Month by month
| Month | Afternoon | Sea | Rain | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29.8 °C | — | 5 days | Ideal — one of the best times of year |
| February | 31 °C | — | 7 days | Ideal — one of the best times of year |
| March | 29.7 °C | — | 19 days | Possible, with trade-offs |
| April | 28.6 °C | — | 23 days | Unfavourable season |
| May | 27.9 °C | — | 26 days | Unfavourable season |
| June | 26.8 °C | — | 26 days | Unfavourable season |
| July | 26.4 °C | — | 26 days | Unfavourable season |
| August | 26.6 °C | — | 25 days | Unfavourable season |
| September | 26.7 °C | — | 28 days | Unfavourable season |
| October | 26.6 °C | — | 29 days | Unfavourable season |
| November | 27.2 °C | — | 21 days | Unfavourable season |
| December | 28.5 °C | — | 7 days | Ideal — one of the best times of year |
Nearby in May
Before you go
Three things to check once you have picked your dates.
Entry
E-visa to apply for online before departure. Passport valid for at least 6 months. Apply for the e-visa online in good time (technical problems reported); no visa on arrival at Yaoundé or Douala; yellow fever certificate required.
For a British passport, per the UK Foreign Office on 9 February 2026. Rules change: check before booking.
Safety
Outside the areas advised against
Parts of the country are advised against (the Far North, the English-speaking North-West and South-West, Adamawa and North, the Bakassi peninsula, within 40 km of the Nigerian, Chadian and Central African borders); Yaoundé is not one of them.
Official advice updated 9 February 2026
Health
CDC level 2 notice: Polio (global)
Vaccines · typhoid recommended for most travellers; hepatitis A and hepatitis B if you are not already vaccinated; rabies, cholera, polio and meningococcal disease depending on activities and areas visited. Routine vaccines up to date (measles in particular).
Yellow fever · Vaccine recommended for the whole country. Vaccination certificate required on entry for all travellers.
Malaria · Present. Areas: All. Preventive medication recommended: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine — prescribed before departure.
Mosquitoes · dengue and Zika reported: protect yourself from bites.
Per the CDC (page reviewed 25 August 2026); see a travel clinic a few weeks before departure.
Beau Fixe is not a safety or health authority. These notes summarise dated public texts and link to their source: France Diplomatie (Licence Ouverte 2.0), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Source: CDC). Only the competent authorities are authoritative.
FAQ
Can you swim in Yaoundé in May?
Yaoundé is not a seaside destination (no sea data).
How hot is Yaoundé in May?
Expect 27.9°C in the afternoon and 20.5°C at night, averaged over the last 10 years.
Does it rain a lot in Yaoundé in May?
Around 26 days with rain (≥ 1 mm) in the month — 84% of days.