Your May weather guide
MildWeather in Amsterdam in May
May is a good choice for Amsterdam if you want mild weather for exploring rather than a warm-weather break. Average highs of 16°C suit walking with a light jacket, but nights around 9°C make an extra layer useful after dinner. The catch is rain: about 11 days have measurable rainfall, so keep your plans flexible. For a UK traveller, this is familiar spring weather, not a reliable step up in warmth.
Long-term climate averages for Amsterdam, not a forecast · 1991-2020
Amsterdam, month by month
Your snapshot
At a glance
The useful details for Amsterdam.
- Average daytime high
- 16.2°C
- 9 in 10 days stay below 22°C
- Average night-time low
- 9.4°C
- coldest 10% of nights: 6°C or lower
- Compared with London
- -0.4°C
- London averages 16.6°C in May
- Sea temperature
- 13.3°C
- year to year: 12°C to 15°C
- Sunshine per day (est.)
- 5.7h
- 37% of 15.5 h of daylight
- Rainy days (1 mm+)
- 11
- 63 mm over the month
- Humidity
- 76%
- Days over 25°C
- 3%
- none over 30°C
- Record high 1991-2020
- 29.2°C
- 2017-05-27
- Record low 1991-2020
- 1.0°C
- 2020-05-15
- Flight from London
- ≈ 1 h 12 min
- 375 km, short-haul (estimate for a direct flight)
Records are observed extremes within 1991-2020, not typical holiday conditions. Warm-day percentages are shares of days, not day counts.
How May compares
May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Amsterdam and ranks 134th of 134 destinations we compare for May - see where else is hot in May. Against London's average high of 16.6°C in May, Amsterdam is 0.4°C cooler by day and 1.1°C warmer at night.
Daytime and night-time in May
The typical May day in Amsterdam peaks at 16.2°C, but that is an average: the warmest 10% of days reach 22.3°C or more. Roughly 1 in 33 days top 25°C. Nights average 9.4°C; one night in ten drops to 5.9°C or lower, so pack a layer for evenings - it is genuinely cool after dark. Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest May day here reached 29.2°C (2017-05-27) and the coldest night 1.0°C (2020-05-15).
Rain in May
Wet (more than 8 rainy days): about 11 days with 1 mm or more, 63 mm in total. Year to year it varies a lot - the wettest May was 2007 with 125 mm, the driest 2020 with 20 mm. Humidity averages 76%.
Sea temperature in May
The sea averages 13.3°C - too cold for most (under 18°c). Depending on the year it ranges from 11.8°C to 14.7°C. For the warmest sea here, come in August (19.5°C).
Sunshine and daylight
Around 5.7 hours of sunshine a day (estimated from cloud cover), 15.5 hours of daylight: the sun rises about 05:45 and sets about 21:29 local time in mid-May. Average cloud cover is 63%.
Is May a good time to visit Amsterdam?
May is not the strongest month here: mild days and frequent rain. The best months for Amsterdam on our scoring are July, August, June.
Comfortable for walking, cool for sitting outside
May’s mild afternoons suit travellers who prefer walking without strong heat, but sitting outside can call for more clothing than moving around. Pack layers you can remove, with a warmer jumper for evenings rather than relying on a light top throughout the day. The warmest days reach around 22°C or more, so a pleasant warm spell is possible; it should be a bonus, not the basis of your packing. At the colder end, nights can fall to around 6°C or below. If warmth is central to your holiday, June, July or August would be a better starting point than May.
Long daylight, but keep a wet-weather option
There is plenty of time to be outdoors, with about 15.5 hours of daylight, but that does not mean sunshine throughout: May averages about 5.7 hours of sunshine a day. You can leave room for a later walk if an earlier outing is interrupted by rain, although a dry evening is not guaranteed. A waterproof jacket and shoes that cope with wet pavements are sensible luggage choices. Keep outdoor plans movable and have an indoor alternative rather than expecting an entirely dry break. May suits a flexible city trip more than a holiday built around sitting outside in dependable sunshine.
