Mumbwa weather in May

In May, Mumbwa sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 2 mm of rain across 0.6 wet days and about 11.3 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 65% 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 Mumbwa's 5th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mumbwa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
10th warmest
Overnight low
13°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
2 mm
0.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:29 AM – 5:47 PM
Cloud cover
30%
5th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.33 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.8
out of 10

Mumbwa 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 26°C through the month.

A typical May day in Mumbwa reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 28°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)
12614
22614
32614
42614
52614
62614
72614
82614
92614
102614
112614
122614
132613
142613
152613
162613
172613
182613
192513
202513
212513
222513
232513
242513
252513
262513
272513
282512
292512
302512
312512

How May really feels in Mumbwa

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.

Mumbwa 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° / 19°26625.712.84.0
Feb27° / 19°21521.412.54.3
Mar27° / 18°14218.612.15.2
Apr27° / 16°314.811.77.5
May26° / 13°20.611.38.8
Jun24° / 11°0011.19.3
Jul24° / 11°0011.29.3
Aug27° / 13°0011.58.8
Sep30° / 17°20.311.96.6
Oct32° / 20°173.412.34.9
Nov30° / 20°11914.812.74.2
Dec28° / 19°25025.112.94.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 65% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% 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 (%)
18119
28218
38218
48317
58416
68416
78515
88515
98515
108713
118713
128713
138713
148713
158812
168812
178812
188812
198812
208911
218911
228911
238812
248911
258911
268911
278911
288911
298911
308911
318911

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Mumbwa gets around 2 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 4% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
14
23
33
43
53
63
72
82
92
102
112
122
132
141
151
161
171
181
191
201
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 84% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1622711
2642610
366259
468248
570237
672226
774215
875205
978184
1079174
1181163
1282153
1384142
1485132
1587121
1688111
1789101
189190
199190
209280
219280
229370
239370
249370
259370
269460
279460
289460
299460
309550
319550

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 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
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 6:25 AM to 6:34 AM, and sunset from 5:53 PM to 5:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:255:53
211.56:255:53
311.46:255:52
411.46:265:52
511.46:265:51
611.46:265:51
711.46:265:50
811.46:275:50
911.46:275:50
1011.46:275:49
1111.46:275:49
1211.36:285:48
1311.36:285:48
1411.36:285:48
1511.36:295:47
1611.36:295:47
1711.36:295:47
1811.36:295:47
1911.36:305:46
2011.36:305:46
2111.36:305:46
2211.36:315:46
2311.26:315:46
2411.26:315:45
2511.26:325:45
2611.26:325:45
2711.26:325:45
2811.26:335:45
2911.26:335:45
3011.26:335:45
3111.26:345:45

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.33 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.97 kWh/m² to a high of 7.15 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.33 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
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Mumbwa

In seasonPeak

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

Mumbwa'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 Mumbwa?

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

8.8
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 Mumbwa for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Mumbwa in May

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

In May, Mumbwa sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Mumbwa 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 Mumbwa peaks around January 20 at about 16 (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 highExtremeJan 20UV 16Jun 21UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Mumbwa 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 Mumbwa is worst in August — around 38 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.6× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodAug 1537 µg/m³Dec 218 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar9Good
Apr9Good
May12Moderate
Jun25Moderate
Jul32Moderate
Aug38Poor
Sep28Moderate
Oct21Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Mumbwa?

Mumbwa sits at 15.0°S, 27.1°E, 1,185 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Namwala, 108 km away.

NamwalaNampundweLusaka WestMazabukaNamalombweChungaItezhi-TezhiLusaka

Topography around Mumbwa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mumbwa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 86 m around an average of 1,181 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 339 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 564 m.

The land around Mumbwa is covered by grassland (33%) within 3 km, grassland (36%), cropland (24%) and trees (21%) within 16 km, and grassland (38%) and trees (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
86 m
16 km
339 m
80 km
564 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswetland
May weather nearby: Namwala 108 km · Nampundwe 109 km · Lusaka West 119 km · Mazabuka 122 km · Namalombwe 129 km · Chunga 135 km · Itezhi-Tezhi 138 km · Lusaka 140 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 Mumbwa (-14.9829°, 27.0619°, elevation 1,185 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).