Tzaneen weather in May

In May, Tzaneen sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 18 mm of rain across 3.5 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 25°C in the first days to 24°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 Tzaneen's 3rd-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Tzaneen's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
9th warmest
Overnight low
12°
4th coldest
Rainfall
18 mm
3.5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:30 AM – 5:21 PM
Cloud cover
24%
3rd clearest
Wind
6 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.22 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.7
out of 10

Tzaneen is place in Limpopo, South Africa.

Founded
1903

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 25°C in the first days to 24°C by the end.

A typical May day in Tzaneen reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 29°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
32513
42513
52513
62513
72513
82513
92513
102513
112512
122512
132512
142512
152512
162412
172412
182412
192412
202411
212411
222411
232411
242411
252411
262411
272411
282410
292410
302410
312310

Tzaneen 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°15416.213.35.3
Feb28° / 19°13213.612.85.5
Mar27° / 18°8512.112.26.3
Apr26° / 15°458.511.57.3
May24° / 12°183.510.98.7
Jun23° / 102.510.68.7
Jul22° / 132.810.78.5
Aug24° / 11°163.611.28.6
Sep26° / 13°346.111.97.8
Oct27° / 16°5610.212.66.7
Nov27° / 17°11813.913.25.8
Dec28° / 19°1571713.45.2

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 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 13%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18020
28119
38119
48317
58317
68416
78515
88614
98614
108713
118713
128812
138812
148812
158812
168812
178812
188812
198812
208812
218812
228812
238812
248812
258812
268812
278812
288812
298812
308812
318812

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Tzaneen gets around 18 mm of rain over 3.5 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 12% and peaks near 19% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
119
219
318
417
517
616
715
815
914
1014
1114
1214
1314
1413
1513
1613
1712
1812
1911
2011
2110
2210
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 72% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
14145131
24445120
34644100
4484390
5514180
6534070
7543970
8573760
9603550
10613450
11643240
12663040
13692830
14712630
15732520
16752320
17782110
18792010
19811810
20821710
21841510
22851410
23871300
24881200
25901000
2691900
2792800
2893700
2994600
3095500
3195500

Wind in May

Winds average 6 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 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
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
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 6:23 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)
111.16:235:30
211.16:235:30
311.16:245:29
411.16:245:28
511.06:255:27
611.06:255:27
711.06:265:26
811.06:265:26
911.06:275:25
1011.06:275:24
1110.96:285:24
1210.96:285:23
1310.96:295:23
1410.96:295:22
1510.96:305:22
1610.96:305:21
1710.86:315:21
1810.86:315:20
1910.86:325:20
2010.86:325:19
2110.86:325:19
2210.86:335:19
2310.76:335:18
2410.76:345:18
2510.76:345:18
2610.76:355:17
2710.76:355:17
2810.76:365:17
2910.76:365:17
3010.76:375:16
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 4.22 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.79 kWh/m² to a high of 5.96 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 4.22 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
94.3Bright
104.3Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.2Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.2Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.1Bright
274.1Bright
284.0Bright
294.0Bright
304.0Bright
314.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Tzaneen

In seasonPeak

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

Tzaneen'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 Tzaneen?

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
7.4
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Tzaneen in May

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

In May, Tzaneen 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 Tzaneen in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Tzaneen peaks around January 21 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 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 21UV 14Jun 19UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr8Very high
May7High
Jun5High
Jul6High
Aug8Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct10Very high
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Tzaneen 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 Tzaneen 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 Tzaneen?

Tzaneen sits at 23.8°S, 30.2°E, 719 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Nkowakowa, 14 km away.

Topography around Tzaneen

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Tzaneen has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 161 m around an average of 712 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,172 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,766 m.

The land around Tzaneen is covered by trees (43%) and shrubs (27%) within 3 km, trees (54%) and shrubs (30%) within 16 km, and shrubs (52%) and trees (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
161 m
16 km
1,172 m
80 km
1,766 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Nkowakowa 14 km · Duiwelskloof 16 km · Mankweng 47 km · Polokwane 71 km · Giyani 82 km · Praktiseer 85 km · Lebowakgomo 86 km · Louis Trichardt 92 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 Tzaneen (-23.8332°, 30.1635°, elevation 719 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).