Matai weather in May

In May, Matai sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 26 mm of rain across 3.9 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-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 38% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of May to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Matai's 5th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Matai's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
5th warmest
Overnight low
13°
4th coldest
Rainfall
26 mm
3.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
7:02 AM – 6:39 PM
Cloud cover
50%
5th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.67 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10

Matai is human settlement in Tanzania.

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 Matai reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12314
22313
32313
42313
52313
62313
72313
82313
92313
102313
112313
122313
132313
142313
152313
162313
172313
182313
192313
202313
212313
222313
232313
242313
252313
262312
272312
282312
292312
302312
312312

Matai 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
Jan22° / 14°31927.612.43.8
Feb23° / 14°25622.912.34.2
Mar23° / 14°29124.612.14.4
Apr23° / 14°1561611.85.7
May23° / 13°263.911.68.0
Jun23° / 11°10.111.58.8
Jul23° / 11°00.111.68.9
Aug25° / 12°10.211.78.8
Sep26° / 14°60.8128.2
Oct26° / 16°334.612.27.3
Nov25° / 15°13313.112.46.0
Dec23° / 14°3402412.54.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 26% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25347
35545
45644
55743
65941
76040
86238
96238
106337
116535
126535
136634
146634
156634
166634
176634
186634
196733
206733
216832
226832
236832
246931
256931
267030
277030
287129
297228
307228
317327

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Matai gets around 26 mm of rain over 3.9 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 13% 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
323
422
521
620
719
818
918
1017
1116
1215
1314
1414
1513
1613
1712
1811
1911
2010
219
229
238
247
257
266
275
285
294
304
313

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 76% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
144533
247503
350473
453452
556422
658402
761372
863352
966331
1068311
1170291
1272271
1374251
1477230
1578220
1680200
1781190
1882180
1984160
2085150
2186140
2288120
2389110
2490100
259190
269280
279370
289460
299550
309640
319730

Wind in May

Winds average 10 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 11 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
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of May to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 7:00 AM to 7:05 AM, and sunset from 6:42 PM to 6:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.77:006:42
211.77:006:42
311.77:006:42
411.77:006:42
511.77:006:41
611.77:006:41
711.77:006:41
811.77:006:40
911.77:016:40
1011.77:016:40
1111.67:016:40
1211.67:016:40
1311.67:016:39
1411.67:016:39
1511.67:016:39
1611.67:026:39
1711.67:026:39
1811.67:026:39
1911.67:026:38
2011.67:026:38
2111.67:026:38
2211.67:036:38
2311.67:036:38
2411.67:036:38
2511.67:036:38
2611.67:036:38
2711.67:046:38
2811.67:046:38
2911.67:046:38
3011.67:046:38
3111.67:056:38

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.67 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.12 kWh/m² to a high of 6.73 kWh/m² in September across the year — May's 5.67 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Matai

In seasonPeak

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

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

Matai's monsoon runs December–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Matai?

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

8.0
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Matai in May

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

In May, Matai sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 4 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Matai in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Matai peaks around February 17 at about 17 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 17UV 17Jun 18UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb17Extreme
Mar17Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Matai 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 Matai is worst in September — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.8× the cleanest month (May, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1223 µg/m³May 146 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb11Good
Mar9Good
Apr7Good
May6Good
Jun9Good
Jul15Moderate
Aug21Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Matai?

Matai sits at 8.3°S, 31.5°E, 1,706 m above sea level, in Tanzania. The nearest listed city is Sumbawanga, 39 km away.

ChalaNamanyereUseviaKirando

Topography around Matai

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Matai has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 87 m around an average of 1,702 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 752 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,666 m.

The land around Matai is covered by cropland (55%) and grassland (24%) within 3 km, cropland (48%) and grassland (30%) within 16 km, and cropland (35%) and water (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
87 m
16 km
752 m
80 km
1,666 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Sumbawanga 39 km · Mbala 62 km · Laela 66 km · Mpulungu 68 km · Chala 84 km · Namanyere 101 km · Usevia 137 km · Kirando 141 km

Tanzania travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,319
2025
Happiness
3.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
31%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
3.7
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
31.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 479
Religion
Christian 63%Muslim 34%folk religion 1%

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 Matai (-8.3°, 31.5167°, elevation 1,706 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). 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).