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Where to go in May / Germany in May / Weser-Ems & the North Sea coast / May

Germany · Countryside

Weser-Ems & the North Sea coast
in May.

Illustration of East Frisian dune trail opening onto a broad North Sea beach
East Frisian dunes on the North Sea coastDestination view, not month-specific.

Is May a good time?

Temperature unit

Mild days.
More overnight stays than April.

May averages 66°F afternoons and 52°F seas, with about 9 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.

Afternoons
66°F
Sea
52°F
Visitor demand
74%of August peak

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.

Overall match

6.7/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#4 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather7.9/10Very good
CrowdsBusy seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, busier than most of Europe this month
CostPriceyfor Europe; Germany-wide price level

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your May

What to expect.

What should I pack?

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.

Can I swim in May?

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.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 16 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 05:32Sunset 21:1846°F66°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

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.

Typical afternoon
66°F (19°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
46°F (8°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
52°F (11°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
15h 46m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late May?

Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 62°F on the 1st, versus 69°F on the 31st.

Early May 1 May

62°F

Typical afternoon high

34% historical wet-day frequency

Mid May 15 May

67°F

Typical afternoon high

30% historical wet-day frequency

Late May 31 May

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.

Daily calendar & holiday datesMay 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

May 2027 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
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.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

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

Will it be cheaper?

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.

Germany as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 112 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.

Year-to-year variation

How much does May vary?

Across the recorded years

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

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 9 rain days920112012: 7 rain days72013: 16 rain days162014: 13 rain days132015: 10 rain days102016: 7 rain days72017: 9 rain days92018: 5 rain days52019: 9 rain days92020: 6 rain days62021: 20 rain days202022: 8 rain days82023: 7 rain days72024: 12 rain days122025: 6 rain days62025
Rain days
9
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 15 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
4 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no May in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
21 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MayHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201168°F9
201268°F7
201363°F16
201464°F13
201563°F10
201668°F7
201768°F9
201874°F5
201963°F9
202065°F6
202161°F20
202268°F8
202365°F7
202471°F12
202567°F6

Checked against 8 local weather stations. How we check

Compare dates

April, May
or June?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsAprMayJun
Afternoons59°F66°F72°F
Sea46°F52°F59°F
Rain days9910
Overnight demand57%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.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with May Show comparisonHide comparison

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

May or April?

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 →
May compared with another month
Typical conditionsMayApril
Afternoons66°F59°F
Nights46°F39°F
Sea52°F46°F
Rain days99
Visitor seasonBusy seasonModerate season
Overall / 106.76.7
Month rank#4#5
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January6.0#1243°F32°F42°F154.0Low season
February6.3#1045°F32°F41°F94.5Low season
March6.5#751°F34°F42°F105.7Moderate season
April6.7#559°F39°F46°F96.9Moderate season
May6.7#466°F46°F52°F97.9Busy season
June6.9#272°F52°F59°F108.5Busy season
July6.7#374°F55°F64°F138.7Peak season
August6.6#675°F55°F66°F118.9Peak season
September7.0#168°F50°F64°F98.5Busy season
October6.3#960°F45°F58°F136.4Busy season
November6.5#849°F38°F51°F125.0Low season
December6.1#1145°F36°F45°F144.1Low season

Near here

Nearby places in May

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better May weather than Weser-Ems & the North Sea coast

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.

All of Germany in May · Everywhere in May

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

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 checked8 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 day25
Busiest month hereAugust · 34
Visitors as share of people present2.4%
Rank among Europe's regions this month76th percentile
Domestic share of nights94%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights17
Visitor share if every platform night were extra2.8%
National hotel-price seasonGermany historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (+2% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used2.6 million
Statistical regionDE94 · 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.