Mdantsane weather in May

In May, Mdantsane sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 25 mm of rain across 4.6 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 12th-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 53% 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 Mdantsane's 4th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mdantsane's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
7th warmest
Overnight low
15°
5th coldest
Rainfall
25 mm
4.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
6:56 AM – 5:14 PM
Cloud cover
40%
4th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
3.23 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10

Mdantsane is township.

Founded
1940

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 Mdantsane reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12315
22315
32315
42315
52315
62315
72315
82315
92315
102315
112315
122315
132315
142315
152315
162315
172315
182315
192314
202314
212314
222314
232314
242214
252214
262214
272214
282214
292213
302213
312213

Mdantsane weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 19°7611.113.96.5
Feb26° / 20°8010.513.26.4
Mar25° / 19°8211.512.36.7
Apr24° / 17°738.211.27.4
May23° / 15°254.610.38.0
Jun21° / 12°253.59.98.0
Jul21° / 12°284.1107.9
Aug21° / 12°38610.87.5
Sep21° / 13°496.711.87.1
Oct22° / 15°651012.86.7
Nov23° / 16°7710.713.76.6
Dec24° / 18°7611.414.16.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26733
36832
46931
56931
66931
76931
86931
96931
106931
117030
127030
137030
146931
156931
166931
176832
186832
196832
206832
216931
227030
237030
247129
257129
267228
277327
287426
297426
307525
317624

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Mdantsane gets around 25 mm of rain over 4.6 wet days in May, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 15% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
121
221
320
420
519
619
719
818
918
1017
1117
1216
1316
1415
1515
1615
1714
1814
1913
2013
2113
2212
2312
2412
2511
2611
2711
2811
2911
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 60% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13742201
23842191
33943181
44043161
54144151
64244140
74344120
84544110
94644100
10484390
11494380
12514270
13534160
14544060
15563950
16583840
17603640
18623530
19643330
20663130
21682930
22702730
23732520
24752320
25772120
26791920
27811720
28831610
29851410
30861310
31871210

Wind in May

Winds average 13 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

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 6:45 AM to 7:06 AM, and sunset from 5:28 PM to 5:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.76:455:28
210.76:455:26
310.76:465:26
410.66:475:25
510.66:485:24
610.66:485:23
710.56:495:22
810.56:505:21
910.56:515:20
1010.56:515:19
1110.46:525:18
1210.46:535:17
1310.46:545:17
1410.46:545:16
1510.36:555:15
1610.36:565:14
1710.36:575:14
1810.36:575:13
1910.26:585:12
2010.26:595:12
2110.26:595:11
2210.27:005:11
2310.27:015:10
2410.17:025:10
2510.17:025:09
2610.17:035:09
2710.17:045:08
2810.17:045:08
2910.07:055:07
3010.07:055:07
3110.07:065:07

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.23 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.87 kWh/m² to a high of 6.25 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.23 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.5Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.5Moderate
43.5Moderate
53.5Moderate
63.4Moderate
73.4Moderate
83.4Moderate
93.4Moderate
103.4Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.3Moderate
163.2Moderate
173.2Moderate
183.2Moderate
193.2Moderate
203.2Moderate
213.1Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.1Moderate
253.1Moderate
263.0Moderate
273.0Moderate
283.0Moderate
293.0Moderate
303.0Moderate
313.0Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Mdantsane?

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

8.0
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Mdantsane in May

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

In May, Mdantsane sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 5 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Mdantsane 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 23 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 Mdantsane 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 Mdantsane 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 Mdantsane 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 Mdantsane 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 Mdantsane?

Mdantsane sits at 32.9°S, 27.8°E, 278 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is East London, 16 km away.

Topography around Mdantsane

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mdantsane has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 182 m around an average of 257 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 521 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,921 m.

The land around Mdantsane is covered by trees (44%), artificial surfaces (25%) and grassland (24%) within 3 km, trees (53%) and grassland (31%) within 16 km, and grassland (36%), water (28%) and trees (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
182 m
16 km
521 m
80 km
1,921 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: East London 16 km · Gonubie 22 km · Ndevana 25 km · Bhisho 33 km · Qonce 36 km · Stutterheim 52 km · Dimbaza 53 km · Butterworth 76 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 Mdantsane (-32.9332°, 27.7766°, elevation 278 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).