Chongwe weather in May

In May, Chongwe sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 3 mm of rain across 0.8 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 26°C in the first days to 24°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 60% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of May to 11 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Chongwe's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chongwe's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
10th warmest
Overnight low
14°
4th coldest
Rainfall
3 mm
0.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:23 AM – 5:40 PM
Cloud cover
33%
6th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.11 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.8
out of 10

Chongwe is municipality of Zambia.

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 26°C in the first days to 24°C by the end.

A typical May day in Chongwe reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12615
22615
32615
42615
52615
62615
72614
82614
92614
102614
112614
122614
132514
142514
152514
162514
172514
182514
192513
202513
212513
222513
232513
242513
252513
262513
272513
282513
292513
302413
312413

Chongwe 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
Jan27° / 19°21525.112.84.1
Feb27° / 19°16321.712.54.3
Mar27° / 18°10918.212.15.3
Apr26° / 16°23611.77.4
May25° / 14°30.811.38.8
Jun23° / 12°10.311.19.1
Jul23° / 11°10.111.29.0
Aug26° / 14°10.211.59.0
Sep29° / 17°20.311.97.1
Oct32° / 20°92.312.35.3
Nov31° / 21°691212.74.5
Dec28° / 19°17222.512.94.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 60% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 19%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17822
27921
37921
47921
57921
68020
78020
88020
98020
108020
118020
128020
138119
148119
158020
168020
178119
188119
198119
208218
218218
228317
238317
248218
258218
268218
278218
288218
298218
308218
318218

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Chongwe gets around 3 mm of rain over 0.8 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 3% and peaks near 5% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
15
24
34
44
53
63
73
83
93
103
113
123
133
143
153
163
173
182
192
202
212
222
232
242
252
262
272
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 74% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
15037121
25236111
35535100
4583390
5603280
6633070
7652960
8672760
9692650
10702550
11732340
12742240
13762130
14762130
15772030
16791920
17791920
18801820
19811810
20821710
21821710
22821710
23821710
24831610
25831610
26831610
27841510
28851410
29861400
30871300
31881200

Wind in May

Winds average 11 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of May to 11 h 12 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 5:46 PM to 5:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:195:46
211.46:195:46
311.46:195:45
411.46:195:45
511.46:205:44
611.46:205:44
711.46:205:43
811.46:215:43
911.46:215:43
1011.46:215:42
1111.36:215:42
1211.36:225:41
1311.36:225:41
1411.36:225:41
1511.36:235:40
1611.36:235:40
1711.36:235:40
1811.36:235:40
1911.36:245:39
2011.36:245:39
2111.26:245:39
2211.26:255:39
2311.26:255:39
2411.26:255:38
2511.26:265:38
2611.26:265:38
2711.26:265:38
2811.26:275:38
2911.26:275:38
3011.26:275:38
3111.26:285:38

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.11 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.7 kWh/m² to a high of 7.2 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.11 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.1Bright
165.1Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.0Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
244.9Bright
254.9Bright
264.9Bright
274.9Bright
284.9Bright
294.9Bright
304.9Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Chongwe

In seasonPeak

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

Chongwe's monsoon runs December–March, 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 Chongwe?

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

8.8
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
8.0
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Chongwe in May

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

In May, Chongwe sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Chongwe 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 Chongwe peaks around January 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 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 highExtremeJan 19UV 16Jun 23UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan17Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Chongwe 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 Chongwe is worst in August — around 45 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.2× the cleanest month (December, 14 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateAug 1744 µg/m³Dec 2114 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb17Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr16Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun27Moderate
Jul37Poor
Aug45Poor
Sep38Poor
Oct27Moderate
Nov19Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Chongwe?

Chongwe sits at 15.3°S, 28.7°E, 1,102 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Palabana, 20 km away.

Topography around Chongwe

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chongwe has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 98 m around an average of 1,082 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 316 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,104 m.

The land around Chongwe is covered by grassland (32%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 3 km, grassland (37%), shrubs (23%) and cropland (23%) within 16 km, and trees (35%), shrubs (27%) and grassland (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
98 m
16 km
316 m
80 km
1,104 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Palabana 20 km · Ntandabale 29 km · Madido 33 km · Chisankane 39 km · Lusaka 43 km · Chunga 44 km · Chilanga Township 52 km · Namalombwe 53 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 Chongwe (-15.3292°, 28.682°, elevation 1,102 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).