Songea weather in May

In May, Songea sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 29 mm of rain across 6.4 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 25°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of May to 11 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Songea's 6th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Songea's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
10th warmest
Overnight low
16°
5th coldest
Rainfall
29 mm
6.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:48 AM – 6:19 PM
Cloud cover
54%
6th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
4.58 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.5
out of 10

Songea 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 25°C through the month.

A typical May day in Songea reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 1°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12517
22517
32517
42517
52516
62516
72516
82516
92516
102516
112516
122516
132516
142516
152516
162516
172516
182516
192516
202516
212516
222515
232515
242515
252515
262515
272515
282515
292415
302415
312415

Songea weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 10th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 19°31527.112.63.8
Feb27° / 19°27024.512.43.8
Mar26° / 19°26228.112.13.8
Apr25° / 18°12920.611.85.0
May25° / 16°296.411.57.5
Jun24° / 14°41.311.48.5
Jul24° / 13°41.111.48.5
Aug25° / 14°51.511.68.3
Sep28° / 16°41.411.97.5
Oct30° / 18°22512.25.8
Nov30° / 19°719.212.54.8
Dec28° / 19°22421.412.64.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 39% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 39%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15545
25545
35644
45644
55743
65743
75842
85941
96040
106040
116139
126040
136139
146139
156139
166139
176040
186139
196139
206139
216139
226238
236238
246238
256337
266337
276535
286634
296634
306832
316832

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Songea gets around 29 mm of rain over 6.4 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 21% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
139
237
336
434
532
630
729
827
925
1024
1123
1221
1320
1419
1519
1618
1718
1817
1917
2017
2116
2216
2315
2415
2514
2613
2713
2812
2911
3010
319

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 45% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
12315116
23334915
33354813
44374712
54394611
6541449
7643438
8744427
9845416
10946395
111047385
121248374
131348363
141449353
151549342
161649332
171849321
181949311
192049301
202149291
212349280
222449270
232549250
242749240
252849230
263049210
273248190
283448180
293747160
303947140
314246130

Wind in May

Winds average 7 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of May to 11 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:46 AM to 6:52 AM, and sunset from 6:23 PM to 6:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:466:23
211.66:466:23
311.66:466:23
411.66:466:22
511.66:466:22
611.66:466:22
711.66:476:21
811.66:476:21
911.66:476:21
1011.66:476:20
1111.56:476:20
1211.56:476:20
1311.56:486:20
1411.56:486:19
1511.56:486:19
1611.56:486:19
1711.56:496:19
1811.56:496:19
1911.56:496:18
2011.56:496:18
2111.56:496:18
2211.56:506:18
2311.56:506:18
2411.56:506:18
2511.56:506:18
2611.56:516:18
2711.46:516:18
2811.46:516:18
2911.46:516:18
3011.46:526:18
3111.46:526:18

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.58 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.51 kWh/m² to a high of 6.43 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 4.58 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.7Bright
24.7Bright
34.7Bright
44.7Bright
54.7Bright
64.7Bright
74.7Bright
84.7Bright
94.7Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.6Bright
134.6Bright
144.6Bright
154.6Bright
164.6Bright
174.6Bright
184.6Bright
194.6Bright
204.6Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.6Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Songea

In seasonPeak

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

Songea's monsoon runs December–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 Songea?

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

7.5
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Songea in May

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

In May, Songea sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 6 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Songea in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Songea peaks around February 16 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 16UV 16Jun 18UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Songea 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 Songea is worst in September — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.8× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1827 µg/m³Dec 178 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb10Good
Mar9Good
Apr8Good
May8Good
Jun8Good
Jul11Good
Aug19Moderate
Sep28Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Songea?

Songea sits at 10.7°S, 35.6°E, 1,113 m above sea level, in Tanzania. The nearest listed city is Maposeni, 29 km away.

MbingaMatiriMahanjeTingiMlangaliNjombe

Topography around Songea

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Songea has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 216 m around an average of 1,115 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 798 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,267 m.

The land around Songea is covered by artificial surfaces (40%) and trees (31%) within 3 km, cropland (37%) and trees (31%) within 16 km, and trees (52%) within 80 km.

3 km
216 m
16 km
798 m
80 km
1,267 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
May weather nearby: Maposeni 29 km · Kigonsera 67 km · Mbinga 75 km · Matiri 82 km · Mahanje 90 km · Tingi 96 km · Mlangali 159 km · Njombe 177 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 Songea (-10.6833°, 35.65°, elevation 1,113 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).