Mbale weather in May

In May, Mbale sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 856 mm of rain across 30.7 wet days and about 12 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 0% of the time in May, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 12 hours at the start of May to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Mbale's 9th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mbale's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
9th warmest
Overnight low
16°
11th coldest
Rainfall
856 mm
30.7 wet days
Daylight
12 hours
6:38 AM – 6:41 PM
Cloud cover
84%
9th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.35 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.6
out of 10

Mbale is City in Mbale District, Eastern Region, Uganda.

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 24°C through the month.

A typical May day in Mbale reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 8°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)
12316
22316
32316
42316
52316
62316
72316
82316
92316
102316
112316
122316
132316
142316
152416
162416
172416
182416
192416
202416
212416
222416
232416
242416
252416
262416
272416
282416
292416
302416
312416

Mbale weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 15°40724.611.94.5
Feb26° / 15°31921.9124.5
Mar25° / 16°67728.7123.9
Apr24° / 16°95029.8123.5
May24° / 16°85630.7123.6
Jun23° / 16°48227.212.14.0
Jul23° / 15°24923.512.14.6
Aug24° / 16°27626.1124.4
Sep24° / 15°47229.2123.8
Oct24° / 16°77330.7123.6
Nov24° / 15°91729.9123.5
Dec24° / 15°67628.411.94.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 0% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 92%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1397
2397
3397
4397
5397
6397
7397
8397
9397
10496
11496
12496
13595
14595
15595
16694
17694
18793
19892
20991
211090
221189
231189
241288
251387
261387
271486
281585
291585
301684
311684

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Mbale gets around 856 mm of rain over 30.7 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 99% and peaks near 99% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
199
299
399
499
599
699
799
899
999
1099
1199
1299
1399
1499
1599
1699
1799
1899
1999
2099
2199
2299
2399
2499
2599
2699
2799
2899
2998
3098
3198

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the humid band about 97% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
12971
22971
32971
42980
52980
61990
71990
81990
91990
101990
111981
121981
131981
141981
151981
161981
171981
182971
192971
202971
212971
223961
233961
243961
254951
264951
275941
285941
296931
306931
317921

Wind in May

Winds average 4 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 hours at the start of May to 12 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:39 AM to 6:39 AM, and sunset from 6:42 PM to 6:42 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.06:396:42
212.06:396:42
312.06:396:41
412.06:396:41
512.06:396:41
612.06:396:41
712.06:396:41
812.06:386:41
912.06:386:41
1012.06:386:41
1112.06:386:41
1212.06:386:41
1312.06:386:41
1412.06:386:41
1512.06:386:41
1612.06:386:41
1712.06:386:41
1812.16:386:41
1912.16:386:41
2012.16:386:41
2112.16:386:41
2212.16:386:41
2312.16:386:41
2412.16:386:42
2512.16:386:42
2612.16:386:42
2712.16:396:42
2812.16:396:42
2912.16:396:42
3012.16:396:42
3112.16:396:42

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.35 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.16 kWh/m² to a high of 6.01 kWh/m² in February across the year — May's 4.35 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
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
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.4Bright
174.4Bright
184.4Bright
194.4Bright
204.4Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Mbale?

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

3.6
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
2.9
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Mbale.

What to pack for Mbale in May

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

In May, Mbale sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 16°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes. About 31 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothes

UV index in Mbale 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 Mbale peaks around March 14 at about 15 (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 14UV 15Jun 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Mbale 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 Mbale is worst in December — around 83 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0306090JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyDec 1883 µg/m³Aug 2270 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan82Unhealthy
Feb80Unhealthy
Mar79Unhealthy
Apr74Unhealthy
May73Unhealthy
Jun78Unhealthy
Jul74Unhealthy
Aug70Unhealthy
Sep71Unhealthy
Oct75Unhealthy
Nov81Unhealthy
Dec83Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Mbale?

Mbale sits at 1.1°N, 34.2°E, 1,125 m above sea level, in Uganda. The nearest listed city is Nakaloke, 8.0 km away.

BusolweTororo

Topography around Mbale

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mbale has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 127 m around an average of 1,127 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,280 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,259 m.

The land around Mbale is covered by trees (33%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 3 km, shrubs (37%) and trees (28%) within 16 km, and cropland (33%), shrubs (22%) and grassland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
127 m
16 km
1,280 m
80 km
3,259 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Nakaloke 8.0 km · Manafwa 18 km · Budadiri 18 km · Sironko 18 km · Budaka 29 km · Butaleja 31 km · Busolwe 38 km · Tororo 43 km

Uganda travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type G
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 35% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,206
2025
Happiness
4.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
18%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
29.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 518
Religion
Protestant 45%Roman Catholic 39%Muslim 14%other 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 Mbale (1.0821°, 34.175°, elevation 1,125 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).