A little perspective
Amsterdam through the year
May is highlighted. See how it compares with the rest of the year.
| Month | Day | Night | Sea | Sun/day | Rain mm | Rainy days | Days 25°C+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.7°C | 1.8°C | 4.7°C | 2.1 | 64 | 13 | 0% |
| February | 6.3°C | 1.7°C | 4.1°C | 2.8 | 53 | 11 | 0% |
| March | 9.1°C | 3.3°C | 5.7°C | 3.7 | 54 | 11 | 0% |
| April | 12.8°C | 5.8°C | 9.4°C | 5.1 | 50 | 11 | 0% |
| MaySelected | 16.2°C | 9.4°C | 13.3°C | 5.7 | 63 | 11 | 3% |
| Junebest | 18.7°C | 12.3°C | 16.7°C | 5.8 | 68 | 12 | 8% |
| Julybest | 20.9°C | 14.6°C | 19.1°C | 6.1 | 84 | 14 | 14% |
| Augustbest | 20.9°C | 14.7°C | 19.5°C | 5.3 | 84 | 13 | 14% |
| September | 18.0°C | 12.4°C | 16.8°C | 4.3 | 70 | 12 | 2% |
| October | 13.9°C | 9.1°C | 13.0°C | 3.1 | 70 | 13 | 0% |
| November | 9.5°C | 5.5°C | 9.3°C | 2.1 | 63 | 13 | 0% |
| December | 6.4°C | 2.6°C | 6.4°C | 1.9 | 71 | 13 | 0% |
Day = average daytime high, night = average night-time low, 1991-2020.Sun is hours per day; rainy days count 1 mm or more.
Day, night and sea
Monthly average temperatures, 1991-2020
- Day
- Night
- Sea
Best months here
On warmth, low rainfall and sunshine, start with these.
Keep exploring
Similar in May
Closest matches on daytime temperature, sea temperature and sunshine, in other countries.
A little more detail
Amsterdam in May FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
Is Amsterdam hot in May?
Amsterdam is mild in May: the average daytime high is 16.2°C and nights average 9.4°C. Roughly 1 in 33 May days reach 25°C.
Can you swim in the sea in Amsterdam in May?
The sea around Amsterdam averages 13.3°C in May, which is cold for swimming without a wetsuit. Between 1991 and 2020 it ranged from 12°C to 15°C depending on the year.
How much does it rain in Amsterdam in May?
Amsterdam sees about 11 rainy days (1 mm or more) and 63 mm of rain in a typical May. The wettest May between 1991 and 2020 was 2007 (125 mm) and the driest was 2020 (20 mm).
How sunny is Amsterdam in May?
Amsterdam gets around 5.7 hours of sunshine a day in May out of 15.5 hours of daylight (estimated from average cloud cover).
How does Amsterdam compare with the UK in May?
Amsterdam is on average 0.4°C cooler than London by day in May (16.2°C against 16.6°C).
What is the hottest May on record in Amsterdam?
Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest May day in Amsterdam reached 29.2°C on 2017-05-27, and the coldest night dropped to 1.0°C on 2020-05-15.
Is Amsterdam warmer than London in May?
No. Amsterdam’s average daytime high is 16.2°C, compared with London’s 16.6°C. The difference is small enough that you should pack for much the same daytime warmth, rather than expecting a noticeably warmer break.
Is the sea warm enough for swimming?
The sea averages 13.3°C in May, which is cold rather than comfortable for a casual swim. If sea swimming is part of your wider holiday plans, May is not a good choice for warm water.
Can May get hot?
Warm days are possible, but heat is unusual: only 3% of days reach 25°C. Pack something lighter for a warm afternoon, but give layers and a jacket more space in your bag than hot-weather clothing.
About these averages
ERA5-Land climate reanalysis via Open-Meteo (11 km grid) and NOAA Coral Reef Watch 5 km sea temperatures, 1991-2020
Averages computed from daily values at Amsterdam. Sea temperature from the nearest 5 km sea cell, 5.8 km from that point. Sunshine hours are estimated from average cloud cover.Records are the highest and lowest daily values in that 30-year period, not all-time records. These are climate averages, not a forecast for your trip. How we measure holiday weather
- Hot · 25°C+
- Warm · 20°C to below 25°C
- Mild · 15°C to below 20°C
- Cool · below 15°C