White River weather in May

In May, White River sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 24 mm of rain across 4.8 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-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 76% 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 White River's 3rd-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see White River's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
9th warmest
Overnight low
11°
4th coldest
Rainfall
24 mm
4.8 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:29 AM – 5:15 PM
Cloud cover
24%
3rd clearest
Wind
6 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.12 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.5
out of 10

White River is place in Mpumalanga, 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

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month.

A typical May day in White River reaches about 23°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)
12413
22413
32413
42412
52412
62412
72412
82412
92412
102412
112412
122411
132411
142411
152411
162311
172311
182311
192311
202310
212310
222310
232310
242310
252310
262310
272310
28239
29239
30239
31239

White River 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° / 18°18618.513.45.2
Feb27° / 18°16015.812.95.5
Mar26° / 17°12615.212.26.0
Apr25° / 14°699.911.47.2
May23° / 11°244.810.88.5
Jun22° / 13310.58.5
Jul21° / 183.810.68.3
Aug23° / 10°245.111.18.3
Sep25° / 12°457.311.87.7
Oct25° / 14°8614.312.66.3
Nov26° / 16°14717.113.25.4
Dec27° / 18°18219.713.55.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 76% 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 14%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18020
28119
38218
48317
58416
68515
78515
88515
98614
108614
118614
128614
138614
148614
158614
168614
178614
188614
198614
208614
218614
228614
238614
248713
258812
268812
278812
288812
298812
308812
318812

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

White River gets around 24 mm of rain over 4.8 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 16% 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
224
324
423
522
621
721
820
919
1019
1118
1218
1317
1417
1516
1616
1715
1815
1914
2014
2113
2213
2312
2412
2511
2610
2710
2810
299
309
319

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 78% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1474310
250428
352417
455396
558375
661354
763334
865323
968293
1071272
1173252
1275232
1378211
1480191
1581181
1683161
1784151
1886140
1987130
2088120
2189110
2290100
239190
249280
259370
269460
279460
289550
299640
309640
319730

Wind in May

Winds average 6 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
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 6:21 AM to 6:37 AM, and sunset from 5:25 PM to 5:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.16:215:25
211.06:225:24
311.06:225:23
411.06:235:23
511.06:235:22
611.06:245:21
710.96:245:21
810.96:255:20
910.96:255:19
1010.96:265:19
1110.96:265:18
1210.86:275:17
1310.86:285:17
1410.86:285:16
1510.86:295:16
1610.86:295:15
1710.86:305:15
1810.76:305:14
1910.76:315:14
2010.76:315:13
2110.76:325:13
2210.76:325:13
2310.76:335:12
2410.66:335:12
2510.66:345:11
2610.66:345:11
2710.66:355:11
2810.66:355:11
2910.66:365:10
3010.66:365:10
3110.66:375:10

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.12 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.73 kWh/m² to a high of 5.83 kWh/m² in January across the year — May's 4.12 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.2Bright
34.2Bright
44.2Bright
54.2Bright
64.2Bright
74.2Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.1Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.1Bright
214.0Bright
224.0Bright
234.0Bright
244.0Bright
254.0Bright
264.0Moderate
274.0Moderate
284.0Moderate
293.9Moderate
303.9Moderate
313.9Moderate
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for White River

In seasonPeak

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

White River's monsoon runs October–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit White River?

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

8.5
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.7
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for White River in May

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

In May, White River sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 11°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 5 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in White River 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 White River peaks around January 24 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 5 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 24UV 13Jun 22UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug7High
Sep8Very high
Oct10Very high
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in White River 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 White River is worst in July — around 52 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.9× the cleanest month (December, 13 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateJul 1850 µg/m³Dec 2014 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan20Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar24Moderate
Apr26Moderate
May34Moderate
Jun37Poor
Jul52Poor
Aug43Poor
Sep34Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov30Moderate
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is White River?

White River sits at 25.3°S, 31.0°E, 944 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Mbombela, 16 km away.

Topography around White River

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around White River has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 157 m around an average of 917 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 764 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,070 m.

The land around White River is covered by grassland (39%) and trees (34%) within 3 km, trees (46%) and grassland (29%) within 16 km, and grassland (42%) and trees (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
157 m
16 km
764 m
80 km
2,070 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Mbombela 16 km · Tekwane 21 km · Sabie 35 km · Matsulu 41 km · Hlanganani 44 km · Mkhuhlu 45 km · Calcutta 45 km · Barberton 51 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 White River (-25.3318°, 31.0117°, elevation 944 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).