Lukulu weather in May

In May, Lukulu sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 1 mm of rain across 0.1 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 77% 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 Lukulu's 4th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lukulu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
5th warmest
Overnight low
16°
4th coldest
Rainfall
1 mm
0.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:43 AM – 6:03 PM
Cloud cover
23%
4th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
5.61 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.5
out of 10

Lukulu is human settlement in Western Province, 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 29°C through the month.

A typical May day in Lukulu 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 27°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12917
22917
32917
42917
52917
62917
72917
82917
92917
102917
112916
122916
132916
142916
152916
162916
172916
182916
192916
202916
212916
222915
232815
242815
252815
262815
272815
282815
292815
302815
312815

How May really feels in Lukulu

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.

Lukulu weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 19°24126.412.83.8
Feb28° / 19°21423.212.54.0
Mar28° / 19°16521.112.14.6
Apr29° / 18°315.111.76.3
May29° / 16°10.111.37.5
Jun27° / 13°0011.29.0
Jul27° / 13°0011.28.9
Aug31° / 15°0011.56.5
Sep34° / 19°40.811.94.2
Oct34° / 21°316.812.33.3
Nov30° / 20°14620.712.73.5
Dec28° / 19°22625.812.83.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 77% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 9%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18713
28713
38812
48812
58812
68812
78911
89010
99010
109010
119010
129010
139010
149010
15919
16919
17919
18919
19919
20928
21928
22928
23928
24928
25937
26946
27946
28946
29955
30955
31955

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Lukulu gets around 1 mm of rain over 0.1 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 1% and peaks near 3% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
13
23
32
42
51
61
71
81
91
101
111
121
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
200
210
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310

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 90% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
16819112
26919102
3731881
4741871
5761761
6791650
7811540
8831430
9841330
10861220
11871120
12881020
1391810
1492710
1593610
1695500
1795500
1896400
1996400
2097300
2197300
2297300
2398200
2498200
2598200
2698200
2798200
2898200
2998200
3098200
3198200

Wind in May

Winds average 10 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

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 6:39 AM to 6:48 AM, and sunset from 6:09 PM to 6:01 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:396:09
211.56:406:09
311.56:406:08
411.56:406:08
511.46:406:07
611.46:416:07
711.46:416:06
811.46:416:06
911.46:416:06
1011.46:426:05
1111.46:426:05
1211.46:426:05
1311.46:426:04
1411.46:436:04
1511.36:436:04
1611.36:436:03
1711.36:436:03
1811.36:446:03
1911.36:446:03
2011.36:446:02
2111.36:456:02
2211.36:456:02
2311.36:456:02
2411.36:466:02
2511.36:466:02
2611.36:466:01
2711.26:476:01
2811.26:476:01
2911.26:476:01
3011.26:486:01
3111.26:486:01

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.61 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.27 kWh/m² to a high of 6.88 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.61 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.4Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.4Bright
305.4Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Lukulu

In seasonPeak

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

Lukulu's monsoon runs November–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 Lukulu?

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

7.5
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
9.2
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Lukulu in May

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

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

light clothessun protection

UV index in Lukulu 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 Lukulu peaks around January 19 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 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 highExtremeExtremeJan 19UV 15Jun 21UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Lukulu 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 Lukulu is worst in September — around 58 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 9.2× the cleanest month (April, 6 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodSep 1356 µg/m³Apr 127 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar8Good
Apr6Good
May11Good
Jun23Moderate
Jul31Moderate
Aug46Poor
Sep58Unhealthy
Oct29Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Lukulu?

Lukulu sits at 14.4°S, 23.2°E, 1,048 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Kalabo, 92 km away.

KalaboZambeziMonguKabompoChavumaManyingaKaomaSenanga

Topography around Lukulu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Lukulu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 36 m around an average of 1,042 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 49 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 128 m.

The land around Lukulu is covered by grassland (32%) and shrubs (28%) within 3 km, grassland (31%) and shrubs (30%) within 16 km, and trees (37%) and grassland (31%) within 80 km.

3 km
36 m
16 km
49 m
80 km
128 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Kalabo 92 km · Zambezi 93 km · Mongu 98 km · Kabompo 135 km · Chavuma 157 km · Manyinga 159 km · Kaoma 174 km · Senanga 194 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 Lukulu (-14.3707°, 23.242°, elevation 1,048 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).