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Cotonou in May: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Take a look at past year’s weather for Cotonou in May and see if it is worth visiting.
Check flight prices to Cotonou on Avionero:
May

Weather in Cotonou in May 2025

OK Weather
Warm
🌧️
Rainy
Cotonou in May usually sees fair weather conditions, with an average daily high temperature of +84°F and roughly 0 sunny days. However, you should prepare for about 21 rainy days with an average precipitation of 164 mm. The weather is changeable so pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.

Average weather

☀️
+84°F
Avg. max. temperature
+73°F
Min.
+90°F
Max.
164 mm
Total precipitation
83%
Avg. humidity
3 m/s
Avg. wind
0 ☀️
Sunny Days
2 ⛅️
Cloudy
21 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Cotonou has OK weather in May.

Average temperature in Cotonou in May

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Cotonou for May based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The temperature in May is +86°F on average, with a range between a maximum of +90°F during the day and a minimum of +79°F at night.

The average maximum temperature goes up 0% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +86°F to +86°F.

Is Cotonou warm or cold in May?

Cotonou is typically warm in May.

Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +86°F to +84°F. The minimum temperature also goes down from +81°F to +79°F.

It’s generally warm, but pack a long-sleeve shirt for evenings.

Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Cotonou:

Climate in Cotonou in May

Cotonou weather looks like this, on average, in May and the surrounding months.
AprilMayJune
Avg. temperature
+86°F+84°F+82°F
Min. temperature
+75°F+73°F+73°F
Max. temperature
+90°F+90°F+88°F
Rainfall
74 mm164 mm263 mm
Wind
4 m/s3 m/s3 m/s
Humidity
84%83%85%
Air pressure
1008 HPa1010 HPa1012 HPa
Sunny days
000
Cloudy days
521
Rainy days
182124
Snowy days
000

May weather is still as ok as in April. It’s getting colder in May. From +86°F in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +84°F. Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 74 mm to 164 mm. It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 84% to 83%. Winds are calmer in comparison to April, going down from 4 m/s to 3 m/s on average. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 0 sunny days during the month.

June brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in Cotonou in May based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 3 m/s getting up to 6 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.

The average wind speed in Cotonou is gradually increasing during May, going from 3 m/s to 4 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during May in Cotonou based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
A chance of rain on a typical day in May stands at 61%, leading to total precipitation of around 98 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 24 mm, which is considered light rain. May is a pretty wet month with over 19 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
May is one of the rainiest months in Cotonou, here is a comparison with other months, total mm:
Cotonou wettest month is June, where a typical day has a 80% chance of precipitation and 263 mm of rainfall per day. January, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 42% chance of precipitation and 19 mm of rainfall per day.

How was the weather last May in Cotonou?

This is the weather in Cotonou in May 2023:
1 May
🌧️
+85°F
2 May
☁️
+86°F
3 May
☁️
+86°F
4 May
☁️
+87°F
5 May
☀️
+87°F
6 May
☁️
+85°F
7 May
☁️
+86°F
8 May
☁️
+87°F
9 May
☀️
+89°F
10 May
☁️
+88°F
11 May
🌧️
+88°F
12 May
☁️
+85°F
13 May
☁️
+86°F
14 May
☁️
+85°F
15 May
🌧️
+82°F
16 May
☁️
+85°F
17 May
☁️
+87°F
18 May
☀️
+84°F
19 May
🌧️
+85°F
20 May
🌧️
+84°F
21 May
🌧️
+85°F
22 May
☁️
+86°F
23 May
🌧️
+85°F
24 May
☁️
+86°F
25 May
☁️
+87°F
26 May
☁️
+87°F
27 May
🌧️
+83°F
28 May
☀️
+86°F
29 May
🌧️
+82°F
30 May
☁️
+85°F
31 May
🌧️
+85°F
In May 2023 Cotonou had 4 sunny days, 17 cloudy days, and 10 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +86°F, with an absolute maximum of +90°F and a minimum of +82°F. The average humidity was 82%, with a maximum of 100% and a minimum of 74%. The average wind speed was 3 m/s, with a maximum of 8 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in May?

Climate Change Over the Years

This is how Cotonou climate has changed over the last 43 years.

The climate in Cotonou in May has not changed that much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1983 (+82°F) and the highest in 2019 (+85°F). The driest year was 1998 with only 665 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 1988 with 1691 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Cotonou in May:

Is May a good time to visit Cotonou?

It’s always a good time to visit Cotonou, but the weather is changeable in May, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in Cotonou in May?

May is warm in Cotonou. You may enjoy some beach or pool time in the day, but pack something a tad warmer for the evening.

Is Cotonou rainy in May?

Cotonou is often rainy in May. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in Cotonou in May?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Cotonou in May, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Monthly weather in Cotonou

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Cotonou, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.