Malindi weather in May

May in Malindi: hot, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 21 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Malindi🇰🇪 Kenya · Swahili Coast · Beach77
  1. 92Jan
  2. 92Feb
  3. 89Mar
  4. 79Apr
  5. 77May
  6. 87Jun
  7. 89Jul
  8. 90Aug
  9. 91Sep
  10. 86Oct
  11. 87Nov
  12. 89Dec

#12 of 12 months in Malindi · #865 of 1413 destinations to visit in May · comfort 77/100 (tier B)

Days
30°C
Nights
25°C
Wet days
21
Sun
9.6 h
Humidity
81%
Daylight
12 h
Malindi, Kenya
Photo: Mgiganteus · CC BY-SA 3.0

Traveller notes on Malindi in May

Other months in Malindi

Kenya's forum draws a clear line between inland 'winter' and the coast: Malindi stays warm and humid through August, one of the coolest stretches of the year here but still tropical, rarely genuinely cold even in the evenings. The typical rain pattern is rain-sun-rain-sun rather than an all-day soak, and it's common for one beach to get a shower while another just a couple of miles up the coast stays completely dry. Posters were clear that a rain forecast means a chance of a passing shower, not a washed-out day.
KenyaCoastRegular · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Forum posters describe February as hot, dry and sunny by day along Kenya's coast, including Malindi, with warm, balmy evenings and an onshore breeze that keeps things feeling pleasant rather than oppressive even when daytime temperatures run high. Posters are consistent that Kenya's rainy periods are fairly predictable - a shorter one around this time of year and a longer, heavier one from roughly late March through May - positioning February squarely within the drier stretch. Posters do note that even when a forecast shows rain, it typically means just a chance of a shower rather than an all-day washout, and rain in one part of the coast doesn't necessarily mean rain everywhere along it. Posters generally rate February as one of the more reliably good months for a Malindi beach visit.
Tripadvisor community · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Malindi's card on the map.

Malindi climate normals — May

Daytime high30°C / 85°F🥵 hot
Nighttime low25°C / 77°F
Feels like (high)32°C / 90°F
Sea temperature29°C / 83°F♨️ bath-warm
Rainfall168 mm / 6.6 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days21 days
Humidity81%💦 very humid
Dew point23°C / 74°F
Sunshine9.6 h/day
Daylight12 h
Wind26 km/h / 16 mph
Air quality (US AQI)34🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Malindi in May

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Quietschool holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Malindi's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Fair weatherMalindi's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.

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What's on in Malindi in May

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Closure

    Long-rains low season

    15 Apr – 30 Jun · usually

    With the long rains and the Italian winter crowd gone, many smaller hotels and beach restaurants close until July; those that stay open cut their rates. Source ↗

What's on around the world in May →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Malindi — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Malindi?

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Malindi in May — FAQ

Is May a good time to visit Malindi?
May in Malindi: hot, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 21 rainy days. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Malindi on SeasonMap's comfort score (77/100).
What is the weather like in Malindi in May?
In May, Malindi averages a daily high of 29.7°C and a low of 25.2°C, with about 167.9 mm of rain over roughly 20.7 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Malindi in May?
Malindi has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 34 in May.

Within 300 km: Mombasa's Green turtle nesting around 1 Mar – 31 Jul, and Lamu's The long rains around 1 Apr – 15 Jun.