Bulawayo weather in May

In May, Bulawayo sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 6 mm of rain across 1.3 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 18 min at the start of May to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Bulawayo's 4th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bulawayo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
10th warmest
Overnight low
10°
4th coldest
Rainfall
6 mm
1.3 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:30 AM – 5:33 PM
Cloud cover
22%
4th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.92 kWh/m²
Travel score
9.1
out of 10

Bulawayo is city in Zimbabwe.

Density
390/km²
people per km²
Founded
1840

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical May day in Bulawayo reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C cooler than April and about 2°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12511
22511
32511
42511
52511
62511
72511
82511
92510
102410
112410
122410
132410
142410
152410
162410
172410
18249
19249
20249
21239
22239
23239
24239
25239
26239
27239
28238
29238
30238
31238

Bulawayo 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° / 17°13314.813.15.7
Feb27° / 17°11011.712.76.1
Mar27° / 16°659.512.16.8
Apr25° / 13°23411.68.1
May24° / 10°61.311.19.1
Jun22° / 40.810.88.8
Jul21° / 30.710.98.7
Aug25° / 10.211.39.3
Sep28° / 13°51.411.97.8
Oct30° / 15°235.612.56.1
Nov29° / 17°8712.7135.2
Dec27° / 17°1481713.25.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% 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 11%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18713
28911
38911
49010
5919
6919
7928
8928
9928
10928
11928
12919
13919
149010
159010
169010
178911
188911
198812
208812
218812
228812
238713
248713
258713
268713
278713
288713
298713
308713
318713

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Bulawayo gets around 6 mm of rain over 1.3 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 5% and peaks near 7% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
17
27
37
46
56
65
75
85
95
104
114
124
134
144
154
164
174
184
194
204
214
224
234
244
254
264
274
284
294
304
314

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 97% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
187112
288102
39091
49181
59271
69361
79460
89550
99640
109640
119730
129730
139820
149820
159820
169820
179820
189820
199910
209910
219910
229910
239910
249910
259910
269910
279910
2810000
2910000
3010000
3110000

Wind in May

Winds average 11 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 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
112calm
212calm
312calm
412calm
512calm
612calm
712calm
812calm
912calm
1012calm
1112calm
1212calm
1312calm
1412calm
1512calm
1612calm
1712calm
1812calm
1912calm
2012calm
2112calm
2212calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min at the start of May to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:25 AM to 6:37 AM, and sunset from 5:41 PM to 5:29 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.36:255:41
211.36:255:40
311.26:255:40
411.26:265:39
511.26:265:39
611.26:275:38
711.26:275:38
811.26:275:37
911.16:285:36
1011.16:285:36
1111.16:285:36
1211.16:295:35
1311.16:295:35
1411.16:305:34
1511.16:305:34
1611.06:305:33
1711.06:315:33
1811.06:315:33
1911.06:325:32
2011.06:325:32
2111.06:335:32
2211.06:335:31
2311.06:335:31
2410.96:345:31
2510.96:345:31
2610.96:355:30
2710.96:355:30
2810.96:355:30
2910.96:365:30
3010.96:365:30
3110.96:375:29

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.92 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.38 kWh/m² to a high of 6.86 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 4.92 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.2Bright
75.1Bright
85.1Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
154.9Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.8Bright
224.8Bright
234.7Bright
244.7Bright
254.7Bright
264.7Bright
274.6Bright
284.6Bright
294.6Bright
304.6Bright
314.6Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Bulawayo

In seasonPeak

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

Bulawayo's rainy season runs November–February, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Bulawayo?

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

9.1
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
7.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Bulawayo in May

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

In May, Bulawayo sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 10°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Bulawayo in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bulawayo peaks around January 18 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 7 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highVery highExtremeJan 18UV 15Jun 20UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr10Very high
May8Very high
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Bulawayo 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 Bulawayo is worst in June — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 2228 µg/m³Jan 137 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr16Moderate
May23Moderate
Jun28Moderate
Jul27Moderate
Aug28Moderate
Sep27Moderate
Oct20Moderate
Nov12Moderate
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bulawayo?

Bulawayo sits at 20.1°S, 28.6°E, 1,348 m above sea level, in Zimbabwe. The nearest listed city is Gwanda, 98 km away.

GwandaGweruZvishavaneShurugwiFrancistownTutumeRedcliffTonota

Topography around Bulawayo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Bulawayo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 60 m around an average of 1,343 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 261 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 624 m.

The land around Bulawayo is covered by artificial surfaces (50%) and trees (26%) within 3 km, shrubs (38%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and shrubs (59%) and trees (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
60 m
16 km
261 m
80 km
624 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
May weather nearby: Gwanda 98 km · Gweru 151 km · Zvishavane 156 km · Shurugwi 158 km · Francistown 159 km · Tutume 166 km · Redcliff 177 km · Tonota 185 km

Zimbabwe travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 56% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,021
2025
Happiness
3.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
25%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
6.8
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
41.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 602
Religion
Apostolic Sect 40%Pentecostal 17%Protestant 14%none 8%

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 Bulawayo (-20.15°, 28.5833°, elevation 1,348 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).