KwaDukuza weather in May

In May, KwaDukuza sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 44 mm of rain across 5.2 wet days and about 10.6 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 25°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 65% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 54 min at the start of May to 10 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is KwaDukuza's 3rd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see KwaDukuza's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
7th warmest
Overnight low
15°
4th coldest
Rainfall
44 mm
5.2 wet days
Daylight
10 h 30 min
6:35 AM – 5:07 PM
Cloud cover
32%
3rd clearest
Wind
9 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
3.59 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.1
out of 10

KwaDukuza is place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Founded
1825

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 25°C through the month.

A typical May day in KwaDukuza reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12616
22616
32616
42616
52616
62616
72616
82616
92616
102615
112615
122515
132515
142515
152515
162515
172515
182515
192515
202515
212514
222514
232514
242514
252514
262514
272514
282514
292513
302413
312413

KwaDukuza weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 21°10313.413.75.1
Feb29° / 21°9511.913.15.1
Mar28° / 20°911212.25.9
Apr27° / 18°698.511.37.0
May25° / 15°445.210.68.1
Jun24° / 12°26410.28.6
Jul23° / 12°414.710.38.5
Aug24° / 13°315.810.98.1
Sep25° / 15°598.511.87.3
Oct25° / 17°8712.712.76.4
Nov26° / 18°9913.413.55.9
Dec28° / 20°991413.85.5

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 13% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 22%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27327
37426
47426
57525
67624
77723
87723
97723
107822
117822
127822
137822
147822
157921
167921
177822
187921
197921
207822
217921
227921
237921
248020
258020
268020
278119
288119
298218
308218
318317

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

KwaDukuza gets around 44 mm of rain over 5.2 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 17% and peaks near 22% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
122
222
321
421
521
620
720
820
920
1019
1119
1219
1318
1418
1517
1617
1716
1816
1916
2015
2115
2215
2315
2414
2514
2614
2714
2814
2914
3014
3114

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the comfortable band about 42% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
11436428
21437427
31538416
41540405
51641394
61742374
71743363
81844353
91945332
102046312
112147302
122248282
132348271
142549251
152649241
162849221
173049211
183248200
193447180
203646170
213945160
224244140
234443130
244742120
254940100
26523990
27543880
28573670
29603460
30623350
31643150

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 54 min at the start of May to 10 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 36 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:25 AM to 6:44 AM, and sunset from 5:19 PM to 5:01 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.96:255:19
210.96:265:18
310.86:275:17
410.86:275:16
510.86:285:15
610.86:295:14
710.76:295:14
810.76:305:13
910.76:315:12
1010.76:315:11
1110.66:325:10
1210.66:325:10
1310.66:335:09
1410.66:345:08
1510.66:345:08
1610.56:355:07
1710.56:365:07
1810.56:365:06
1910.56:375:05
2010.56:375:05
2110.46:385:04
2210.46:395:04
2310.46:395:03
2410.46:405:03
2510.46:415:03
2610.46:415:02
2710.36:425:02
2810.36:425:01
2910.36:435:01
3010.36:435:01
3110.36:445:01

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.59 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.2 kWh/m² to a high of 5.89 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 3.59 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.8Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.7Moderate
123.7Moderate
133.6Moderate
143.6Moderate
153.6Moderate
163.6Moderate
173.6Moderate
183.5Moderate
193.5Moderate
203.5Moderate
213.5Moderate
223.5Moderate
233.5Moderate
243.4Moderate
253.4Moderate
263.4Moderate
273.4Moderate
283.4Moderate
293.4Moderate
303.3Moderate
313.3Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for KwaDukuza

In seasonPeak

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

KwaDukuza sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

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

Is May a good time to visit KwaDukuza?

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

8.1
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
7.3
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for KwaDukuza in May

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

In May, KwaDukuza sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 5 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near KwaDukuza 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 offshore is warmest in February at about 25°C and coldest in August near 21°C.

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

20°22°24°26°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan25Warm
Feb25Warm
Mar25Warm
Apr24Warm
May23Refreshing
Jun22Refreshing
Jul21Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct22Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec24Refreshing

UV index in KwaDukuza 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 KwaDukuza peaks around January 18 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateHighExtremeJan 18UV 12Jun 22UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Extreme
Apr6High
May5High
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in KwaDukuza 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 KwaDukuza is worst in July — around 43 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 5.5× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodJul 1442 µg/m³Jan 198 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May33Moderate
Jun40Poor
Jul43Poor
Aug35Poor
Sep29Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov14Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is KwaDukuza?

KwaDukuza sits at 29.3°S, 31.3°E, 111 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Shakaskraal, 15 km away.

Topography around KwaDukuza

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around KwaDukuza has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 241 m around an average of 107 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 556 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,539 m.

The land around KwaDukuza is covered by trees (39%), cropland (22%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 3 km, trees (30%), grassland (25%) and cropland (22%) within 16 km, and trees (36%), water (28%) and grassland (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
241 m
16 km
556 m
80 km
1,539 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Shakaskraal 15 km · Mandeni 24 km · Ballitoville 25 km · Tongaat 32 km · Eshowe 52 km · Ntuzuma 56 km · Durban 64 km · Pinetown 67 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 KwaDukuza (-29.3282°, 31.2895°, elevation 111 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).