Chirundu weather in May

In May, Chirundu sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 1 mm of rain across 0.2 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 28°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 80% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of May to 11 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Chirundu's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chirundu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
10th warmest
Overnight low
16°
4th coldest
Rainfall
1 mm
0.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:23 AM – 5:39 PM
Cloud cover
22%
5th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.12 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.4
out of 10

Chirundu is human settlement.

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 28°C by the end.

A typical May day in Chirundu reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13018
23018
33018
43017
53017
63017
73017
83017
93017
103017
112917
122917
132916
142916
152916
162916
172916
182916
192916
202916
212916
222916
232815
242815
252815
262815
272815
282815
292815
302815
312815

How May really feels in Chirundu

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Chirundu weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 22°21220.612.83.5
Feb30° / 22°14617.212.53.8
Mar31° / 22°8612.312.14.5
Apr31° / 19°202.911.65.8
May29° / 16°10.211.37.4
Jun27° / 14°0011.18.9
Jul26° / 13°0011.19.0
Aug29° / 15°0011.57.4
Sep33° / 19°10.111.94.7
Oct36° / 22°6112.43.0
Nov35° / 24°517.112.72.7
Dec32° / 23°16917.512.93.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 80% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 8%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1919
2928
3928
4928
5937
6937
7946
8946
9946
10955
11955
12946
13937
14937
15937
16937
17928
18928
19928
20928
21928
22919
23919
24919
25919
26919
27919
28919
29937
30937
31937

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Chirundu 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 2% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
12
21
31
41
51
61
71
81
91
101
111
121
131
141
151
161
171
181
191
201
211
221
231
241
251
261
271
281
291
301
311

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 53% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13242224
23442214
33642193
43841183
54041172
64241162
74440152
84540141
94739131
104839121
115038111
125138101
13533890
14533890
15543880
16553870
17563860
18573850
19573850
20583750
21593740
22603640
23613540
24623440
25633340
26653230
27663130
28673030
29682930
30692830
31712630

Wind in May

Winds average 8 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of May to 11 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:19 AM to 6:28 AM, and sunset from 5:45 PM to 5:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.46:195:45
211.46:195:44
311.46:195:44
411.46:205:43
511.46:205:43
611.46:205:42
711.46:205:42
811.36:215:41
911.36:215:41
1011.36:215:41
1111.36:225:40
1211.36:225:40
1311.36:225:39
1411.36:235:39
1511.36:235:39
1611.36:235:39
1711.26:245:38
1811.26:245:38
1911.26:245:38
2011.26:255:37
2111.26:255:37
2211.26:255:37
2311.26:265:37
2411.26:265:37
2511.26:265:36
2611.26:275:36
2711.26:275:36
2811.16:275:36
2911.16:285:36
3011.16:285:36
3111.16:285:36

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.12 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.64 kWh/m² to a high of 7.21 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.12 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.3Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.1Bright
165.1Bright
175.1Bright
185.0Bright
195.0Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
234.9Bright
244.9Bright
254.9Bright
264.9Bright
274.9Bright
284.9Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Chirundu

In seasonPeak

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

Chirundu's monsoon runs December–February, 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 Chirundu?

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

7.4
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
9.1
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Chirundu in May

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

In May, Chirundu sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 16°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Chirundu 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 Chirundu peaks around January 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 10 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 19UV 16Jul 10UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Chirundu 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 Chirundu is worst in September — around 37 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.3× the cleanest month (December, 11 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateSep 1037 µg/m³Dec 2112 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul28Moderate
Aug36Poor
Sep37Poor
Oct26Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Chirundu?

Chirundu sits at 16.0°S, 28.8°E, 394 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Kariba, 54 km away.

PalabanaKafueChilanga TownshipChongweChisankaneNtandabale

Topography around Chirundu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chirundu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 98 m around an average of 398 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 343 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,110 m.

The land around Chirundu is covered by grassland (39%) and shrubs (21%) within 3 km, shrubs (54%) within 16 km, and shrubs (45%) and trees (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
98 m
16 km
343 m
80 km
1,110 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Kariba 54 km · Siavonga 58 km · Palabana 73 km · Kafue 77 km · Chilanga Township 80 km · Chongwe 80 km · Chisankane 81 km · Ntandabale 85 km

Zambia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 30% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,318
2025
Happiness
4.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
5.2
per 100k, 2015
Road deaths
20.5
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 573
Religion
Protestant 75%Roman Catholic 20%other 3%none 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 Chirundu (-16.0358°, 28.8431°, elevation 394 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).