Shinyanga weather in May

In May, Shinyanga sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 18 mm of rain across 3.6 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 54 min at the start of May to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Shinyanga's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shinyanga's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
5th warmest
Overnight low
20°
5th coldest
Rainfall
18 mm
3.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
6:48 AM – 6:38 PM
Cloud cover
53%
5th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.6
out of 10

Shinyanga is city 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 30°C through the month.

A typical May day in Shinyanga reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13020
23020
33020
43020
53020
63020
73020
83020
93020
103020
113020
123020
133020
143020
153020
163020
173020
183020
193020
203020
213020
223020
233120
243120
253120
263119
273119
283119
293119
303119
313119

How May really feels in Shinyanga

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

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Shinyanga 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
Jan29° / 20°10215.712.24.7
Feb30° / 20°7312.312.14.5
Mar30° / 20°9113.5124.5
Apr30° / 20°7911.711.94.9
May30° / 20°183.611.85.6
Jun30° / 19°20.411.86.0
Jul30° / 18°00.111.86.3
Aug31° / 19°20.511.95.6
Sep32° / 20°40.9124.7
Oct33° / 21°244.212.14.2
Nov31° / 21°8110.712.24.3
Dec29° / 20°11316.512.24.5

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 41%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24753
34951
45050
55149
65248
75347
85446
95545
105644
115743
125842
135941
145941
156040
166040
176040
186139
196139
206238
216238
226337
236337
246436
256535
266535
276634
286634
296733
306733
316832

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Shinyanga gets around 18 mm of rain over 3.6 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 11% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
123
222
322
421
520
619
718
818
917
1016
1115
1214
1313
1412
1511
1610
1710
189
198
207
217
226
236
245
255
264
274
284
294
303
313

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 43% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 6% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
18344117
28354016
39364016
49373915
59383814
610393813
711403712
811423611
912433510
101444339
111545328
121746307
131947286
142048265
152349244
162549224
172749203
183049183
193249172
203549152
213848131
224047121
234346101
24454590
25474480
26504280
27524170
28543970
29563860
30583660
31603460

Wind in May

Winds average 12 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1312calm
1412calm
1512calm
1612calm
1712calm
1812light breeze
1912light breeze
2012light breeze
2112light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min at the start of May to 11 h 48 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 6:47 AM to 6:50 AM, and sunset from 6:40 PM to 6:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.96:476:40
211.96:476:40
311.96:476:39
411.96:476:39
511.96:476:39
611.96:476:39
711.96:476:39
811.96:476:38
911.96:476:38
1011.86:476:38
1111.86:476:38
1211.86:476:38
1311.86:476:38
1411.86:476:38
1511.86:476:38
1611.86:486:38
1711.86:486:38
1811.86:486:37
1911.86:486:37
2011.86:486:37
2111.86:486:37
2211.86:486:37
2311.86:486:37
2411.86:486:37
2511.86:496:37
2611.86:496:38
2711.86:496:38
2811.86:496:38
2911.86:496:38
3011.86:496:38
3111.86:506:38

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.91 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.87 kWh/m² to a high of 6.9 kWh/m² in September across the year — May's 5.91 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
125.9Bright
135.9Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
195.9Bright
205.9Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
235.9Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
275.9Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Shinyanga

In seasonPeak

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

Shinyanga's rainy season runs November–April, 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 Shinyanga?

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

5.6
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
7.8
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Shinyanga in May

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

In May, Shinyanga sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 20°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 4 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Shinyanga in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Shinyanga peaks around March 12 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 12UV 16Jun 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Shinyanga 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 Shinyanga is worst in January — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (May, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJan 1916 µg/m³May 197 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan16Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar12Good
Apr10Good
May7Good
Jun8Good
Jul10Good
Aug10Good
Sep10Good
Oct9Good
Nov10Good
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Shinyanga?

Shinyanga sits at 3.7°S, 33.4°E, 1,133 m above sea level, in Tanzania. The nearest listed city is Old Shinyanga, 13 km away.

Topography around Shinyanga

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Shinyanga has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 45 m around an average of 1,130 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 248 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 440 m.

The land around Shinyanga is covered by artificial surfaces (46%) and cropland (33%) within 3 km, cropland (69%) within 16 km, and cropland (78%) within 80 km.

3 km
45 m
16 km
248 m
80 km
440 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
May weather nearby: Old Shinyanga 13 km · Songwa 19 km · Mwadui 24 km · Tinde 35 km · Kishapu 50 km · Isaka 60 km · Malampaka 60 km · Lalago 63 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 Shinyanga (-3.6639°, 33.4212°, elevation 1,133 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).