Mkushi weather in May

In May, Mkushi sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 4 mm of rain across 0.8 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 24°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 Mkushi's 5th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mkushi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
10th warmest
Overnight low
13°
4th coldest
Rainfall
4 mm
0.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
6:18 AM – 5:40 PM
Cloud cover
34%
5th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.34 kWh/m²
Travel score
9.0
out of 10

Mkushi 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

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month.

A typical May day in Mkushi reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 27°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)
12514
22514
32514
42514
52514
62514
72513
82513
92413
102413
112413
122413
132413
142413
152413
162413
172413
182413
192413
202413
212413
222413
232412
242412
252412
262412
272412
282412
292412
302412
312412

Mkushi 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
Jan25° / 17°27627.412.73.9
Feb26° / 17°22023.412.54.1
Mar26° / 17°16821.312.14.9
Apr25° / 15°306.411.77.5
May24° / 13°40.811.49.0
Jun23° / 11°00.111.29.0
Jul22° / 10°10.111.38.9
Aug25° / 13°00.111.59.1
Sep28° / 16°10.311.97.8
Oct30° / 18°152.912.36.1
Nov29° / 19°10614.612.65.0
Dec26° / 18°25725.912.84.1

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 18%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17822
27822
37921
47921
57921
67921
78119
88119
98119
108119
118119
128317
138317
148317
158218
168218
178218
188317
198317
208317
218317
228317
238317
248317
258218
268218
278218
288218
298218
308317
318317

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Mkushi gets around 4 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
25
35
44
54
64
74
83
93
103
113
123
133
143
153
162
172
182
192
202
212
222
232
242
252
262
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 78% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
154397
256386
358366
460355
562335
665314
766304
868284
971263
1073243
1174233
1276213
1378202
1479192
1580182
1682171
1783161
1884151
1985141
2085141
2185141
2287130
2387130
2487130
2588120
2688120
2789110
2889110
2990100
309190
319190

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
112light breeze
212light breeze
312light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
812light breeze
912light breeze
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1812light breeze
1912light breeze
2012light breeze
2112light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

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 6:14 AM to 6:22 AM, and sunset from 5:45 PM to 5:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:145:45
211.56:145:45
311.56:145:44
411.56:155:44
511.56:155:43
611.56:155:43
711.56:155:43
811.46:155:42
911.46:165:42
1011.46:165:42
1111.46:165:41
1211.46:165:41
1311.46:175:41
1411.46:175:40
1511.46:175:40
1611.46:185:40
1711.46:185:40
1811.46:185:39
1911.36:185:39
2011.36:195:39
2111.36:195:39
2211.36:195:39
2311.36:205:38
2411.36:205:38
2511.36:205:38
2611.36:205:38
2711.36:215:38
2811.36:215:38
2911.36:215:38
3011.36:225:38
3111.36:225:38

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.34 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.91 kWh/m² to a high of 7.04 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.34 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.4Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Mkushi

In seasonPeak

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

Mkushi'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 Mkushi?

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

9.0
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
7.6
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Mkushi in May

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

In May, Mkushi sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Mkushi 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 Mkushi peaks around January 23 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 highExtremeJan 23UV 15Jun 20UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Mkushi 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 Mkushi is worst in September — around 38 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 6.7× the cleanest month (May, 6 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodSep 938 µg/m³May 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb10Good
Mar8Good
Apr6Good
May6Good
Jun9Good
Jul21Moderate
Aug38Poor
Sep38Poor
Oct22Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Mkushi?

Mkushi sits at 13.6°S, 29.4°E, 1,257 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Kapiri Mposhi, 87 km away.

Kapiri MposhiSerenjeMapaloNdolaLuanshyaMpongweKabweKitwe

Topography around Mkushi

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mkushi has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 231 m around an average of 1,276 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 468 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 931 m.

The land around Mkushi is covered by artificial surfaces (27%) and cropland (22%) within 3 km, trees (48%) within 16 km, and trees (61%) within 80 km.

3 km
231 m
16 km
468 m
80 km
931 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Kapiri Mposhi 87 km · Serenje 101 km · Mapalo 109 km · Ndola 110 km · Luanshya 119 km · Mpongwe 134 km · Kabwe 137 km · Kitwe 157 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 Mkushi (-13.6202°, 29.3939°, elevation 1,257 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).