Bodø weather in May

In May, Bodø sees average daytime highs of 9°C and overnight lows near 4°C, with 94 mm of precipitation across 16.3 wet days and about 19.3 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 7°C in the first days to 11°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 17 h 06 min at the start of May to 21 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Bodø's 2nd-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bodø's year-round climate.

Daytime high
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Precipitation
94 mm
16.3 wet days
Daylight
19 h 12 min
2:23 AM – 9:35 PM
Cloud cover
70%
2nd clearest
Wind
11 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.81 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.5
out of 10

Bodø is settlement in Bodø Municipality, Norway.

Air quality
Excellent
PM2.5 3.5 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
2,405/km²
people per km²
Founded
1816

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 7°C in the first days to 11°C by the end.

A typical May day in Bodø reaches about 9°C in the afternoon and slips back to 4°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 5°C and 14°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 4°C cooler than June.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
172
272
372
472
572
682
782
883
983
1083
1183
1283
1383
1493
1593
1693
1794
1894
1994
2094
21104
22104
23104
24105
25105
26105
27115
28115
29115
30116
31116

How May really feels in Bodø

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 12 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
12
wind chill below the day's low

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

Bodø weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-1° / -6°14717.316.22.60.0
Feb-1° / -6°11715.5157.20.0
Mar / -4°12717.115.811.10.0
Apr / -1°9415.410.6150.2
May / 9416.35.219.31.5
Jun13° / 9915.90.523.62.9
Jul16° / 10°9915.2021.64.1
Aug15° / 10°11016.7016.83.9
Sep12° / 15717.80.512.82.5
Oct / 15017.76.38.80.6
Nov / -2°12616.610.54.60.0
Dec / -4°15017.7150.30.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 68%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23565
33565
43466
53466
63268
73268
83268
93169
103169
113169
123268
133367
143367
153367
163367
173367
183367
193466
203466
213268
223268
233268
243268
253268
263169
273070
283070
293070
303070
312971

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Bodø gets around 94 mm of rain and snow over 16.3 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 51% and peaks near 53% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
15024
25024
35124
45124
55223
65223
75323
85322
95321
105321
115320
125219
135218
145217
155116
165115
175115
185114
195113
205113
215112
225111
235111
245110
255110
26519
27519
28518
29518
30517
31517

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

Winds average 11 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 17 h 06 min at the start of May to 21 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 270 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 3:27 AM to 1:12 AM, and sunset from 8:32 PM to 10:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
117.13:278:32
217.23:238:36
317.43:198:40
417.53:148:44
517.63:108:48
617.83:068:52
717.93:028:57
818.12:579:01
918.22:539:05
1018.32:499:09
1118.52:449:13
1218.62:409:18
1318.82:369:22
1418.92:319:26
1519.12:279:31
1619.22:239:35
1719.42:189:39
1819.52:149:44
1919.72:099:48
2019.82:059:53
2120.02:009:58
2220.11:5610:02
2320.31:5110:07
2420.41:4710:12
2520.61:4210:17
2620.71:3710:21
2720.91:3210:26
2821.11:2710:32
2921.21:2210:37
3021.41:1710:42
3121.61:1210:48

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.81 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0 kWh/m² to a high of 4.96 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 4.81 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.3Bright
34.4Bright
44.4Bright
54.5Bright
64.5Bright
74.5Bright
84.6Bright
94.6Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.8Bright
134.8Bright
144.8Bright
154.9Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
184.9Bright
195.0Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
245.0Bright
255.0Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
285.0Bright
295.1Bright
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Bodø?

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

1.5
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Bodø.

What to pack for Bodø in May

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

In May, Bodø sees daytime highs around 9°C and nights near 4°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 16 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Bodø in May

The nearest coast averages about 7°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 13°C and coldest in March near 4°C.

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

5°10°15°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan5Bracing
Feb4Bracing
Mar4Bracing
Apr5Bracing
May7Bracing
Jun10Bracing
Jul12Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep11Bracing
Oct10Bracing
Nov8Bracing
Dec7Bracing

UV index in Bodø 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 Bodø peaks around July 15 at about 4 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 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 4Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb0Low
Mar1Low
Apr2Low
May4Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep2Low
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Bodø?

Bodø sits at 67.3°N, 14.4°E, 13 m above sea level, in Norway. The nearest listed city is Lofoten, 106 km away.

HarstadKirunaTromsoTromsdalenBodenPiteå

Topography around Bodø

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Bodø has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 165 m around an average of 16 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 879 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,716 m.

The land around Bodø is covered by water (43%) and grassland (23%) within 3 km, water (67%) within 16 km, and water (52%) within 80 km.

3 km
165 m
16 km
879 m
80 km
1,716 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
May weather nearby: Lofoten 106 km · Mo i Rana 108 km · Harstad 191 km · Kiruna 256 km · Tromso 323 km · Tromsdalen 324 km · Boden 362 km · Piteå 385 km

Norway travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 91% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$94,594
2025
Happiness
7.2 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
2.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 613
Religion
Church of Norway 68%other Christian 4%Muslim 3%Roman Catholic 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 Bodø (67.2827°, 14.3751°, elevation 13 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).