Zadar weather in May

In May, Zadar sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 71 mm of rain across 8.8 wet days and about 14.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 24°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 46% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 15 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Zadar's 5th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Zadar's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
5th warmest
Overnight low
16°
8th coldest
Rainfall
71 mm
8.8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 36 min
4:39 AM – 7:12 PM
Cloud cover
46%
5th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
6.28 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Zadar is city and settlement in Zadar County, Croatia.

Density
1,312/km²
people per km²
Founded
~383 BCE

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 24°C by the end.

A typical May day in Zadar reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 5°C warmer than April and about 5°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12014
22014
32014
42014
52114
62115
72115
82115
92115
102115
112115
122115
132215
142215
152216
162216
172216
182216
192216
202216
212316
222316
232316
242317
252317
262317
272317
282417
292417
302417
312418

Zadar weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan10° / 84100.59.12.4
Feb11° / 819.10.710.22.7
Mar14° / 769.50.411.64.3
Apr17° / 11°769.9013.25.7
May22° / 16°718.8014.57.1
Jun26° / 20°476.5015.27.5
Jul29° / 22°304.30156.6
Aug29° / 22°514.7013.86.6
Sep25° / 18°1007.8012.37.4
Oct20° / 14°11210.4010.86.5
Nov15° / 10°13912.40.19.44.4
Dec11° / 109110.38.82.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 46% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15842
25743
35842
45842
55941
65842
75941
86040
96040
106040
116040
126040
136238
146238
156139
166238
176238
186436
196436
206535
216634
226733
236832
246832
256832
267030
277030
287030
297030
307030
317030

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Zadar gets around 71 mm of rain over 8.8 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 29% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
331
431
531
631
731
830
930
1030
1130
1229
1329
1429
1529
1629
1729
1829
1928
2028
2128
2227
2327
2427
2527
2626
2726
2826
2926
3026
3126

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 53% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1772210
2752410
3732520
4722620
5702730
6682840
7672940
8653050
9643150
10633250
11613360
12613360
13593470
14583570
15553780
16543880
17523990
18514090
194941101
204741111
214642121
224442131
234342142
244142152
253942162
263842172
273642193
283442213
293341234
303140254
312939275

Wind in May

Winds average 12 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
812light breeze
912light breeze
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1812light breeze
1912light breeze
2012light breeze
2112light breeze
2212light breeze
2312calm
2412calm
2512calm
2612calm
2712calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 15 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 66 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:58 AM to 4:26 AM, and sunset from 6:54 PM to 7:27 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.94:586:54
214.04:576:56
314.04:556:57
414.14:546:58
514.14:526:59
614.24:517:00
714.24:507:02
814.24:487:03
914.34:477:04
1014.34:467:05
1114.44:447:06
1214.44:437:08
1314.44:427:09
1414.54:417:10
1514.54:407:11
1614.64:397:12
1714.64:387:13
1814.64:367:14
1914.74:357:15
2014.74:347:16
2114.74:337:18
2214.84:337:19
2314.84:327:20
2414.84:317:21
2514.94:307:22
2614.94:297:23
2714.94:287:24
2814.94:287:25
2915.04:277:25
3015.04:267:26
3115.04:267:27

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.28 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.4 kWh/m² to a high of 6.95 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.28 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
56.0Bright
66.0Bright
76.0Intense
86.0Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.3Intense
206.4Intense
216.4Intense
226.4Intense
236.5Intense
246.5Intense
256.5Intense
266.5Intense
276.6Intense
286.6Intense
296.6Intense
306.6Intense
316.6Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Zadar?

Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

7.1
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Zadar for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Zadar in May

From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In May, Zadar sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 16°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

sun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Zadar in May

The nearest coast averages about 18°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 28 km away) is warmest in August at about 25°C and coldest in February near 13°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 3 to Oct 21 — about 4.6 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan14Bracing
Feb13Bracing
Mar13Bracing
Apr14Bracing
May18Cool
Jun22Refreshing
Jul24Warm
Aug25Warm
Sep23Refreshing
Oct20Refreshing
Nov18Cool
Dec16Cool

UV index in Zadar in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Zadar peaks around July 16 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highModerateLowJul 16UV 9Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May7High
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Zadar?

Zadar sits at 44.1°N, 15.2°E, 2 m above sea level, in Croatia. The nearest listed city is Sibenik, 68 km away.

SibenikBihaćCazinBosanska KrupaCresSplitSolinVelika Kladuša

Topography around Zadar

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Zadar.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Zadar has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 104 m around an average of 15 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 271 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,733 m.

The land around Zadar is covered by water (53%) and artificial surfaces (33%) within 3 km, water (45%) and trees (20%) within 16 km, and water (47%) and trees (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
104 m
16 km
271 m
80 km
1,733 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Sibenik 68 km · Bihać 93 km · Cazin 110 km · Bosanska Krupa 113 km · Cres 114 km · Split 119 km · Solin 120 km · Velika Kladuša 127 km

Croatia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 53% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$27,104
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
87%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
7.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 617
Religion
Roman Catholic 79%other Christian 5%none or atheist 5%Orthodox 3%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Zadar (44.1158°, 15.2251°, elevation 2 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).