Early May 1 May
62°F
Typical afternoon high
34% historical wet-day frequency
Germany · Countryside
Is May a good time?
May averages 66°F afternoons and 52°F seas, with about 9 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.
Historical Weser-Ems regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers East Frisian Islands and Oldenburg; conditions vary within the region.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#4 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your May
Afternoons around 66°F (19°C): light layers; nights around 46°F (8°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 9 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 16 hours of daylight.
The sea averages 52°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
The sun rises about 05:32 and sets about 21:18 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 46°F (8°C); afternoons reach about 66°F (19°C). Expect rain on about 9 days in a typical May.
Early, middle or late?
Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 62°F on the 1st, versus 69°F on the 31st.
62°F
Typical afternoon high
34% historical wet-day frequency
67°F
Typical afternoon high
30% historical wet-day frequency
69°F
Typical afternoon high
33% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Public holidays · 2027: 1 May Labour Day; 6 May Ascension Day; 17 May Pentecost Monday.
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 162° | 262° | |||||
| 363° | 464° | 564° | 664° | 764° | 864° | 964° |
| 1065° | 1165° | 1266° | 1366° | 1467° | 1567° | 1667° |
| 1767° | 1867° | 1967° | 2067° | 2167° | 2267° | 2368° |
| 2468° | 2569° | 2669° | 2769° | 2869° | 2969° | 3069° |
| 3169° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 63°F (17°C) in the first week to 69°F (21°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 28–34%.
No school holidays here in May 2027. Public holidays: 1 May Labour Day; 6 May Ascension Day; 17 May Pentecost Monday. Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Greece 29%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Visitor season
Busy season. May averages 74% of August's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than April.
Overnight stays across Weser-Ems do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, busier than most of Europe this month.
Hotel price season
A little above usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Year-to-year variation
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 61°F (16°C) and 74°F (23°C); in 9 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 66°F (19°C). Rain days ranged from 5 to 20; half the years had 7–12.
Rain days in each May
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 68°F | 9 |
| 2012 | 68°F | 7 |
| 2013 | 63°F | 16 |
| 2014 | 64°F | 13 |
| 2015 | 63°F | 10 |
| 2016 | 68°F | 7 |
| 2017 | 68°F | 9 |
| 2018 | 74°F | 5 |
| 2019 | 63°F | 9 |
| 2020 | 65°F | 6 |
| 2021 | 61°F | 20 |
| 2022 | 68°F | 8 |
| 2023 | 65°F | 7 |
| 2024 | 71°F | 12 |
| 2025 | 67°F | 6 |
Checked against 8 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
| Typical conditions | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 59°F | 66°F | 72°F |
| Sea | 46°F | 52°F | 59°F |
| Rain days | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Overnight demand | 57% | 74% | 78% |
April: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than May. Less overnight demand. April guide →
June: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than May. June guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. May stays as your reference.
August has a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than May, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
Overnight stays are 57% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the April guide →| Typical conditions | May | April |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 66°F | 59°F |
| Nights | 46°F | 39°F |
| Sea | 52°F | 46°F |
| Rain days | 9 | 9 |
| Visitor season | Busy season | Moderate season |
| Overall / 10 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| Month rank | #4 | #5 |
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.0 | #12 | 43°F | 32°F | 42°F | 15 | 4.0 | Low season |
| February | 6.3 | #10 | 45°F | 32°F | 41°F | 9 | 4.5 | Low season |
| March | 6.5 | #7 | 51°F | 34°F | 42°F | 10 | 5.7 | Moderate season |
| April | 6.7 | #5 | 59°F | 39°F | 46°F | 9 | 6.9 | Moderate season |
| May | 6.7 | #4 | 66°F | 46°F | 52°F | 9 | 7.9 | Busy season |
| June | 6.9 | #2 | 72°F | 52°F | 59°F | 10 | 8.5 | Busy season |
| July | 6.7 | #3 | 74°F | 55°F | 64°F | 13 | 8.7 | Peak season |
| August | 6.6 | #6 | 75°F | 55°F | 66°F | 11 | 8.9 | Peak season |
| September | 7.0 | #1 | 68°F | 50°F | 64°F | 9 | 8.5 | Busy season |
| October | 6.3 | #9 | 60°F | 45°F | 58°F | 13 | 6.4 | Busy season |
| November | 6.5 | #8 | 49°F | 38°F | 51°F | 12 | 5.0 | Low season |
| December | 6.1 | #11 | 45°F | 36°F | 45°F | 14 | 4.1 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
BremenGermany · about 40 miles
Balanced Overall 7.2 · Very good weather, 66°F (19°C) · Steady all year · Cost pricey
GroningenNetherlands · about 50 miles
Balanced Overall 5.5 · Good weather, 65°F (18°C) · Moderate season · Cost expensive
Schleswig-HolsteinGermany · about 120 miles
Balanced Overall 5.7 · Good weather, 65°F (18°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Amsterdam & North HollandNetherlands · about 120 miles
Balanced Overall 6.5 · Very good weather, 64°F (18°C) · Busy season · Cost expensive
Rotterdam, The Hague & South HollandNetherlands · about 160 miles
Balanced Overall 6.6 · Very good weather, 65°F (18°C) · Busy season · Cost expensive
Elsewhere in Europe
Weser-Ems & the North Sea coast's weather ranks 90 of 117 countryside regions this month. These countryside regions outside Germany have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Weser-Ems & the North Sea coast.
Around BudapestPest county · Hungary · about 640 miles
Excellent weather (9.0): 6°F warmer afternoons, cheaper
Northern Hungaryabout 650 miles
Very good weather (8.9): 6°F warmer afternoons, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
TuscanyFlorence, Siena · Italy · about 670 miles
Excellent weather (9.4): 7°F warmer afternoons, quieter for its season (moderate season)
Southern Great PlainHungary · about 700 miles
Excellent weather (9.0): 7°F warmer afternoons, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Northern Great PlainHungary · about 700 miles
Excellent weather (9.0): 7°F warmer afternoons, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
It's busy season, 74% of the busiest month and 32% above its average month. That means about 64,000 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 94% of them from Germany itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 11,000 more: 17 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 75 |
| How our weather was checked | 8 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.5°C), night lows within 1°F (0.3°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 25 |
| Busiest month here | August · 34 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 2.4% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 76th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 94% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 17 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 2.8% |
| National hotel-price season | Germany historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (+2% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 2.6 million |
| Statistical region | DE94 · Weser-Ems |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.