Laayoune weather in May

In May, Laayoune sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 1 mm of rain across 0.2 wet days and about 13.3 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 9th-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 72% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of May to 13 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Laayoune's 5th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Laayoune's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
7th warmest
Overnight low
17°
7th coldest
Rainfall
1 mm
0.2 wet days
Daylight
13 h 18 min
6:09 AM – 7:29 PM
Cloud cover
30%
5th clearest
Wind
23 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
7.5 kWh/m²
Travel score
9.2
out of 10

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 Laayoune reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C warmer than April and about 1°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12316
22316
32316
42316
52416
62416
72417
82417
92417
102417
112417
122417
132417
142417
152417
162417
172417
182417
192417
202417
212417
222417
232417
242417
252417
262417
272417
282417
292417
302418
312418

Laayoune weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 13°71.210.58.3
Feb22° / 14°61.4118.4
Mar23° / 15°5111.88.8
Apr23° / 16°10.312.68.9
May24° / 17°10.213.39.2
Jun25° / 18°0013.79.2
Jul27° / 20°0013.58.9
Aug28° / 20°00.1138.4
Sep28° / 20°30.712.28.5
Oct26° / 19°80.911.38.4
Nov24° / 17°50.910.78.7
Dec22° / 14°81.410.38.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 72% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 14%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18218
28218
38218
48317
58317
68416
78416
88416
98416
108416
118416
128416
138515
148515
158515
168515
178515
188515
198614
208713
218713
228713
238812
248812
258812
269010
279010
289010
29919
30919
31919

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Laayoune gets around 1 mm of rain over 0.2 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 1% and peaks near 1% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
11
21
31
41
51
61
71
81
91
101
111
121
131
141
151
161
171
181
191
201
211
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310

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 54% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
144488
242499
341509
4405010
5395110
6385111
7375112
8365212
9355213
10345214
11335314
12325315
13305416
14295417
15285517
16275518
17265519
18255520
19235720
20225721
21215722
22195823
23185824
24175726
25155827
26145828
27135730
28125731
29105733
3095635
3185537

Wind in May

Winds average 23 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 23 km/h on the calmest days to 24 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
123breezy
223breezy
323breezy
423breezy
523breezy
623breezy
723breezy
823breezy
923breezy
1023breezy
1123breezy
1223breezy
1323breezy
1423breezy
1523breezy
1623breezy
1723breezy
1823breezy
1923breezy
2023breezy
2123breezy
2223breezy
2323breezy
2423breezy
2523breezy
2623breezy
2723breezy
2823breezy
2923breezy
3023breezy
3124breezy

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 hours at the start of May to 13 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:19 AM to 6:03 AM, and sunset from 7:20 PM to 7:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.06:197:20
213.06:197:21
313.16:187:22
413.16:177:22
513.16:167:23
613.16:167:23
713.26:157:24
813.26:147:24
913.26:137:25
1013.26:137:26
1113.26:127:26
1213.36:117:27
1313.36:117:27
1413.36:107:28
1513.36:107:28
1613.36:097:29
1713.46:087:30
1813.46:087:30
1913.46:077:31
2013.46:077:31
2113.46:067:32
2213.46:067:32
2313.56:067:33
2413.56:057:34
2513.56:057:34
2613.56:047:35
2713.56:047:35
2813.56:047:36
2913.56:047:36
3013.66:037:37
3113.66:037:37

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.5 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.74 kWh/m² to a high of 7.62 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.5 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.3Intense
27.3Intense
37.4Intense
47.4Intense
57.4Intense
67.4Intense
77.4Intense
87.4Intense
97.4Intense
107.5Intense
117.5Intense
127.5Intense
137.5Intense
147.5Intense
157.5Intense
167.5Intense
177.5Intense
187.5Intense
197.5Intense
207.5Intense
217.5Intense
227.5Intense
237.6Intense
247.6Intense
257.6Intense
267.6Intense
277.6Intense
287.6Intense
297.6Intense
307.6Intense
317.6Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Laayoune

In seasonPeak

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

Laayoune sees seasonal dust haze (July–August), heaviest in July.

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

Is May a good time to visit Laayoune?

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

9.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.7
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Laayoune in May

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

In May, Laayoune sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 17°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and a windbreaker.

sun protectionlight clothesa windbreaker

Sea temperature near Laayoune in May

The nearest coast averages about 19°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 19 km away) is warmest in October at about 21°C and coldest in February near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Aug 4 to Nov 19 — about 3.6 months when the water holds above 20°C.

16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan18Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar18Cool
Apr18Cool
May19Cool
Jun20Cool
Jul20Cool
Aug20Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct21Refreshing
Nov20Refreshing
Dec19Cool

UV index in Laayoune in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Laayoune peaks around August 13 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highModerateAug 13UV 10Dec 17UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5Moderate
Feb6High
Mar9Very high
Apr9Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov5Moderate
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Laayoune 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 Laayoune is worst in December — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (June, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateDec 2228 µg/m³Jun 117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan25Moderate
Feb26Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr10Good
May8Good
Jun7Good
Jul11Good
Aug12Good
Sep9Good
Oct12Moderate
Nov12Moderate
Dec28Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Laayoune?

Laayoune sits at 27.1°N, 13.2°W, 68 m above sea level, in Western Sahara. The nearest listed city is El Marsa, 23 km away.

SmaraBoujdour

Topography around Laayoune

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Laayoune has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 67 m around an average of 62 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 114 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 305 m.

The land around Laayoune is covered by bare terrain (55%) and artificial surfaces (42%) within 3 km, bare terrain (97%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (74%) and water (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
67 m
16 km
114 m
80 km
305 m
shrubsartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: El Marsa 23 km · Smara 157 km · Pájara 162 km · Puerto del Rosario 165 km · Boujdour 171 km · La Oliva 179 km · Puerto del Carmen 204 km · Arrecife 206 km

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Laayoune (27.1418°, -13.188°, elevation 68 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).