Sapa weather in May

In May, Sapa sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 236 mm of rain across 25.8 wet days and about 13.1 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of May to 13 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Sapa's 8th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sapa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
20°
8th coldest
Rainfall
236 mm
25.8 wet days
Daylight
13 h 06 min
5:29 AM – 6:33 PM
Cloud cover
73%
8th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
4.86 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.1
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical May day in Sapa reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C warmer than April and on par with June.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12619
22619
32619
42719
52719
62719
72719
82719
92719
102719
112719
122719
132720
142720
152720
162720
172720
182720
192720
202720
212720
222720
232720
242720
252720
262720
272720
282721
292721
302721
312721

Sapa weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 3rd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan18° / 10°8212.410.85.3
Feb19° / 11°731311.25.6
Mar23° / 14°13216.911.85.8
Apr25° / 17°17721.712.55.0
May27° / 20°23625.813.14.1
Jun27° / 21°34428.913.33.4
Jul27° / 21°39629.713.23.4
Aug27° / 21°38528.712.83.6
Sep26° / 20°20222.412.14.5
Oct24° / 18°10817.411.55.7
Nov22° / 14°6110.310.96.4
Dec18° / 11°631010.75.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 70%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24753
34753
44654
54456
64456
74357
84258
94060
103961
113862
123664
133664
143367
153268
163169
173070
182872
192773
202575
212377
222278
232080
241882
251882
261684
271585
281585
291387
301189
311189

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Sapa gets around 236 mm of rain over 25.8 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 84% and peaks near 92% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
177
278
378
478
579
679
779
879
980
1080
1181
1281
1382
1482
1583
1683
1784
1885
1985
2086
2186
2287
2387
2488
2589
2690
2790
2891
2991
3092
3192

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 70% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 77% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
11734580
21632610
31631611
41630621
51629631
61628632
71527652
81525672
91524673
101523683
111522684
121421695
131420705
141419706
151418707
161417708
171317718
181316719
1913157110
2013157110
2112147211
2212147211
2312137311
2412127312
2502117512
2602117413
2701107613
280197614
290187714
300187615
310177715

Wind in May

Winds average 4 km/h in May.

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 h 48 min at the start of May to 13 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 30 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:37 AM to 5:24 AM, and sunset from 6:26 PM to 6:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:376:26
212.85:376:27
312.95:366:27
412.95:356:28
512.95:356:28
612.95:346:28
712.95:346:29
812.95:336:29
913.05:326:30
1013.05:326:30
1113.05:316:31
1213.05:316:31
1313.05:306:32
1413.05:306:32
1513.15:296:32
1613.15:296:33
1713.15:286:33
1813.15:286:34
1913.15:286:34
2013.15:276:35
2113.15:276:35
2213.25:276:36
2313.25:266:36
2413.25:266:37
2513.25:266:37
2613.25:256:37
2713.25:256:38
2813.25:256:38
2913.25:256:39
3013.25:256:39
3113.35:246:40

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.86 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.85 kWh/m² to a high of 5.08 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 4.86 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.2Bright
75.1Bright
85.1Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
154.9Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.6Bright
254.6Bright
264.6Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Sapa

In seasonPeak

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

Sapa's monsoon runs May–September, 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 Sapa?

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

4.1
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
4.1
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Sapa for sightseeing.

What to pack for Sapa in May

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

In May, Sapa sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 20°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 26 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Sapa 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 Sapa peaks around June 21 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 5 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highVery highExtremeVery highHighJun 21UV 13Dec 18UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb8Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr8Very high
May10Very high
Jun14Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep10Very high
Oct8Very high
Nov7High
Dec5High

Air quality in Sapa 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 Sapa is worst in April — around 70 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.0× the cleanest month (July, 14 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyModerateApr 1367 µg/m³Jul 1814 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan25Moderate
Feb33Moderate
Mar54Poor
Apr70Unhealthy
May28Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul14Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct22Moderate
Nov23Moderate
Dec25Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sapa?

Sapa sits at 22.3°N, 103.8°E, 0 m above sea level, in Vietnam. The nearest listed city is Lào Cai, 21 km away.

Ít OngThị Trấn Việt QuangThị Trấn Thuận ChâuBắc Quang

Topography around Sapa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sapa has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 957 m around an average of 1,481 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,006 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,050 m.

The land around Sapa is covered by trees (56%) and grassland (28%) within 3 km, trees (86%) within 16 km, and trees (84%) within 80 km.

3 km
957 m
16 km
3,006 m
80 km
3,050 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Lào Cai 21 km · Thị Trấn Phố Lu 35 km · Lai Châu 40 km · Mường Lay 82 km · Ít Ong 93 km · Thị Trấn Việt Quang 99 km · Thị Trấn Thuận Châu 102 km · Bắc Quang 106 km

Vietnam travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,066
2025
Happiness
6.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
59%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2011
Road deaths
30.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 500
Religion
none 86%Catholic 6%Buddhist 6%Protestant 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 Sapa (22.3402°, 103.8441°, elevation 0 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).