Shakaskraal weather in May

In May, Shakaskraal sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 55 mm of rain across 6.3 wet days and about 10.5 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-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 68% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 54 min at the start of May to 10 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Shakaskraal's 3rd-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shakaskraal's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
7th warmest
Overnight low
18°
5th coldest
Rainfall
55 mm
6.3 wet days
Daylight
10 h 30 min
6:36 AM – 5:07 PM
Cloud cover
30%
3rd clearest
Wind
14 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
3.55 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.1
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 Shakaskraal reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 27°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)
12419
22419
32419
42419
52419
62418
72418
82418
92418
102418
112418
122418
132418
142418
152418
162418
172418
182418
192417
202417
212417
222317
232317
242317
252317
262317
272317
282317
292317
302316
312316

Shakaskraal weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 22°10413.713.76.1
Feb27° / 23°9312.213.16.1
Mar26° / 22°9711.912.26.6
Apr25° / 20°849.611.37.2
May24° / 18°556.310.58.1
Jun22° / 16°355.410.18.1
Jul22° / 15°53610.37.9
Aug22° / 16°406.610.97.7
Sep23° / 17°729.811.87.0
Oct23° / 18°10213.412.76.3
Nov24° / 20°10914.113.56.1
Dec26° / 21°10313.813.96.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% 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 20%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17624
27624
37624
47723
57822
67822
77921
87921
97921
108020
118020
128020
138020
148020
158020
168020
178020
187921
198020
208020
218020
228020
238119
248119
258119
268119
278218
288218
298218
308317
318317

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Shakaskraal gets around 55 mm of rain over 6.3 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 21% and peaks near 25% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
125
225
325
424
524
624
723
823
923
1022
1122
1222
1321
1421
1520
1620
1720
1819
1919
2019
2119
2219
2318
2418
2518
2618
2718
2818
2918
3018
3118

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the humid band about 50% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 10% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
15184729
25194928
35195026
45205124
55215123
65215321
75225320
85235418
95245417
105245516
115255614
125255713
135265811
145265910
15627589
16627607
17728596
18828595
19929584
201130554
211231543
221332523
231533492
241735472
251836442
262037411
272238391
282440361
292641331
302842301
313043271

Wind in May

Winds average 14 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 14 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
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 54 min at the start of May to 10 h 18 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 6:26 AM to 6:44 AM, and sunset from 5:19 PM to 5:01 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.96:265:19
210.96:275:18
310.86:275:17
410.86:285:16
510.86:285:15
610.86:295:14
710.76:305:14
810.76:305:13
910.76:315:12
1010.76:325:11
1110.66:325:11
1210.66:335:10
1310.66:345:09
1410.66:345:09
1510.56:355:08
1610.56:365:07
1710.56:365:07
1810.56:375:06
1910.56:375:06
2010.46:385:05
2110.46:395:04
2210.46:395:04
2310.46:405:04
2410.46:405:03
2510.46:415:03
2610.36:425:02
2710.36:425:02
2810.36:435:02
2910.36:435:01
3010.36:445:01
3110.36:445:01

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.55 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.16 kWh/m² to a high of 6.01 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 3.55 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.6Moderate
113.6Moderate
123.6Moderate
133.6Moderate
143.6Moderate
153.6Moderate
163.5Moderate
173.5Moderate
183.5Moderate
193.5Moderate
203.5Moderate
213.5Moderate
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 Shakaskraal

In seasonPeak

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

Shakaskraal sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Cyclone
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Shakaskraal?

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

8.1
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Shakaskraal in May

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

In May, Shakaskraal sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 18°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 6 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Shakaskraal 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 18 km away) is warmest in February at about 25°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°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan25Warm
Feb25Warm
Mar25Warm
Apr24Warm
May23Refreshing
Jun22Refreshing
Jul21Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct22Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec24Refreshing

UV index in Shakaskraal 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 Shakaskraal peaks around January 15 at about 12 (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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 15UV 12Jun 22UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Extreme
Apr6High
May5Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Shakaskraal 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 Shakaskraal is worst in July — around 43 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 5.5× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodJul 1442 µg/m³Jan 198 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May33Moderate
Jun40Poor
Jul43Poor
Aug35Poor
Sep29Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov14Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Shakaskraal?

Shakaskraal sits at 29.4°S, 31.2°E, 36 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Ballitoville, 10 km away.

Topography around Shakaskraal

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Shakaskraal has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 197 m around an average of 59 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 596 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,533 m.

The land around Shakaskraal is covered by trees (36%), grassland (32%) and cropland (23%) within 3 km, water (28%), trees (27%) and grassland (22%) within 16 km, and trees (35%), water (29%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
197 m
16 km
596 m
80 km
1,533 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Ballitoville 10 km · KwaDukuza 15 km · Tongaat 17 km · Mandeni 39 km · Ntuzuma 41 km · Durban 49 km · Pinetown 52 km · Eshowe 67 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 Shakaskraal (-29.4493°, 31.2153°, elevation 36 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).