Mpulungu weather in May

In May, Mpulungu sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 10 mm of rain across 2.4 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of May to 11 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Mpulungu's 4th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mpulungu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
4th warmest
Overnight low
19°
4th coldest
Rainfall
10 mm
2.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:04 AM – 5:40 PM
Cloud cover
43%
4th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.72 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.9
out of 10

Mpulungu is human settlement 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 27°C through the month.

A typical May day in Mpulungu reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12719
22719
32719
42719
52719
62719
72719
82719
92719
102719
112719
122719
132719
142719
152719
162719
172719
182719
192719
202719
212719
222719
232719
242719
252718
262718
272718
282718
292718
302718
312718

Mpulungu weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 4th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 20°27127.312.53.9
Feb26° / 20°21523.512.34.1
Mar26° / 20°22726.712.14.0
Apr27° / 20°10215.111.85.7
May27° / 19°102.411.67.9
Jun27° / 17°0011.58.6
Jul26° / 17°0011.58.8
Aug28° / 18°00.111.78.2
Sep29° / 20°30.811.96.7
Oct29° / 21°488.612.25.6
Nov27° / 20°17822.212.44.5
Dec25° / 20°2672812.53.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 26%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16535
26535
36733
46733
56832
66931
77030
87030
97129
107228
117228
127327
137327
147327
157327
167426
177426
187525
197525
207624
217624
227723
237723
247822
257822
268020
278020
288119
298119
308317
318317

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Mpulungu gets around 10 mm of rain over 2.4 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 8% and peaks near 19% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
119
218
317
416
515
614
713
812
912
1011
1110
1210
139
149
158
168
177
187
196
206
215
225
234
244
253
263
273
282
292
302
311

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the comfortable band about 51% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13355210
2437509
3538489
4640478
5742457
6843436
7944415
81146394
91247374
101448353
111550333
121651303
131852282
141953262
152054242
162155222
172256202
182357191
192458171
202558161
212658151
222759131
232859121
242959111
253158101
26335791
27365581
28395470
29425260
30454950
31494650

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 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
18calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of May to 11 h 30 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 6:02 AM to 6:07 AM, and sunset from 5:44 PM to 5:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:025:44
211.76:025:43
311.76:025:43
411.76:025:43
511.76:025:42
611.76:025:42
711.76:025:42
811.66:035:41
911.66:035:41
1011.66:035:41
1111.66:035:41
1211.66:035:41
1311.66:035:40
1411.66:035:40
1511.66:045:40
1611.66:045:40
1711.66:045:40
1811.66:045:40
1911.66:045:39
2011.66:055:39
2111.66:055:39
2211.66:055:39
2311.66:055:39
2411.66:055:39
2511.66:065:39
2611.66:065:39
2711.56:065:39
2811.56:065:39
2911.56:075:39
3011.56:075:39
3111.56:075:39

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.72 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.34 kWh/m² to a high of 6.63 kWh/m² in September across the year — May's 5.72 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
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Mpulungu

In seasonPeak

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

Mpulungu sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Mpulungu's monsoon runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Cyclone
Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Mpulungu?

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

7.9
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
8.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Mpulungu in May

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

In May, Mpulungu sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Mpulungu in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mpulungu peaks around February 17 at about 17 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 10 (extreme).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 17UV 17Jun 17UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb17Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Mpulungu 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 Mpulungu is worst in September — around 51 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 7.5× the cleanest month (May, 7 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodSep 951 µg/m³May 107 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb11Good
Mar9Good
Apr7Good
May7Good
Jun14Moderate
Jul29Moderate
Aug51Poor
Sep51Poor
Oct35Poor
Nov13Moderate
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Mpulungu?

Mpulungu sits at 8.8°S, 31.1°E, 800 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Mbala, 29 km away.

SumbawangaLaelaMporokosoChalaNamanyere

Topography around Mpulungu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mpulungu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 176 m around an average of 790 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,008 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,496 m.

The land around Mpulungu is covered by water (43%) within 3 km, water (44%) and trees (25%) within 16 km, and trees (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
176 m
16 km
1,008 m
80 km
1,496 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Mbala 29 km · Matai 68 km · Sumbawanga 104 km · Laela 105 km · Mporokoso 128 km · Chala 132 km · Namanyere 139 km · Kirando 160 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 Mpulungu (-8.7623°, 31.114°, elevation 800 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).