Luanshya weather in May

In May, Luanshya sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 3 mm of rain across 0.8 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-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 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 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Luanshya's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Luanshya's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
9th warmest
Overnight low
14°
4th coldest
Rainfall
3 mm
0.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
6:21 AM – 5:44 PM
Cloud cover
34%
5th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.37 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.6
out of 10

Luanshya is city in Zambia.

Founded
1902

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 Luanshya reaches about 26°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 24°C and 28°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)
12715
22715
32715
42715
52715
62615
72615
82615
92614
102614
112614
122614
132614
142614
152614
162614
172614
182614
192614
202614
212614
222614
232614
242614
252614
262614
272613
282613
292613
302613
312513

Luanshya weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 18°24227.112.73.9
Feb26° / 18°19723.112.44.1
Mar27° / 18°13619.912.15.0
Apr27° / 16°265.611.77.3
May26° / 14°30.811.48.6
Jun25° / 12°00.111.29.3
Jul24° / 12°0011.39.3
Aug27° / 14°0011.68.6
Sep30° / 17°10.211.96.5
Oct32° / 20°132.712.35.1
Nov30° / 19°9914.812.64.4
Dec27° / 18°2282612.84.0

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 21% 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 (%)
17723
27723
37723
47822
57822
67921
77921
87921
97921
108020
118020
128119
138119
148119
158119
168119
178119
188119
198218
208218
218317
228317
238416
248416
258317
268317
278317
288317
298416
308515
318515

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Luanshya 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 2% and peaks near 5% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
15
25
34
44
54
63
73
83
93
103
112
122
132
142
152
162
172
182
192
202
212
222
232
242
252
262
272
282
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 78% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1523711
2553510
357349
459338
562317
664306
766286
868275
970255
1072244
1174224
1276213
1377203
1480182
1581172
1682162
1784151
1884151
1985141
2086131
2186131
2287130
2388120
2488120
2588120
2689110
2789110
2890100
2990100
309190
319280

Wind in May

Winds average 12 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112calm
212calm
312calm
412calm
512calm
612calm
712calm
812calm
912calm
1012calm
1112calm
1212calm
1312calm
1412calm
1512calm
1612calm
1712calm
1812calm
1912calm
2012calm
2112calm
2212calm
2312calm
2412calm
2512calm
2612calm
2712calm
2812calm
2912calm
3012calm
3112calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of May to 11 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:17 AM to 6:25 AM, and sunset from 5:50 PM to 5:42 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:175:50
211.56:185:49
311.56:185:49
411.56:185:48
511.56:185:48
611.56:185:48
711.56:195:47
811.56:195:47
911.56:195:46
1011.46:195:46
1111.46:195:46
1211.46:205:46
1311.46:205:45
1411.46:205:45
1511.46:205:45
1611.46:215:44
1711.46:215:44
1811.46:215:44
1911.46:225:44
2011.46:225:44
2111.46:225:43
2211.36:225:43
2311.36:235:43
2411.36:235:43
2511.36:235:43
2611.36:245:43
2711.36:245:43
2811.36:245:43
2911.36:245:42
3011.36:255:42
3111.36:255:42

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.37 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.05 kWh/m² to a high of 7.01 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.37 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.4Bright
165.4Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.3Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Luanshya

In seasonPeak

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

Luanshya'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 Luanshya?

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

8.6
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 Luanshya for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Luanshya in May

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

In May, Luanshya sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Luanshya 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 Luanshya peaks around February 19 at about 15 (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 highExtremeFeb 19UV 15Jun 20UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Luanshya 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 Luanshya is worst in August — around 46 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.4× the cleanest month (May, 11 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModeratePoorModerateAug 1845 µg/m³May 1111 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr11Good
May11Good
Jun15Moderate
Jul31Moderate
Aug46Poor
Sep37Poor
Oct24Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Luanshya?

Luanshya sits at 13.1°S, 28.4°E, 1,238 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Ndola, 31 km away.

Mokambo

Topography around Luanshya

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Luanshya has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 70 m around an average of 1,228 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 163 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 454 m.

The land around Luanshya is covered by artificial surfaces (40%), grassland (22%) and trees (21%) within 3 km, trees (35%), shrubs (22%) and grassland (22%) within 16 km, and trees (56%) and grassland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
70 m
16 km
163 m
80 km
454 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Ndola 31 km · Mapalo 35 km · Kitwe 43 km · Kalulushi 48 km · Mpongwe 50 km · Mufulira 68 km · Chambishi 68 km · Mokambo 79 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 Luanshya (-13.1367°, 28.4166°, elevation 1,238 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).