Mutare weather in May

In May, Mutare sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 13 mm of rain across 2.8 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 24°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. 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 18 min at the start of May to 11 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Mutare's 4th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mutare's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
10th warmest
Overnight low
12°
4th coldest
Rainfall
13 mm
2.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
6:12 AM – 5:19 PM
Cloud cover
30%
4th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.66 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.5
out of 10

Mutare is city in Zimbabwe.

Founded
1897

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 24°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical May day in Mutare reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 26°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)
12413
22413
32413
42413
52413
62413
72413
82412
92312
102312
112312
122312
132312
142312
152312
162312
172312
182312
192312
202312
212312
222312
232311
242311
252311
262211
272211
282211
292211
302211
312211

Mutare weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 18°20118.7135.2
Feb26° / 18°14615.812.65.5
Mar26° / 17°10313.412.16.3
Apr24° / 15°417.511.67.7
May23° / 12°132.811.18.5
Jun21° / 10°72.210.98.2
Jul21° / 10°92.3118.1
Aug23° / 11°6211.48.8
Sep26° / 13°153.711.98.4
Oct27° / 15°356.512.47.5
Nov27° / 17°10713.112.96.1
Dec26° / 18°20318.613.15.3

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 19% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 16%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18317
28317
38317
48317
58416
68416
78515
88515
98515
108515
118515
128515
138416
148416
158416
168416
178416
188416
198416
208416
218416
228416
238416
248416
258416
268416
278416
288416
298416
308416
318416

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Mutare gets around 13 mm of rain over 2.8 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 10% and peaks near 14% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
114
214
313
412
512
611
711
810
910
1010
1110
1210
139
149
159
169
179
188
198
208
218
228
238
248
258
268
278
288
298
308
319

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 69% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
14441141
24740130
34939110
45238100
5553780
6573670
7593560
8613450
9633340
10653230
11663130
12683020
13692920
14702820
15722710
16732610
17742510
18742510
19752410
20752410
21762310
22772300
23782200
24782200
25792100
26802000
27811900
28821800
29831700
30841600
31851500

Wind in May

Winds average 6 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

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

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:07 AM to 6:18 AM, and sunset from 5:26 PM to 5:15 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.36:075:26
211.36:075:26
311.36:085:25
411.36:085:24
511.36:085:24
611.26:095:23
711.26:095:23
811.26:095:22
911.26:105:22
1011.26:105:21
1111.26:105:21
1211.26:115:20
1311.16:115:20
1411.16:125:20
1511.16:125:19
1611.16:125:19
1711.16:135:18
1811.16:135:18
1911.16:135:18
2011.16:145:17
2111.06:145:17
2211.06:155:17
2311.06:155:17
2411.06:155:16
2511.06:165:16
2611.06:165:16
2711.06:175:16
2811.06:175:16
2911.06:175:16
3011.06:185:15
3111.06:185:15

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.66 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.17 kWh/m² to a high of 6.61 kWh/m² in October across the year — May's 4.66 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
35.0Bright
44.9Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
74.9Bright
84.9Bright
94.8Bright
104.8Bright
114.8Bright
124.8Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.6Bright
174.6Bright
184.6Bright
194.5Bright
204.5Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.4Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.4Bright
304.4Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Mutare

In seasonPeak

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

Mutare's monsoon runs November–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 Mutare?

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

8.5
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Mutare in May

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

In May, Mutare sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Mutare in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mutare peaks around January 17 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 17UV 15Jun 19UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr10Extreme
May9Very high
Jun7High
Jul8Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct13Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Mutare 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 Mutare is worst in September — around 102 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 15.6× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateUnhealthyGoodSep 1696 µg/m³Jan 107 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar9Good
Apr10Good
May14Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul24Moderate
Aug53Poor
Sep102Unhealthy
Oct55Unhealthy
Nov13Moderate
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Mutare?

Mutare sits at 19.0°S, 32.7°E, 1,116 m above sea level, in Zimbabwe. The nearest listed city is Machipanda, 7.0 km away.

RusapeChimanimaniCatandica

Topography around Mutare

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mutare has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 526 m around an average of 1,134 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,132 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,118 m.

The land around Mutare is covered by trees (45%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 3 km, trees (39%) and shrubs (31%) within 16 km, and trees (33%), shrubs (27%) and grassland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
526 m
16 km
1,132 m
80 km
2,118 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Machipanda 7.0 km · Manica 22 km · Messica 43 km · Rusape 75 km · Chimoio 87 km · Chimanimani 94 km · Gondola 104 km · Catandica 115 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 Mutare (-18.9707°, 32.6709°, elevation 1,116 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).