Cala weather in May

In May, Cala sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 6°C, with 22 mm of precipitation across 4.6 wet days and about 10.4 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 18°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 60% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 48 min at the start of May to 10 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Cala's 4th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cala's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
9th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Precipitation
22 mm
4.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 24 min
6:53 AM – 5:17 PM
Cloud cover
36%
4th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
3.67 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.4
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 18°C by the end.

A typical May day in Cala reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 6°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1207
2207
3207
4207
5207
6207
7207
8207
9207
10207
11206
12206
13206
14206
15206
16206
17206
18206
19196
20196
21196
22196
23195
24195
25195
26195
27185
28185
29185
30184
31184

How May really feels in Cala

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 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
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Cala 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 daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 14°17620.4013.85.3
Feb25° / 14°16017.9013.25.4
Mar24° / 12°13517.3012.26.0
Apr21° / 7210011.36.7
May19° / 224.60.110.47.4
Jun17° / 193.30.2106.9
Jul17° / 203.10.510.27.0
Aug19° / 325.40.410.97.3
Sep22° / 507.60.311.87.1
Oct22° / 9915.2012.86.1
Nov23° / 11°13917.40.113.65.7
Dec24° / 12°16420.70145.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 60% 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 26%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17228
27327
37327
47327
57228
67327
77327
87327
97327
107327
117426
127426
137426
147327
157327
167327
177327
187327
197426
207426
217426
227426
237525
247624
257624
267723
277822
287822
297921
307921
318020

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Cala gets around 22 mm of rain and snow over 4.6 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 15% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
123
222
321
420
520
619
718
818
917
1017
1116
1216
1315
1415
1514
1614
1714
1814
1914
2013
2113
2213
2313
2412
2512
2612
2712
2812
2912
3012
3112

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 48 min at the start of May to 10 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:43 AM to 7:03 AM, and sunset from 5:30 PM to 5:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.86:435:30
210.86:445:29
310.76:445:28
410.76:455:27
510.76:465:26
610.66:465:25
710.66:475:24
810.66:485:24
910.66:495:23
1010.56:495:22
1110.56:505:21
1210.56:515:20
1310.56:515:20
1410.46:525:19
1510.46:535:18
1610.46:535:17
1710.46:545:17
1810.46:555:16
1910.36:565:16
2010.36:565:15
2110.36:575:14
2210.36:585:14
2310.36:585:13
2410.26:595:13
2510.26:595:12
2610.27:005:12
2710.27:015:12
2810.27:015:11
2910.17:025:11
3010.17:035:10
3110.17:035:10

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.67 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.26 kWh/m² to a high of 6.73 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.67 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Moderate
24.0Moderate
33.9Moderate
43.9Moderate
53.9Moderate
63.9Moderate
73.9Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.8Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.8Moderate
133.7Moderate
143.7Moderate
153.7Moderate
163.7Moderate
173.6Moderate
183.6Moderate
193.6Moderate
203.6Moderate
213.6Moderate
223.6Moderate
233.5Moderate
243.5Moderate
253.5Moderate
263.5Moderate
273.5Moderate
283.5Moderate
293.4Moderate
303.4Moderate
313.4Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Cala

In seasonPeak

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

Cala'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 Cala?

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

7.4
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
3.4
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Cala in May

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

In May, Cala sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 6°C. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 5 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Cala 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 Cala peaks around January 14 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighExtremeJan 14UV 14Jun 23UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr7High
May5High
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug6High
Sep7High
Oct11Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Cala 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 Cala is worst in September — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.9× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 923 µg/m³Dec 225 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb6Good
Mar7Good
Apr8Good
May10Good
Jun12Good
Jul13Moderate
Aug23Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov6Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Cala?

Cala sits at 31.5°S, 27.7°E, 1,196 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Khowa, 26 km away.

Topography around Cala

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Cala has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 497 m around an average of 1,228 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 810 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,269 m.

The land around Cala is covered by grassland (59%) within 3 km, grassland (79%) within 16 km, and grassland (76%) within 80 km.

3 km
497 m
16 km
810 m
80 km
2,269 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
May weather nearby: Khowa 26 km · Lady Frere 48 km · Ugie 63 km · Queensdale 78 km · Queenstown 88 km · Butterworth 99 km · Mthatha 103 km · Whittlesea 110 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 Cala (-31.5236°, 27.6952°, elevation 1,196 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).