Phalaborwa weather in May

In May, Phalaborwa sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 9 mm of rain across 1.7 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 28°C in the first days to 27°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 Phalaborwa's 3rd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Phalaborwa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
9th warmest
Overnight low
15°
4th coldest
Rainfall
9 mm
1.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:26 AM – 5:17 PM
Cloud cover
24%
3rd clearest
Wind
9 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.1
out of 10

Phalaborwa is town in South Africa.

Founded
1957

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 28°C in the first days to 27°C by the end.

A typical May day in Phalaborwa reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12917
22917
32817
42817
52817
62816
72816
82816
92816
102816
112816
122816
132816
142816
152815
162815
172815
182815
192815
202715
212715
222715
232714
242714
252714
262714
272714
282714
292714
302714
312714

How May really feels in Phalaborwa

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Phalaborwa 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
Jan32° / 22°949.413.34.2
Feb32° / 22°68812.84.3
Mar31° / 21°436.412.25.0
Apr29° / 19°213.811.56.4
May28° / 15°91.710.98.1
Jun26° / 13°40.810.68.9
Jul25° / 12°50.610.79.0
Aug27° / 14°4111.28.4
Sep29° / 17°11211.96.8
Oct30° / 19°24412.65.8
Nov31° / 20°627.913.24.7
Dec32° / 22°939.813.54.2

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 10% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 15%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18020
28020
38119
48119
58317
68317
78317
88416
98416
108416
118515
128515
138515
148515
158515
168515
178515
188515
198515
208515
218515
228515
238614
248614
258614
268713
278713
288713
298812
308812
318713

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Phalaborwa gets around 9 mm of rain over 1.7 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 6% and peaks near 10% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
110
210
39
49
59
69
78
88
98
107
117
127
136
146
156
165
175
184
194
204
213
223
233
243
253
263
273
283
293
303
313

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 51% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
12248263
22448253
32648242
42748222
52948212
63147201
73347191
83546181
93745171
103944161
114143151
124343140
134542130
144741120
154940100
16523990
17543880
18563770
19573670
20603460
21623350
22633250
23663040
24682930
25702730
26712630
27742420
28752320
29772210
30792010
31801910

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

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 6:19 AM to 6:34 AM, and sunset from 5:26 PM to 5:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.16:195:26
211.16:195:26
311.16:205:25
411.16:205:24
511.06:215:23
611.06:215:23
711.06:225:22
811.06:225:21
911.06:235:21
1010.96:235:20
1110.96:245:20
1210.96:245:19
1310.96:255:19
1410.96:255:18
1510.96:265:18
1610.86:265:17
1710.86:275:17
1810.86:275:16
1910.86:285:16
2010.86:285:15
2110.86:295:15
2210.86:295:15
2310.76:305:14
2410.76:305:14
2510.76:315:14
2610.76:315:13
2710.76:325:13
2810.76:325:13
2910.76:335:13
3010.76:335:12
3110.66:345:12

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.16 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.76 kWh/m² to a high of 5.98 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 4.16 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.3Bright
74.3Bright
84.3Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.2Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.1Bright
214.1Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.0Bright
254.0Bright
264.0Bright
274.0Bright
284.0Bright
294.0Moderate
304.0Moderate
314.0Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Phalaborwa?

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

8.1
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
8.6
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Phalaborwa in May

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

In May, Phalaborwa sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 15°C. Pack light clothes.

light clothes

UV index in Phalaborwa 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 Phalaborwa peaks around January 20 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 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 20UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5High
Jul5High
Aug7Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct10Very high
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Phalaborwa 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 Phalaborwa is worst in September — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1516 µg/m³Jan 147 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar8Good
Apr11Good
May15Moderate
Jun13Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Phalaborwa?

Phalaborwa sits at 23.9°S, 31.1°E, 435 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Acornhoek, 72 km away.

Topography around Phalaborwa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Phalaborwa has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 257 m around an average of 426 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 788 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,179 m.

The land around Phalaborwa is covered by trees (39%) and shrubs (27%) within 3 km, shrubs (64%) within 16 km, and shrubs (65%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
257 m
16 km
788 m
80 km
2,179 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Acornhoek 72 km · Giyani 83 km · Nkowakowa 87 km · Thulamahashi 87 km · Mafemani 94 km · Dwarsloop 95 km · Tzaneen 100 km · Duiwelskloof 106 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 Phalaborwa (-23.943°, 31.1411°, elevation 435 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).