Ncotshane weather in May

In May, Ncotshane sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 25 mm of rain across 3.8 wet days and about 10.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 70% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of May to 10 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Ncotshane's 3rd-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ncotshane's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
9th warmest
Overnight low
12°
4th coldest
Rainfall
25 mm
3.8 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
6:30 AM – 5:10 PM
Cloud cover
27%
3rd clearest
Wind
8 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
3.86 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.6
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month.

A typical May day in Ncotshane reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 28°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°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12514
22514
32514
42514
52513
62513
72513
82513
92513
102513
112513
122513
132412
142412
152412
162412
172412
182412
192412
202412
212411
222411
232411
242411
252411
262411
272411
282411
292410
302410
312310

Ncotshane weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 19°13315.313.55.1
Feb28° / 19°11312.4135.3
Mar28° / 18°9611.912.26.2
Apr26° / 16°517.711.47.3
May24° / 12°253.810.78.6
Jun23° / 152.410.38.8
Jul22° / 152.910.48.6
Aug24° / 11°254.1118.5
Sep25° / 13°416.711.87.6
Oct25° / 15°8811.912.76.5
Nov26° / 17°12114.713.45.7
Dec28° / 18°12615.213.75.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 70% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 18%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17624
27822
37822
47921
57921
68020
78020
88020
98119
108119
118119
128218
138218
148218
158218
168218
178218
188218
198218
208218
218218
228218
238317
248317
258416
268416
278416
288416
298515
308515
318614

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Ncotshane gets around 25 mm of rain over 3.8 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 13% and peaks near 20% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
120
219
319
418
518
617
717
816
916
1015
1115
1214
1313
1413
1512
1612
1711
1810
1910
2010
219
229
239
249
258
268
278
288
298
308
319

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 67% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13545191
23745171
33945160
44244140
54443130
64642120
74940110
85139100
9543790
10573580
11603370
12623260
13643060
14672850
15692740
16712630
17732430
18752320
19762220
20782110
21801910
22811810
23821710
24831610
25851500
26861400
27871300
28881200
29891100
30901000
3191900

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
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
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of May to 10 h 24 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 6:22 AM to 6:39 AM, and sunset from 5:20 PM to 5:04 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:225:20
211.06:225:19
310.96:235:18
410.96:235:18
510.96:245:17
610.96:245:16
710.86:255:15
810.86:265:15
910.86:265:14
1010.86:275:13
1110.86:275:13
1210.76:285:12
1310.76:295:11
1410.76:295:11
1510.76:305:10
1610.76:305:10
1710.66:315:09
1810.66:315:08
1910.66:325:08
2010.66:335:07
2110.66:335:07
2210.56:345:07
2310.56:345:06
2410.56:355:06
2510.56:355:05
2610.56:365:05
2710.56:365:05
2810.56:375:04
2910.46:385:04
3010.46:385:04
3110.46:395:04

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.86 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.49 kWh/m² to a high of 5.66 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 3.86 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Moderate
24.0Moderate
34.0Moderate
44.0Moderate
54.0Moderate
64.0Moderate
74.0Moderate
83.9Moderate
93.9Moderate
103.9Moderate
113.9Moderate
123.9Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.9Moderate
183.8Moderate
193.8Moderate
203.8Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.8Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.7Moderate
273.7Moderate
283.7Moderate
293.7Moderate
303.7Moderate
313.7Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Ncotshane

In seasonPeak

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

Ncotshane'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 Ncotshane?

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

8.6
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
7.3
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Ncotshane in May

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

In May, Ncotshane sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 4 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in Ncotshane 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 Ncotshane peaks around February 11 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateHighVery highExtremeFeb 11UV 13Jun 20UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr7High
May5High
Jun4Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug6High
Sep8Very high
Oct8Very high
Nov10Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Ncotshane 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 Ncotshane is worst in July — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.9× the cleanest month (January, 9 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateJul 2134 µg/m³Jan 169 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar15Moderate
Apr23Moderate
May32Moderate
Jun31Moderate
Jul34Moderate
Aug33Moderate
Sep29Moderate
Oct17Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Ncotshane?

Ncotshane sits at 27.3°S, 31.6°E, 314 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Frischgewaagd, 62 km away.

Topography around Ncotshane

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ncotshane has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 336 m around an average of 369 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 897 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,609 m.

The land around Ncotshane is covered by cropland (33%) and shrubs (21%) within 3 km, trees (28%), grassland (26%) and shrubs (24%) within 16 km, and grassland (41%) and trees (39%) within 80 km.

3 km
336 m
16 km
897 m
80 km
1,609 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Frischgewaagd 62 km · Piet Retief 85 km · Vryheid 91 km · Manzini 96 km · Lobamba 104 km · Mondlo 111 km · Ulundi 112 km · Driefontein 121 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 Ncotshane (-27.342°, 31.58°, elevation 314 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).