Nkowakowa weather in May

In May, Nkowakowa sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 19 mm of rain across 3.8 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 24°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 77% 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 Nkowakowa's 3rd-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nkowakowa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
9th warmest
Overnight low
11°
4th coldest
Rainfall
19 mm
3.8 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:30 AM – 5:21 PM
Cloud cover
23%
3rd clearest
Wind
5 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.25 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.7
out of 10

Nkowakowa is human settlement in South Africa.

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 24°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical May day in Nkowakowa reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 11°C overnight — a 12°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 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12513
22413
32413
42413
52413
62413
72413
82412
92412
102412
112412
122412
132412
142412
152412
162411
172411
182411
192411
202311
212311
222311
232311
242310
252310
262310
272310
282310
292310
302310
312310

Nkowakowa 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
Jan27° / 19°14816.413.35.6
Feb27° / 19°12613.212.85.9
Mar27° / 18°851212.26.5
Apr25° / 15°47811.57.5
May24° / 11°193.810.98.7
Jun22° / 102.310.68.6
Jul21° / 122.510.78.5
Aug23° / 10°163.211.28.6
Sep25° / 13°336.111.98.0
Oct26° / 15°6310.912.66.8
Nov26° / 17°12415.213.25.8
Dec27° / 18°15617.913.45.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 77% 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 12%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18317
28317
38416
48515
58614
68614
78614
88713
98713
108812
118812
128812
138812
148812
158911
168812
178812
188812
198812
208812
218911
228911
238911
248911
258911
269010
279010
289010
299010
309010
319010

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Nkowakowa gets around 19 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
220
319
419
518
617
717
816
916
1015
1115
1214
1314
1413
1513
1612
1712
1811
1911
2010
2110
229
239
248
258
267
277
287
297
307
317

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 77% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1484210
250419
352408
454397
556386
659365
761354
863334
965314
1068293
1170273
1272253
1375232
1477212
1579192
1681172
1783161
1884151
1986131
2087121
2188111
2289101
239190
249280
259370
269460
279550
289550
299640
309640
319730

Wind in May

Winds average 5 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 6 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
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

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 6:22 AM to 6:37 AM, and sunset from 5:30 PM to 5:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.16:225:30
211.16:235:29
311.16:235:28
411.16:245:28
511.06:245:27
611.06:255:26
711.06:255:26
811.06:265:25
911.06:265:24
1011.06:275:24
1110.96:275:23
1210.96:285:23
1310.96:285:22
1410.96:295:22
1510.96:295:21
1610.86:305:21
1710.86:305:20
1810.86:315:20
1910.86:315:19
2010.86:325:19
2110.86:325:18
2210.86:335:18
2310.76:335:18
2410.76:345:17
2510.76:345:17
2610.76:355:17
2710.76:355:17
2810.76:355:16
2910.76:365:16
3010.76:365:16
3110.66:375:16

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.25 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.83 kWh/m² to a high of 6.08 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 4.25 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.3Bright
74.3Bright
84.3Bright
94.3Bright
104.3Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.3Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.1Bright
274.1Bright
284.1Bright
294.1Bright
304.0Bright
314.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Nkowakowa

In seasonPeak

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

Nkowakowa'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 Nkowakowa?

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

8.7
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.0
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Nkowakowa in May

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

In May, Nkowakowa sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 11°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 4 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in Nkowakowa 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 Nkowakowa peaks around January 20 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 5 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeJan 20UV 14Jun 21UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5High
Jul5High
Aug7Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct10Very high
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Nkowakowa 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 Nkowakowa is worst in July — around 26 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1826 µg/m³Jan 108 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar12Good
Apr17Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun23Moderate
Jul26Moderate
Aug24Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Nkowakowa?

Nkowakowa sits at 23.9°S, 30.3°E, 584 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Tzaneen, 14 km away.

Topography around Nkowakowa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Nkowakowa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 122 m around an average of 553 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 734 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,790 m.

The land around Nkowakowa is covered by artificial surfaces (33%) and trees (20%) within 3 km, shrubs (38%) and trees (32%) within 16 km, and shrubs (54%) and trees (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
122 m
16 km
734 m
80 km
1,790 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Tzaneen 14 km · Duiwelskloof 26 km · Mankweng 59 km · Praktiseer 77 km · Giyani 79 km · Polokwane 83 km · Phalaborwa 87 km · Lebowakgomo 93 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 Nkowakowa (-23.8878°, 30.2871°, elevation 584 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).