.96:255:20
810.96:255:19
910.96:265:18
1010.96:265:18
1110.86:275:17
1210.86:285:17
1310.86:285:16
1410.86:295:15
1510.86:295:15
1610.76:305:14
1710.76:305:14
1810.76:315:13
1910.76:315:13
2010.76:325:12
2110.76:325:12
2210.66:335:12
2310.66:335:11
2410.66:345:11
2510.66:355:10
2610.66:355:10
2710.66:365:10
2810.66:365:10
2910.56:375:09
3010.56:375:09
3110.56:385:09

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.09 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.7 kWh/m² to a high of 5.82 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 4.09 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.2Bright
34.2Bright
44.2Bright
54.2Bright
64.2Bright
74.2Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.1Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.1Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.0Bright
204.0Bright
214.0Bright
224.0Bright
234.0Bright
244.0Moderate
254.0Moderate
264.0Moderate
274.0Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.9Moderate
303.9Moderate
313.9Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Barberton

In seasonPeak

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

Barberton's rainy season runs October–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Barberton?

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

8.7
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.8
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Barberton for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Barberton in May

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

In May, Barberton sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 10°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 3 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in Barberton in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Barberton peaks around February 12 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 5 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeFeb 12UV 13Jun 22UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr7Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug7High
Sep8Very high
Oct10Very high
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Barberton 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 Barberton is worst in July — around 52 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.9× the cleanest month (December, 13 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateJul 1850 µg/m³Dec 2014 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan20Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar24Moderate
Apr26Moderate
May34Moderate
Jun37Poor
Jul52Poor
Aug43Poor
Sep34Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov30Moderate
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Barberton?

Barberton sits at 25.8°S, 31.1°E, 853 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Tekwane, 36 km away.

Topography around Barberton

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Barberton has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 906 m around an average of 981 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,356 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,040 m.

The land around Barberton is covered by trees (36%), grassland (29%) and shrubs (20%) within 3 km, trees (40%) and grassland (40%) within 16 km, and grassland (43%) and trees (39%) within 80 km.

3 km
906 m
16 km
1,356 m
80 km
2,040 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
May weather nearby: Tekwane 36 km · Mbombela 36 km · Lukwatini 38 km · Nhlazatje 38 km · Matsulu 42 km · Schoemansdal 47 km · White River 51 km · Driekoppies 52 km

South Africa travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / M / N
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,598
2025
Happiness
5.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
68%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
43.7
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
22.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 602
Religion
Christian 86%or other traditional African religions 5%nothing in particular 5%Muslim 2%

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 Barberton (-25.7884°, 31.0532°, elevation 853 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).