Ndola weather in May

In May, Ndola 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 8th-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 56% 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 Ndola's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ndola's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
8th warmest
Overnight low
14°
4th coldest
Rainfall
3 mm
0.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
6:20 AM – 5:44 PM
Cloud cover
36%
5th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.42 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.5
out of 10

Ndola is city in Zambia.

Founded
1904

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 Ndola 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
62715
72715
82715
92714
102714
112614
122614
132614
142614
152614
162614
172614
182614
192614
202614
212614
222614
232614
242614
252614
262614
272613
282613
292613
302613
312613

Ndola weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 18°28228.312.73.7
Feb26° / 18°2272412.44.0
Mar26° / 17°16121.312.14.8
Apr27° / 16°306.411.77.1
May26° / 14°30.811.48.5
Jun25° / 12°00.111.39.2
Jul25° / 12°0011.39.3
Aug27° / 14°0011.68.5
Sep30° / 17°10.411.96.4
Oct31° / 19°163.312.35.1
Nov29° / 19°11315.812.64.5
Dec26° / 18°2622712.73.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 21%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27426
37525
47525
57525
67624
77624
87723
97723
107822
117822
127822
137921
147921
157921
167921
177921
188020
198020
208020
218119
228119
238119
248218
258119
268119
278119
288119
298218
308218
318317

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Ndola 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 6% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
16
25
35
45
54
64
74
84
93
103
112
122
132
142
152
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 81% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
156359
259338
361327
463307
566286
668275
770255
873234
974224
1077203
1178193
1280182
1381172
1483152
1585141
1685141
1786131
1887121
1988111
2089110
2189110
2290100
2390100
2490100
2590100
269190
279190
289280
299280
309370
319370

Wind in May

Winds average 11 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 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
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

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 6:16 AM to 6:24 AM, and sunset from 5:49 PM to 5:42 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:165:49
211.56:165:49
311.56:175:48
411.56:175:48
511.56:175:47
611.56:175:47
711.56:175:47
811.56:185:46
911.56:185:46
1011.56:185:46
1111.46:185:45
1211.46:195:45
1311.46:195:45
1411.46:195:44
1511.46:195:44
1611.46:205:44
1711.46:205:44
1811.46:205:43
1911.46:205:43
2011.46:215:43
2111.46:215:43
2211.46:215:43
2311.36:225:42
2411.36:225:42
2511.36:225:42
2611.36:225:42
2711.36:235:42
2811.36:235:42
2911.36:235:42
3011.36:245:42
3111.36:245:42

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.42 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.02 kWh/m² to a high of 6.99 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 5.42 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.4Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.3Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.3Bright
295.3Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Ndola

In seasonPeak

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

Ndola'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 Ndola?

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

8.5
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 Ndola for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Ndola in May

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

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

light clothessun protection

UV index in Ndola 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 Ndola peaks around March 10 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 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 highExtremeMar 10UV 15Jun 19UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Ndola 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 Ndola is worst in August — around 55 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.2× the cleanest month (May, 11 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModeratePoorModerateAug 2054 µg/m³May 1011 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb16Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr11Good
May11Good
Jun19Moderate
Jul37Poor
Aug55Unhealthy
Sep48Poor
Oct30Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Ndola?

Ndola sits at 13.0°S, 28.6°E, 1,307 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Mapalo, 5.0 km away.

ChambishiMpongwe

Topography around Ndola

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ndola has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 94 m around an average of 1,283 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 245 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 562 m.

The land around Ndola is covered by artificial surfaces (60%) and trees (25%) within 3 km, cropland (34%) and grassland (23%) within 16 km, and trees (64%) within 80 km.

3 km
94 m
16 km
245 m
80 km
562 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Mapalo 5.0 km · Luanshya 31 km · Kitwe 49 km · Kalulushi 60 km · Mufulira 63 km · Mokambo 67 km · Chambishi 73 km · Mpongwe 80 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 Ndola (-12.9587°, 28.6366°, elevation 1,307 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).