Katete weather in May

In May, Katete sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 3 mm of rain across 0.6 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% 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 Katete's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Katete's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
10th warmest
Overnight low
16°
4th coldest
Rainfall
3 mm
0.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
6:07 AM – 5:28 PM
Cloud cover
31%
5th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.14 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.7
out of 10

Katete is town in Zambia.

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.

A typical May day in Katete reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12717
22716
32716
42716
52716
62616
72616
82616
92616
102616
112616
122616
132616
142616
152616
162615
172615
182615
192615
202615
212615
222615
232615
242615
252615
262615
272515
282515
292515
302515
312514

How May really feels in Katete

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.

Katete 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° / 20°25426.112.73.9
Feb27° / 19°19620.312.54.4
Mar27° / 19°12717.912.15.2
Apr27° / 18°224.711.77.6
May26° / 16°30.611.48.7
Jun24° / 14°00.111.29.2
Jul24° / 13°0011.39.2
Aug27° / 15°10.311.58.7
Sep30° / 17°20.411.96.6
Oct32° / 20°122.112.35.0
Nov32° / 21°6710.712.74.1
Dec28° / 20°21723.812.83.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 13%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18515
28515
38515
48614
58614
68614
78614
88614
98713
108713
118713
128713
138713
148713
158713
168713
178713
188713
198713
208713
218713
228713
238713
248812
258812
268812
278713
288713
298812
308911
318911

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Katete gets around 3 mm of rain over 0.6 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 2% and peaks near 3% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
13
23
33
43
53
63
73
83
93
103
113
123
133
142
152
162
172
182
192
202
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 (%)
13241252
23441241
33641221
43941201
54141181
64340170
74540150
84739140
94839130
105138110
115238100
12533890
13543880
14543970
15553960
16553960
17563950
18563950
19573940
20573940
21573940
22593830
23593830
24603730
25613630
26623530
27633430
28663220
29683020
30702820
31722620

Wind in May

Winds average 14 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

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 6:04 AM to 6:12 AM, and sunset from 5:34 PM to 5:26 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:045:34
211.56:045:34
311.56:045:33
411.56:045:33
511.56:055:32
611.56:055:32
711.46:055:31
811.46:055:31
911.46:065:31
1011.46:065:30
1111.46:065:30
1211.46:065:30
1311.46:075:29
1411.46:075:29
1511.46:075:29
1611.46:075:28
1711.36:085:28
1811.36:085:28
1911.36:085:28
2011.36:095:28
2111.36:095:27
2211.36:095:27
2311.36:095:27
2411.36:105:27
2511.36:105:27
2611.36:105:27
2711.36:115:26
2811.36:115:26
2911.36:115:26
3011.26:125:26
3111.26:125:26

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.14 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.79 kWh/m² to a high of 6.93 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.14 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.3Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.1Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.1Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
245.0Bright
255.0Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
285.0Bright
294.9Bright
304.9Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Katete

In seasonPeak

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

Katete'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 Katete?

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

8.7
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
8.2
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Katete in May

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

In May, Katete sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Katete 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 Katete peaks around January 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 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 20UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Katete 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 Katete is worst in August — around 27 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.9× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 2126 µg/m³Dec 197 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar8Good
Apr7Good
May7Good
Jun10Good
Jul18Moderate
Aug27Moderate
Sep24Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Katete?

Katete sits at 14.1°S, 32.1°E, 1,529 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Sinda, 39 km away.

ChipataPetaukeMchinjiNyimbaLilongweSongoMponela

Topography around Katete

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Katete has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 564 m around an average of 1,193 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 757 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,100 m.

The land around Katete is covered by trees (49%) and cropland (21%) within 3 km, cropland (42%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and cropland (38%), shrubs (27%) and trees (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
564 m
16 km
757 m
80 km
1,100 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Sinda 39 km · Chipata 77 km · Petauke 85 km · Mchinji 90 km · Nyimba 148 km · Lilongwe 184 km · Songo 187 km · Mponela 188 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 Katete (-14.05°, 32.0833°, elevation 1,529 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).