Ar Raqqah weather in May

In May, Ar Raqqah sees average daytime highs of 32°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 10 mm of rain across 2.1 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 29°C in the first days to 34°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Ar Raqqah's 6th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ar Raqqah's year-round climate.

Daytime high
32°
5th warmest
Overnight low
18°
8th coldest
Rainfall
10 mm
2.1 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
4:23 AM – 6:17 PM
Cloud cover
28%
6th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
7.4 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.2
out of 10

Ar Raqqah is city in Syria.

Density
271/km²
people per km²
Founded
~244 CE

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 29°C in the first days to 34°C by the end.

A typical May day in Ar Raqqah reaches about 32°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 37°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 6°C warmer than April and about 5°C cooler than June.

10°20°30°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12915
22916
32916
42916
52916
63016
73017
83017
93017
103117
113117
123117
133118
143218
153218
163218
173218
183218
193319
203319
213319
223319
233319
243419
253420
263420
273420
283420
293420
303520
313520

How May really feels in Ar Raqqah

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 15 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
15
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Ar Raqqah weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan12° / 316.99.83.7
Feb15° / 265.810.65.0
Mar20° / 25511.77.3
Apr26° / 13°183.912.97.9
May32° / 18°102.113.95.2
Jun37° / 23°10.214.42.1
Jul40° / 25°00.114.20.2
Aug39° / 25°00.113.40.5
Sep35° / 22°10.212.23.3
Oct29° / 16°162.511.16.8
Nov20° / 234.110.17.5
Dec14° / 296.19.64.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% 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 16%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17624
27624
37624
47624
57723
67723
77822
87921
98020
108020
118119
128119
138317
148317
158416
168515
178515
188614
198713
208713
218812
228812
238911
248911
259010
269010
279010
28928
29928
30937
31937

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Ar Raqqah gets around 10 mm of rain over 2.1 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 7% and peaks near 11% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
111
211
311
411
511
611
710
810
910
1010
1110
1210
139
149
158
168
177
187
196
205
215
224
234
243
253
263
273
282
292
302
312

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19640
29640
39550
49550
59550
69460
79361
89361
99361
109361
119361
129451
139451
149451
159451
169352
179442
189541
199631
209631
219631
229631
239631
249631
259631
269631
279640
289640
299640
309550
319550

Wind in May

Winds average 15 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 17 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
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:38 AM to 4:14 AM, and sunset from 6:04 PM to 6:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.44:386:04
213.54:376:05
313.54:366:06
413.54:356:07
513.64:346:08
613.64:326:09
713.64:316:10
813.74:306:10
913.74:296:11
1013.74:296:12
1113.84:286:13
1213.84:276:14
1313.84:266:15
1413.84:256:15
1513.94:246:16
1613.94:236:17
1713.94:236:18
1814.04:226:19
1914.04:216:20
2014.04:206:20
2114.04:206:21
2214.04:196:22
2314.14:186:23
2414.14:186:23
2514.14:176:24
2614.14:176:25
2714.24:166:26
2814.24:166:26
2914.24:156:27
3014.24:156:28
3114.24:146:28

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.4 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.41 kWh/m² to a high of 8.07 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.4 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.9Intense
27.0Intense
37.0Intense
47.0Intense
57.0Intense
67.1Intense
77.1Intense
87.1Intense
97.2Intense
107.2Intense
117.2Intense
127.3Intense
137.3Intense
147.3Intense
157.4Intense
167.4Intense
177.5Intense
187.5Intense
197.5Intense
207.6Intense
217.6Intense
227.6Intense
237.7Intense
247.7Intense
257.7Intense
267.7Intense
277.8Intense
287.8Intense
297.8Intense
307.8Intense
317.8Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Ar Raqqah

In seasonPeak

In May, Ar Raqqah sits inside its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Ar Raqqah sees seasonal dust haze (May), heaviest in May.

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

Is May a good time to visit Ar Raqqah?

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

5.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
8.0
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Ar Raqqah for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Ar Raqqah in May

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

In May, Ar Raqqah sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 18°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Ar Raqqah 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 Ar Raqqah peaks around June 15 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highVery highHighModerateJun 15UV 9Jan 12UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul7High
Aug9Very high
Sep6High
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Ar Raqqah 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 Ar Raqqah is worst in March — around 39 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMar 2139 µg/m³Jan 1028 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan28Moderate
Feb31Moderate
Mar39Poor
Apr37Poor
May37Poor
Jun34Moderate
Jul33Moderate
Aug33Moderate
Sep33Moderate
Oct31Moderate
Nov28Moderate
Dec28Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Ar Raqqah?

Ar Raqqah sits at 36.0°N, 39.0°E, 259 m above sea level, in Syria. The nearest listed city is Al-Tabqa, 43 km away.

Al-TabqaAkçakaleManbijDayr Ḩāfir‘Ayn al ‘ArabDeir ez-ZorSuruçJarābulus

Topography around Ar Raqqah

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ar Raqqah has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 30 m around an average of 249 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 174 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 639 m.

The land around Ar Raqqah is covered by artificial surfaces (66%) within 3 km, cropland (48%) and bare terrain (31%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (49%) and cropland (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
30 m
16 km
174 m
80 km
639 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Al-Tabqa 43 km · Akçakale 84 km · Manbij 114 km · Dayr Ḩāfir 119 km · ‘Ayn al ‘Arab 120 km · Deir ez-Zor 123 km · Suruç 125 km · Jarābulus 131 km

Syria travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E / L
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 32% of US
price level, 2022
GDP per capita
$1,057
2022
Happiness
3.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2018
Homicide rate
2.1
per 100k, 2010
Road deaths
14.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 456
Religion
Muslim 87%Christian 10%Druze 3%

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 Ar Raqqah (35.9528°, 39.0079°, elevation 259 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).