Bhisho weather in May

In May, Bhisho sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 28 mm of rain across 4.9 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 42 min at the start of May to 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Bhisho's 4th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bhisho's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
9th warmest
Overnight low
10°
5th coldest
Rainfall
28 mm
4.9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
6:57 AM – 5:16 PM
Cloud cover
41%
4th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
3.32 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.8
out of 10

Bhisho is town in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Density
16,991/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

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month.

A typical May day in Bhisho reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12211
22211
32211
42211
52211
62211
72211
82211
92211
102211
112210
122210
132210
142210
152210
162210
172210
182210
192210
202210
212210
222210
23229
24229
25229
26229
27219
28219
29219
30219
31218

Bhisho weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 9th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 16°11714.113.96.0
Feb26° / 16°1111313.25.9
Mar25° / 15°10812.312.26.5
Apr23° / 12°859.511.27.1
May22° / 10°284.910.37.8
Jun20° / 253.59.97.8
Jul21° / 274.210.17.8
Aug21° / 415.910.87.5
Sep22° / 10°56811.87.1
Oct23° / 11°8611.912.86.5
Nov23° / 13°9911.813.76.4
Dec25° / 15°11413.814.16.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 32%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26733
36832
46832
56931
66832
76832
86832
96733
106733
116733
126634
136634
146634
156634
166634
176634
186634
196535
206634
216733
226733
236931
246931
257129
267129
277228
287228
297426
307426
317525

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Bhisho gets around 28 mm of rain over 4.9 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 16% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
123
222
322
421
521
620
720
819
919
1018
1118
1217
1316
1416
1515
1614
1714
1814
1913
2013
2113
2213
2313
2412
2512
2612
2712
2813
2913
3013
3113

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 93% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
178202
279192
382171
483161
584151
685141
787130
888120
990100
109190
119280
129370
139460
149550
159550
169640
179730
189730
199730
209820
219820
229820
239820
249910
259910
269910
279910
289910
299910
3010000
3110000

Wind in May

Winds average 11 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 11 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
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 42 min at the start of May to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:46 AM to 7:07 AM, and sunset from 5:29 PM to 5:08 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.76:465:29
210.76:475:28
310.76:475:27
410.66:485:26
510.66:495:25
610.66:505:24
710.56:505:23
810.56:515:22
910.56:525:21
1010.56:535:21
1110.46:535:20
1210.46:545:19
1310.46:555:18
1410.46:565:17
1510.36:565:17
1610.36:575:16
1710.36:585:15
1810.36:585:15
1910.26:595:14
2010.27:005:13
2110.27:015:13
2210.27:015:12
2310.27:025:12
2410.17:035:11
2510.17:035:11
2610.17:045:10
2710.17:055:10
2810.17:055:09
2910.07:065:09
3010.07:075:08
3110.07:075:08

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.32 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.95 kWh/m² to a high of 6.1 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.32 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.6Moderate
23.6Moderate
33.6Moderate
43.6Moderate
53.5Moderate
63.5Moderate
73.5Moderate
83.5Moderate
93.5Moderate
103.4Moderate
113.4Moderate
123.4Moderate
133.4Moderate
143.4Moderate
153.4Moderate
163.3Moderate
173.3Moderate
183.3Moderate
193.3Moderate
203.3Moderate
213.2Moderate
223.2Moderate
233.2Moderate
243.2Moderate
253.2Moderate
263.1Moderate
273.1Moderate
283.1Moderate
293.1Moderate
303.1Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Bhisho

In seasonPeak

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

Bhisho's rainy season runs September–April, 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 Bhisho?

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

7.8
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.4
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Bhisho for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Bhisho in May

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

In May, Bhisho sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 10°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 5 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Bhisho in May

The nearest coast averages about 23°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 51 km away) is warmest in February at about 25°C and coldest in August near 20°C.

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

18°20°22°24°26°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan24Warm
Feb25Warm
Mar25Warm
Apr24Warm
May23Refreshing
Jun22Refreshing
Jul21Refreshing
Aug20Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct21Refreshing
Nov22Refreshing
Dec23Refreshing

UV index in Bhisho in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bhisho peaks around January 15 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighExtremeJan 15UV 13Jun 22UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May5Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Bhisho 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 Bhisho is worst in August — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (February, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1520 µg/m³Feb 98 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb8Good
Mar9Good
Apr12Good
May15Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct12Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bhisho?

Bhisho sits at 32.8°S, 27.4°E, 535 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Qonce, 6.0 km away.

Topography around Bhisho

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Bhisho has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 154 m around an average of 500 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 660 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,011 m.

The land around Bhisho is covered by grassland (66%) within 3 km, grassland (63%) within 16 km, and grassland (40%) and trees (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
154 m
16 km
660 m
80 km
2,011 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Qonce 6.0 km · Ndevana 9.0 km · Dimbaza 21 km · Stutterheim 31 km · Mdantsane 33 km · East London 48 km · Gonubie 55 km · Alice 57 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 Bhisho (-32.8472°, 27.4422°, elevation 535 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).