Stavanger weather in May

In May, Stavanger sees average daytime highs of 12°C and overnight lows near 7°C, with 93 mm of precipitation across 13.4 wet days and about 16.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 11°C in the first days to 13°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 15 h 24 min at the start of May to 17 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Stavanger's 1st-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Stavanger's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12°
5th warmest
Overnight low
7th coldest
Precipitation
93 mm
13.4 wet days
Daylight
16 h 36 min
4:16 AM – 8:50 PM
Cloud cover
59%
1st clearest
Wind
15 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.12 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.9
out of 10

Stavanger is city in Stavanger Municipality, Norway.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 7.8 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
3,673/km²
people per km²
Founded
1125

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 11°C in the first days to 13°C by the end.

A typical May day in Stavanger reaches about 12°C in the afternoon and slips back to 7°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 8°C and 16°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1106
2106
3116
4116
5116
6116
7116
8116
9116
10116
11116
12117
13117
14127
15127
16127
17127
18127
19127
20128
21128
22138
23138
24138
25138
26138
27138
28139
29139
30149
31149

How May really feels in Stavanger

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

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Stavanger weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 19518.57.56.70.0
Feb / 15616.27.48.80.0
Mar / 13316.35.511.40.2
Apr / 9414.31.614.11.4
May12° / 9313.40.116.52.9
Jun15° / 10°10214.30183.8
Jul17° / 13°12215.3017.44.6
Aug17° / 13°16916.9015.24.6
Sep15° / 11°20117.1012.63.6
Oct11° / 22218.50.19.92.1
Nov / 21018.51.57.40.8
Dec / 20919.14.760.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in May, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 53%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24555
34753
44753
54951
64951
75050
85149
95149
105050
115050
125050
134951
144951
154951
164753
174753
184555
194555
204555
214456
224456
234456
244456
254456
264456
274456
284456
294555
304555
314456

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Stavanger gets around 93 mm of rain and snow over 13.4 wet days in May, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 44% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
145
245
344
444
543
643
742
842
942
1043
1143
1244
1344
1445
1545
1646
1746
1846
1946
2046
2146
2246
2345
2445
2544
2643
2743
2842
2942
3041
3141

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 (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29982
30982
31982

Wind in May

Winds average 15 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 15 h 24 min at the start of May to 17 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 126 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:52 AM to 3:49 AM, and sunset from 8:16 PM to 9:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.44:528:16
215.54:508:18
315.64:478:21
415.64:458:23
515.74:428:26
615.84:408:28
715.94:378:30
816.04:358:32
916.04:328:35
1016.14:308:37
1116.24:278:39
1216.34:258:42
1316.44:238:44
1416.44:218:46
1516.54:188:48
1616.64:168:50
1716.64:148:53
1816.74:128:55
1916.84:108:57
2016.94:088:59
2116.94:069:01
2217.04:049:03
2317.14:029:05
2417.14:009:07
2517.23:589:09
2617.23:579:11
2717.33:559:13
2817.43:539:15
2917.43:529:17
3017.53:509:18
3117.53:499:20

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.12 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.21 kWh/m² to a high of 5.39 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.12 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.6Bright
34.7Bright
44.7Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.9Bright
94.9Bright
105.0Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
135.0Bright
145.1Bright
155.1Bright
165.1Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.2Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.3Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.4Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Stavanger?

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

2.9
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Stavanger.

What to pack for Stavanger in May

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

In May, Stavanger sees daytime highs around 12°C and nights near 7°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Stavanger in May

The nearest coast averages about 9°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 18 km away) is warmest in August at about 16°C and coldest in March near 5°C.

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

5°10°15°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan6Bracing
Feb5Bracing
Mar5Bracing
Apr6Bracing
May9Bracing
Jun12Bracing
Jul15Bracing
Aug16Cool
Sep15Bracing
Oct12Bracing
Nov10Bracing
Dec7Bracing

UV index in Stavanger in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Stavanger peaks around June 16 at about 5 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 0 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJun 16UV 5Dec 19UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Low
Apr3Moderate
May5Moderate
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep3Moderate
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Stavanger?

Stavanger sits at 59.0°N, 5.7°E, 15 m above sea level, in Norway. The nearest listed city is Sola, 10 km away.

YtrebygdaNesttunBergen

Topography around Stavanger

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Stavanger has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 98 m around an average of 21 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 432 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,381 m.

The land around Stavanger is covered by water (36%), artificial surfaces (31%) and trees (22%) within 3 km, water (54%) and grassland (20%) within 16 km, and water (43%), grassland (29%) and trees (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
98 m
16 km
432 m
80 km
1,381 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermoss and lichen
May weather nearby: Sola 10 km · Sandnes 13 km · Time 26 km · Haugesund 56 km · Ytrebygda 151 km · Nesttun 151 km · Bergen 160 km · Kristiansand 160 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 Stavanger (58.9701°, 5.7333°, 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).