Mthatha weather in May

In May, Mthatha sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 9°C, with 27 mm of rain across 5 wet days and about 10.4 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 59% 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 Mthatha's 4th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mthatha's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
9th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Rainfall
27 mm
5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 24 min
6:49 AM – 5:13 PM
Cloud cover
37%
4th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
3.52 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.8
out of 10

Mthatha is town in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Density
2,999/km²
people per km²
Founded
1876

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 Mthatha reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 9°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 27°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
32210
42210
52210
62210
72210
82210
92210
102210
112210
122210
132210
142210
152210
162210
17229
18229
19229
20229
21229
22229
23229
24219
25218
26218
27218
28218
29218
30218
31217

Mthatha 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
Jan25° / 16°14518.813.85.3
Feb26° / 16°13115.913.25.5
Mar25° / 15°12016.212.26.0
Apr23° / 12°769.911.26.9
May22° / 27510.47.8
Jun20° / 243.3107.9
Jul20° / 223.210.17.9
Aug21° / 325.510.87.7
Sep23° / 10°568.411.87.1
Oct23° / 11°9614.912.86.0
Nov23° / 13°12916.413.65.7
Dec24° / 14°14018.5145.5

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% 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 28%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26733
36733
46832
56832
66832
77030
87030
97030
107129
117129
127129
137228
147228
157327
167327
177327
187327
197327
207327
217426
227426
237426
247525
257624
267624
277624
287822
297822
307822
317822

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Mthatha gets around 27 mm of rain over 5 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 24% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
124
223
322
422
521
621
720
820
919
1018
1118
1217
1316
1416
1515
1615
1715
1814
1914
2014
2114
2213
2313
2413
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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
184151
285141
387121
488111
590100
69190
79280
89280
99370
109460
119460
129550
139550
149640
159640
169640
179730
189730
199730
209820
219820
229820
239820
249910
259910
269910
279910
2810000
2910000
3010000
3110000

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 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
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

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 6:39 AM to 6:59 AM, and sunset from 5:25 PM to 5:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.86:395:25
210.86:395:24
310.76:405:24
410.76:415:23
510.76:415:22
610.66:425:21
710.66:435:20
810.66:445:19
910.66:445:18
1010.56:455:17
1110.56:465:17
1210.56:465:16
1310.56:475:15
1410.46:485:14
1510.46:495:14
1610.46:495:13
1710.46:505:12
1810.46:515:12
1910.36:515:11
2010.36:525:10
2110.36:535:10
2210.36:535:09
2310.26:545:09
2410.26:555:08
2510.26:555:08
2610.26:565:07
2710.26:575:07
2810.26:575:07
2910.16:585:06
3010.16:585:06
3110.16:595:06

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.52 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.14 kWh/m² to a high of 5.68 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 3.52 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.7Moderate
43.7Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.6Moderate
103.6Moderate
113.6Moderate
123.6Moderate
133.6Moderate
143.6Moderate
153.5Moderate
163.5Moderate
173.5Moderate
183.5Moderate
193.5Moderate
203.5Moderate
213.4Moderate
223.4Moderate
233.4Moderate
243.4Moderate
253.4Moderate
263.4Moderate
273.3Moderate
283.3Moderate
293.3Moderate
303.3Moderate
313.3Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Mthatha

In seasonPeak

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

Mthatha's rainy season runs October–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 Mthatha?

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

7.8
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
5.2
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Mthatha in May

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

In May, Mthatha sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 9°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 5 days see rain.

Sea temperature near Mthatha in May

The nearest coast averages about 24°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 64 km away) is warmest in February at about 26°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°28°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan25Warm
Feb26Warm
Mar26Warm
Apr25Warm
May24Refreshing
Jun23Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct22Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec24Warm

UV index in Mthatha 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 Mthatha peaks around January 15 at about 14 (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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighExtremeJan 15UV 14Jun 22UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Extreme
Apr7High
May5Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct11Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Mthatha 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 Mthatha is worst in August — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1633 µg/m³Dec 228 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar12Good
Apr14Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug34Moderate
Sep24Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Mthatha?

Mthatha sits at 31.6°S, 28.8°E, 694 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Ugie, 68 km away.

Qacha’s Nek

Topography around Mthatha

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mthatha has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 164 m around an average of 706 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 688 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,012 m.

The land around Mthatha is covered by artificial surfaces (41%) and grassland (35%) within 3 km, grassland (55%) and cropland (30%) within 16 km, and grassland (52%) and trees (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
164 m
16 km
688 m
80 km
2,012 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Ugie 68 km · Khowa 93 km · Butterworth 102 km · Tlokoeng 103 km · Cala 103 km · Kokstad 131 km · Lady Frere 147 km · Qacha’s Nek 164 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 Mthatha (-31.5889°, 28.7844°, elevation 694 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).