Oulu weather in May

In May, Oulu sees average daytime highs of 12°C and overnight lows near 3°C, with 48 mm of precipitation across 10 wet days and about 18.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 10°C in the first days to 15°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 16 h 30 min at the start of May to 19 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Oulu's 1st-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Oulu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12°
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Precipitation
48 mm
10 wet days
Daylight
18 h 12 min
3:08 AM – 9:21 PM
Cloud cover
62%
1st clearest
Wind
12 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.01 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.2
out of 10

Oulu is urban area in North Ostrobothnia region, Finland.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³ · 2019

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 10°C in the first days to 15°C by the end.

A typical May day in Oulu reaches about 12°C in the afternoon and slips back to 3°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 6°C and 19°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°C warmer than April and about 5°C cooler than June.

10°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
191
291
3101
4101
5101
6102
7102
8112
9112
10112
11112
12113
13113
14123
15123
16123
17124
18124
19134
20134
21134
22135
23135
24145
25145
26145
27145
28146
29156
30156
31156

How May really feels in Oulu

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 14 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
14
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Oulu weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-6° / -11°358.89.84.50.0
Feb-6° / -12°2988.67.70.0
Mar-1° / -8°307.78.111.20.0
Apr / -3°307.43.814.70.5
May12° / 48100.718.23.2
Jun17° / 5610020.85.4
Jul20° / 12°7812.2019.66.0
Aug18° / 10°7112016.35.5
Sep13° / 5610.4012.73.4
Oct / 5010.32.69.20.5
Nov / -4°4810.675.70.0
Dec-3° / -8°4410.89.83.20.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in May, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 58%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14258
24258
34060
44060
54060
64060
74060
84060
93961
104060
114060
124060
134159
144159
154159
164060
174060
184258
194357
204357
214357
224357
234456
244654
254654
264654
274753
284753
294852
304753
314852

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Oulu gets around 48 mm of rain and snow over 10 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 32% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1264
2274
3284
4284
5294
6304
7304
8314
9314
10323
11323
12333
13333
14343
15342
16342
17342
18342
19342
20341
21341
22331
23331
24331
25321
26320
27320
28310
29310
30310
31300

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28982
29982
30982
31982

Wind in May

Winds average 12 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112calm
212calm
312calm
412calm
512calm
612calm
712calm
812calm
912calm
1012calm
1112calm
1212calm
1312calm
1412calm
1512calm
1612calm
1712calm
1812calm
1912calm
2012calm
2112calm
2212calm
2312calm
2412calm
2512calm
2612calm
2712calm
2812calm
2912calm
3012calm
3112calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 16 h 30 min at the start of May to 19 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 198 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:00 AM to 2:21 AM, and sunset from 8:30 PM to 10:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
116.54:008:30
216.63:578:34
316.73:538:37
416.83:508:40
517.03:468:44
617.13:438:47
717.23:398:50
817.33:358:54
917.43:328:57
1017.53:289:01
1117.73:259:04
1217.83:219:07
1317.93:189:11
1418.03:159:14
1518.13:119:18
1618.23:089:21
1718.33:049:24
1818.43:019:28
1918.62:589:31
2018.72:549:35
2118.82:519:38
2218.92:489:41
2319.02:459:45
2419.12:429:48
2519.22:399:51
2619.32:359:54
2719.42:329:58
2819.52:2910:01
2919.62:2710:04
3019.72:2410:07
3119.82:2110:10

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.01 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.02 kWh/m² to a high of 5.52 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.01 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.6Bright
54.6Bright
64.6Bright
74.7Bright
84.7Bright
94.7Bright
104.8Bright
114.8Bright
124.8Bright
134.9Bright
144.9Bright
155.0Bright
165.0Bright
175.0Bright
185.1Bright
195.1Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.3Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Oulu?

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

3.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Oulu.

What to pack for Oulu in May

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

In May, Oulu sees daytime highs around 12°C and nights near 3°C. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Oulu in May

The nearest coast averages about 3°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 13 km away) is warmest in August at about 16°C and coldest in February near -0°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan0Bracing
Feb0Bracing
Mar0Bracing
Apr0Bracing
May3Bracing
Jun10Bracing
Jul15Bracing
Aug16Cool
Sep12Bracing
Oct8Bracing
Nov4Bracing
Dec1Bracing

UV index in Oulu in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Oulu peaks around July 15 at about 4 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 4 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJul 15UV 4Dec 17UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb0Low
Mar1Low
Apr2Moderate
May4Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep2Low
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Oulu?

Oulu sits at 65.0°N, 25.5°E, 15 m above sea level, in Finland. The nearest listed city is Haukipudas, 19 km away.

KemiTornioYlivieskaKajaaniRovaniemiLuleå

Topography around Oulu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Oulu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 38 m around an average of 11 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 75 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 199 m.

The land around Oulu is covered by trees (40%) and artificial surfaces (38%) within 3 km, trees (52%) and water (28%) within 16 km, and trees (59%) and water (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
38 m
16 km
75 m
80 km
199 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Haukipudas 19 km · Raahe 59 km · Kemi 91 km · Tornio 111 km · Ylivieska 112 km · Kajaani 139 km · Rovaniemi 166 km · Luleå 167 km

Finland travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 85% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$56,149
2025
Happiness
7.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 603
Religion
Lutheran 67%none 31%other 2%Greek Orthodox 1%

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 Oulu (65.0124°, 25.4682°, elevation 15 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).