Tongaat weather in May

In May, Tongaat sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 45 mm of rain across 6.1 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 23°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.

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 Tongaat's 3rd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Tongaat's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
7th warmest
Overnight low
14°
4th coldest
Rainfall
45 mm
6.1 wet days
Daylight
10 h 30 min
6:36 AM – 5:07 PM
Cloud cover
33%
3rd clearest
Wind
10 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
3.59 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.1
out of 10

Tongaat is township in South Africa.

Founded
1945

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 23°C through the month.

A typical May day in Tongaat reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°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)
12415
22415
32415
42415
52415
62415
72415
82415
92415
102415
112415
122414
132414
142414
152414
162414
172414
182414
192314
202314
212314
222313
232313
242313
252313
262313
272313
282313
292313
302312
312312

Tongaat 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° / 20°12416.113.75.6
Feb27° / 20°11413.713.15.8
Mar26° / 19°10813.712.26.2
Apr25° / 17°7710.311.37.1
May23° / 14°456.110.58.1
Jun22° / 11°284.510.18.2
Jul22° / 11°43510.38.0
Aug22° / 13°396.710.97.7
Sep23° / 14°7010.211.86.9
Oct23° / 16°1061512.76.1
Nov24° / 17°12315.713.55.8
Dec26° / 19°12816.713.95.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 24%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17030
27129
37129
47327
57327
67426
77426
87525
97525
107624
117624
127624
137624
147624
157723
167723
177723
187624
197723
207723
217723
227723
237822
247822
257822
268020
278020
288020
298119
308119
318119

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Tongaat gets around 45 mm of rain over 6.1 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 20% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
127
226
326
425
525
624
724
823
923
1022
1122
1221
1321
1420
1519
1619
1718
1818
1918
2017
2117
2217
2317
2416
2516
2616
2716
2816
2916
3016
3116

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the comfortable band about 44% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
11942363
22043343
32044332
42145312
52246301
62347281
72448271
82549251
92750231
102850211
112950201
123151180
133252160
143452140
153552130
163752110
173951100
18415090
19444980
20464770
21484660
22514450
23534250
24564040
25593830
26623530
27653320
28673120
29692920
30722620
31752410

Wind in May

Winds average 10 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 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
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

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 6:45 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
210.86:275:18
310.86:285:17
410.86:285:16
510.86:295:15
610.76:305:15
710.76:305:14
810.76:315:13
910.76:325:12
1010.76:325:12
1110.66:335:11
1210.66:345:10
1310.66:345:09
1410.66:355:09
1510.56:365:08
1610.56:365:07
1710.56:375:07
1810.56:375:06
1910.56:385:06
2010.46:395:05
2110.46:395:05
2210.46:405:04
2310.46:415:04
2410.46:415:03
2510.46:425:03
2610.36:425:02
2710.36:435:02
2810.36:435:02
2910.36:445:01
3010.36:455:01
3110.36:455:01

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 3.59 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.21 kWh/m² to a high of 5.75 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 3.59 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.8Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.7Moderate
123.7Moderate
133.6Moderate
143.6Moderate
153.6Moderate
163.6Moderate
173.6Moderate
183.6Moderate
193.5Moderate
203.5Moderate
213.5Moderate
223.5Moderate
233.5Moderate
243.5Moderate
253.4Moderate
263.4Moderate
273.4Moderate
283.4Moderate
293.4Moderate
303.4Moderate
313.3Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Tongaat

In seasonPeak

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

Tongaat 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 Tongaat?

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

8.1
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Tongaat in May

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

In May, Tongaat sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 6 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Tongaat 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 offshore 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 Tongaat 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 Tongaat 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 Tongaat 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 Tongaat is worst in July — around 100 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 4.5× the cleanest month (January, 22 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyPoorModerateJul 1399 µg/m³Jan 1222 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan22Moderate
Feb28Moderate
Mar42Poor
Apr60Unhealthy
May91Unhealthy
Jun92Unhealthy
Jul100Unhealthy
Aug77Unhealthy
Sep62Unhealthy
Oct39Poor
Nov35Moderate
Dec23Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Tongaat?

Tongaat sits at 29.6°S, 31.1°E, 6 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Ballitoville, 10 km away.

Topography around Tongaat

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Tongaat has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 173 m around an average of 72 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 573 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,525 m.

The land around Tongaat is covered by trees (35%), cropland (27%) and grassland (21%) within 3 km, trees (30%), water (27%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and trees (36%), water (29%) and grassland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
173 m
16 km
573 m
80 km
1,525 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Ballitoville 10 km · Shakaskraal 17 km · Ntuzuma 24 km · KwaDukuza 32 km · Durban 33 km · Pinetown 35 km · Mpumalanga 53 km · Folweni 56 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 Tongaat (-29.5737°, 31.1155°, elevation 6 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).