Early May 1 May
61°F
Typical afternoon high
33% historical wet-day frequency
Netherlands · City
Rotterdam, The Hague & South Holland
in May.
Is May a good time?
Mild days.
Similar overnight stays to April.
May averages 65°F afternoons and 53°F seas, with about 7 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.
- Afternoons
- 65°F
- Sea
- 53°F
- Visitor demand
- 74%of August peak
Historical Zuid-Holland regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Rotterdam, The Hague, Delft, Keukenhof and Kinderdijk; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
6.6/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#5 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather7.9/10Very good
CrowdsBusy seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queues
CostExpensivefor Europe; Netherlands-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 65°F (18°C): light layers; nights around 47°F (8°C): a warm coat. About 16 hours of daylight. About 7 rain days in a typical May.
Can I swim in May?
The sea averages 53°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.
The sun rises about 05:50 and sets about 21:27 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 47°F (8°C); afternoons reach about 65°F (18°C). Expect rain on about 7 days in a typical May.
Typical afternoon
65°F (18°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
47°F (8°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
53°F (12°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
15h 37m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late May?
Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 61°F on the 1st, versus 68°F on the 31st.
Mid May 15 May
65°F
Typical afternoon high
30% historical wet-day frequency
Late May 31 May
68°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: 5 May Liberation Day; 6 May Ascension Day; 16 May Whit Sunday; 17 May Whit 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.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 161° | 262° | |||||
| 362° | 463° | 563° | 664° | 764° | 864° | 964° |
| 1064° | 1164° | 1265° | 1365° | 1465° | 1565° | 1665° |
| 1765° | 1865° | 1965° | 2065° | 2166° | 2266° | 2366° |
| 2467° | 2567° | 2667° | 2768° | 2868° | 2968° | 3068° |
| 3168° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 63°F (17°C) in the first week to 68°F (20°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 29–33%. Local schools are out 1–2 May 2027. Tulip season (Keukenhof): 18 March – 9 May 2027.
Schools here are off 1–2 May 2027 (May holidays). Public holidays: 5 May Liberation Day; 6 May Ascension Day; 16 May Whit Sunday; 17 May Whit Monday. Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 13%, 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. Similar overnight stays to April.
Overnight stays across Zuid-Holland do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
Well 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.
What's on Tulip season (Keukenhof), 18 March – 9 May 2027: the busiest weeks of spring around Lisse and Amsterdam. Official site.
Netherlands as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 125 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 70°F (21°C); in 8 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 65°F (18°C). Rain days ranged from 3 to 18; half the years had 6–14.
Rain days in each May
Rain days
7
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 16 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
5 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
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 66°F | 7 |
| 2012 | 66°F | 9 |
| 2013 | 61°F | 15 |
| 2014 | 64°F | 14 |
| 2015 | 62°F | 11 |
| 2016 | 67°F | 7 |
| 2017 | 68°F | 7 |
| 2018 | 70°F | 10 |
| 2019 | 62°F | 6 |
| 2020 | 66°F | 3 |
| 2021 | 61°F | 18 |
| 2022 | 67°F | 7 |
| 2023 | 64°F | 6 |
| 2024 | 68°F | 17 |
| 2025 | 67°F | 5 |
Checked against 3 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
April, May
or June?
| Typical conditions | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 59°F | 65°F | 71°F |
| Sea | 48°F | 53°F | 59°F |
| Rain days | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| Overnight demand | 73% | 74% | 78% |
April: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than May. April guide →
June: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and more rain days 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.
July to August have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than May, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
May or April?
Overnight stays are 73% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest well above usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the April guide →| Typical conditions | May | April |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 65°F | 59°F |
| Nights | 47°F | 41°F |
| Sea | 53°F | 48°F |
| Rain days | 7 | 7 |
| Visitor season | Busy season | Busy season |
| Overall / 10 | 6.6 | 6.1 |
| Month rank | #5 | #8 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.3 | #12 | 45°F | 35°F | 45°F | 16 | 4.3 | Moderate season |
| February | 5.8 | #10 | 47°F | 34°F | 43°F | 10 | 4.8 | Moderate season |
| March | 6.6 | #6 | 52°F | 37°F | 44°F | 10 | 5.8 | Moderate season |
| April | 6.1 | #8 | 59°F | 41°F | 48°F | 7 | 7.0 | Busy season |
| May | 6.6 | #5 | 65°F | 47°F | 53°F | 7 | 7.9 | Busy season |
| June | 6.8 | #3 | 71°F | 53°F | 59°F | 9 | 8.7 | Busy season |
| July | 6.9 | #1 | 74°F | 56°F | 64°F | 12 | 9.1 | Peak season |
| August | 6.6 | #4 | 74°F | 57°F | 66°F | 11 | 9.2 | Peak season |
| September | 6.9 | #2 | 69°F | 52°F | 65°F | 11 | 8.5 | Busy season |
| October | 6.3 | #7 | 61°F | 48°F | 60°F | 13 | 6.6 | Busy season |
| November | 6.1 | #9 | 52°F | 41°F | 54°F | 13 | 5.1 | Moderate season |
| December | 5.4 | #11 | 48°F | 38°F | 48°F | 16 | 4.4 | Moderate 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.
UtrechtNetherlands · about 30 miles
Balanced Overall 6.2 · Very good weather, 66°F (19°C) · Peak season · Cost expensive
North BrabantNetherlands · about 40 miles
Balanced Overall 6.8 · Very good weather, 68°F (20°C) · Busy season · Cost expensive
Amsterdam & North HollandNetherlands · about 50 miles
Balanced Overall 6.5 · Very good weather, 64°F (18°C) · Busy season · Cost expensive
GelderlandNetherlands · about 60 miles
Balanced Overall 6.8 · Very good weather, 67°F (20°C) · Busy season · Cost expensive
Weser-Ems & the North Sea coastLower Saxony · Germany · about 160 miles
Balanced Overall 6.7 · Very good weather, 66°F (19°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Better May weather than Rotterdam, The Hague & South Holland
Rotterdam, The Hague & South Holland's weather ranks 35 of 41 city regions this month. These city regions outside Netherlands have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Rotterdam, The Hague & South Holland.
Bologna & Emilia-RomagnaItaly · about 590 miles
Excellent weather (9.1): 9°F warmer afternoons, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Barcelona & CataloniaSpain · about 710 miles
Excellent weather (10.0): 9°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
BudapestHungary · about 720 miles
Excellent weather (9.0): 7°F warmer afternoons, 2 more rain days, cheaper
AragonSpain · about 760 miles
Excellent weather (9.4): 13°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Rome & LazioItaly · about 790 miles
Excellent weather (9.7): 9°F warmer afternoons, cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's busy season, 74% of the busiest month and 15% above its average month.The figures cover the whole Zuid-Holland region, suburbs included. That means about 52,000 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 50% of them from Netherlands itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 5,100 more: 10 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 75 |
| How our weather was checked | 3 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.6°C), night lows within 1°F (0.1°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 14 |
| Busiest month here | August · 18 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.3% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 47th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 50% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 10 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.5% |
| National hotel-price season | Netherlands historical 2024–2025 index: Well above usual (+13% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 3.9 million |
| Statistical region | NL36 · Zuid-Holland |
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.