Lydenburg weather in May

In May, Lydenburg sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 8°C, with 14 mm of rain across 2.7 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 20°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 06 min at the start of May to 10 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Lydenburg's 4th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lydenburg's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
10th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Rainfall
14 mm
2.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:31 AM – 5:18 PM
Cloud cover
24%
4th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.31 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.3
out of 10

Lydenburg is town in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Founded
1849

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 20°C by the end.

A typical May day in Lydenburg reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 8°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 25°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)
12210
22210
32210
42210
5229
6229
7229
8229
9229
10229
11229
12229
13218
14218
15218
16218
17218
18218
19218
20218
21217
22217
23217
24217
25217
26207
27207
28207
29206
30206
31206

Lydenburg weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 16°15517.113.45.6
Feb26° / 16°1231412.96.0
Mar25° / 14°9413.612.26.5
Apr23° / 12°447.411.47.5
May21° / 142.710.88.3
Jun19° / 61.710.58.1
Jul19° / 51.210.68.2
Aug21° / 10211.18.5
Sep24° / 10°204.111.88.5
Oct24° / 12°5910.212.67.1
Nov25° / 14°11315.213.26.0
Dec25° / 15°15618.613.55.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% 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 14%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17921
28020
38119
48218
58317
68317
78416
88515
98515
108515
118515
128614
138713
148713
158713
168614
178614
188614
198614
208614
218713
228812
238812
248812
258812
268911
279010
289010
299010
308911
318911

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Lydenburg gets around 14 mm of rain over 2.7 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 9% and peaks near 15% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
115
214
313
413
512
612
711
811
911
1010
1110
1210
139
149
159
169
178
188
198
208
218
227
237
247
257
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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1964
2964
3973
4973
5982
6982
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in May

Winds average 5 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 5 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
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 min at the start of May to 10 h 36 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 6:23 AM to 6:39 AM, and sunset from 5:28 PM to 5:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.16:235:28
211.16:245:27
311.06:245:26
411.06:255:25
511.06:255:25
611.06:265:24
710.96:265:23
810.96:275:23
910.96:275:22
1010.96:285:21
1110.96:285:21
1210.96:295:20
1310.86:295:20
1410.86:305:19
1510.86:305:18
1610.86:315:18
1710.86:325:17
1810.76:325:17
1910.76:335:17
2010.76:335:16
2110.76:345:16
2210.76:345:15
2310.76:355:15
2410.76:355:15
2510.66:365:14
2610.66:365:14
2710.66:375:14
2810.66:375:13
2910.66:385:13
3010.66:385:13
3110.66:395:13

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.31 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.91 kWh/m² to a high of 6.25 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 4.31 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.4Bright
54.4Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.4Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.2Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.2Bright
284.1Bright
294.1Bright
304.1Bright
314.1Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Lydenburg

In seasonPeak

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

Lydenburg's rainy season runs November–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 Lydenburg?

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

8.3
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
5.1
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Lydenburg in May

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

In May, Lydenburg sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 8°C. Little to plan around — just the basics.

UV index in Lydenburg 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 Lydenburg peaks around January 14 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeJan 14UV 14Jun 21UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun6High
Jul6High
Aug8Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct10Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Lydenburg 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 Lydenburg is worst in July — around 40 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.9× the cleanest month (December, 14 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateJul 2039 µg/m³Dec 2314 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan14Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar20Moderate
Apr26Moderate
May35Poor
Jun36Poor
Jul40Poor
Aug38Poor
Sep30Moderate
Oct20Moderate
Nov20Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Lydenburg?

Lydenburg sits at 25.1°S, 30.4°E, 1,371 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Sabie, 34 km away.

Topography around Lydenburg

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Lydenburg has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 145 m around an average of 1,409 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,159 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,911 m.

The land around Lydenburg is covered by grassland (60%) and artificial surfaces (28%) within 3 km, grassland (68%) within 16 km, and grassland (46%) and trees (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
145 m
16 km
1,159 m
80 km
1,911 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
May weather nearby: Sabie 34 km · Praktiseer 58 km · White River 63 km · Mbombela 68 km · Mafemani 73 km · Dwarsloop 74 km · Hlanganani 75 km · Belfast 78 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 Lydenburg (-25.096°, 30.4439°, elevation 1,371 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).