Sanaa weather in May

In May, Sanaa sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 41 mm of rain across 8.1 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 27°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 30 min at the start of May to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Sanaa's 9th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sanaa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
15°
9th coldest
Rainfall
41 mm
8.1 wet days
Daylight
12 h 42 min
5:38 AM – 6:21 PM
Cloud cover
46%
9th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
6.8 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Sanaa is capital city of Yemen.

Density
562/km²
people per km²
Founded
1994

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 27°C by the end.

A typical May day in Sanaa reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C warmer than April and about 1°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12514
22514
32514
42614
52614
62614
72614
82614
92614
102614
112615
122615
132615
142615
152615
162715
172715
182715
192715
202715
212715
222715
232715
242715
252715
262715
272715
282715
292715
302715
312715

Sanaa weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 61.611.28.6
Feb23° / 10°61.611.58.9
Mar24° / 12°215.411.98.3
Apr25° / 13°448.312.37.5
May26° / 15°418.112.77.1
Jun28° / 16°17512.97.2
Jul26° / 16°5813.212.86.0
Aug26° / 15°11222.112.55.0
Sep26° / 14°226.112.17.5
Oct24° / 11°101.111.79.1
Nov22° / 4111.38.9
Dec22° / 30.811.18.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16634
26634
36535
46436
56436
66337
76337
86238
96238
106238
116238
126238
136238
146238
156238
166238
176238
186238
196337
206337
216337
226337
236436
246436
256436
266535
276436
286436
296535
306535
316535

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Sanaa gets around 41 mm of rain over 8.1 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 26% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
230
330
430
529
629
729
829
929
1029
1129
1229
1329
1428
1528
1628
1727
1827
1926
2026
2125
2225
2324
2423
2523
2622
2721
2821
2920
3020
3119

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1982
2982
3982
4982
5982
6982
7982
8982
9982
10982
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min at the start of May to 12 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:44 AM to 5:35 AM, and sunset from 6:17 PM to 6:26 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.55:446:17
212.65:446:17
312.65:436:17
412.65:436:17
512.65:426:18
612.65:426:18
712.65:416:18
812.65:416:18
912.65:406:19
1012.65:406:19
1112.75:406:19
1212.75:396:20
1312.75:396:20
1412.75:396:20
1512.75:386:20
1612.75:386:21
1712.75:386:21
1812.75:386:21
1912.75:376:22
2012.85:376:22
2112.85:376:22
2212.85:376:23
2312.85:366:23
2412.85:366:23
2512.85:366:24
2612.85:366:24
2712.85:366:24
2812.85:366:25
2912.85:366:25
3012.85:366:25
3112.85:356:26

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.8 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.6 kWh/m² to a high of 6.8 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 6.8 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.8Intense
26.8Intense
36.8Intense
46.8Intense
56.8Intense
66.8Intense
76.8Intense
86.8Intense
96.8Intense
106.8Intense
116.8Intense
126.8Intense
136.8Intense
146.8Intense
156.8Intense
166.8Intense
176.8Intense
186.8Intense
196.8Intense
206.8Intense
216.8Intense
226.8Intense
236.8Intense
246.8Intense
256.8Intense
266.8Intense
276.7Intense
286.7Intense
296.7Intense
306.7Intense
316.6Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Sanaa

In seasonPeak

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

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

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

Is May a good time to visit Sanaa?

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

7.1
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
7.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Sanaa in May

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

In May, Sanaa sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 15°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

UV index in Sanaa in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sanaa peaks around April 13 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 12 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 highApr 13UV 15Dec 12UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr16Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Sanaa 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 Sanaa is worst in July — around 48 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.0× the cleanest month (November, 24 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateJul 1547 µg/m³Nov 2124 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan29Moderate
Feb38Poor
Mar37Poor
Apr40Poor
May40Poor
Jun43Poor
Jul48Poor
Aug41Poor
Sep35Moderate
Oct27Moderate
Nov24Moderate
Dec24Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sanaa?

Sanaa sits at 15.4°N, 44.2°E, 2,253 m above sea level, in Yemen. The nearest listed city is Saḩar, 12 km away.

ḨajjahDhamārBājilAl ḨazmYarīm

Topography around Sanaa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sanaa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 194 m around an average of 2,266 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,014 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,201 m.

The land around Sanaa is covered by artificial surfaces (84%) within 3 km, cropland (32%) and bare terrain (26%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (51%) within 80 km.

3 km
194 m
16 km
1,014 m
80 km
3,201 m
shrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
May weather nearby: Saḩar 12 km · Sayyān 24 km · ‘Amrān 44 km · Ḩajjah 75 km · Dhamār 93 km · Bājil 104 km · Al Ḩazm 109 km · Yarīm 119 km

Yemen travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type A / D / G
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 7% of US
price level, 2013
GDP per capita
$634
2018
Happiness
3.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2013
Road deaths
29.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 402
Religion
Muslim 99%other 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 Sanaa (15.3545°, 44.2065°, elevation 2,253 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).