The transition from April to May is warm with sunny periods and a chance of thunderstorms. Does this set the tone for the whole of May or will the warmth be short-lived?
Just like in April, we have to take unpredictable spring weather into account in May. The month starts warm with sunny periods and a chance of rain and thunderstorms. During the sunny periods you can enjoy yourself in a T-shirt, because the temperature is around 20 degrees, although it is often a few degrees less warm in the coastal provinces. In the east and southeast, temperatures can even rise towards a summery 25 degrees. Normally in early May it is 15 degrees at the sea to 18 in the southeast of the country.
But after the warm start to May, the wind turns to the northwest. This provides fresher air. How sharp the temperature drop will be is still somewhat uncertain, but the temperature on Liberation Day will probably be around 15 degrees. Then suddenly it’s on the fresh side again. The weather picture then consists of a mix of clouds, sun and showers.
Climate average for May over the period 1994-2023.
Also read: This weather is normal in May
Ice saints live up to their name
As it looks now, it will remain colder than normal until ice saints; which are from May 11-14. In mid-May, 16-19 degrees in the afternoon is normal, now 15 degrees is often the maximum achievable. At night, in clear weather, there is a risk of frost on the ground.
It will also remain changeable with a mix of clouds, sun and showers. It is therefore less sunny than normal in mid-May. But when the sun shines, you can easily get sunburned. In May there is often sun strength 5-6. At sun power 6, you can remove unprotected skin in 15-30 minutes to burn.
Also read: Ten tips to avoid burning
Warmer, drier and sunnier in the second half of May
The spring blues seem to be over after ice skating. The temperature will soon return to normal values and it may even be slightly warmer than usual at the end of the month. The average temperature at the end of May is 17 degrees in the northwest to 20 inland. This clearly increases the chance of warm days in the second half of May and you may be able to wear shorts. We can probably also expect drier and sunnier weather, but it doesn’t seem to be really stable spring weather. The warm weather can sometimes result in a heavy rain or thunderstorm.
Shorts can probably be worn again in the second half of May. Photo: Jolanda Bakker.
Peak grass pollen season is approaching
After the cold weeks in April, nature’s lead over the normal schedule has decreased somewhat. Although the first grasses bloomed early, development slowed down considerably after that. The warm weather around the turn of the month will allow more grass to bloom, which will increase the nuisance. And after the cold period around the ice saints, the peak period of the grass pollen season will begin, during which the grass grows en masse and severe hay fever complaints can occur during dry periods.
