Bellinzona weather in May

In May, Bellinzona sees average daytime highs of 15°C and overnight lows near 6°C, with 152 mm of precipitation across 16.6 wet days and about 14.7 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 17°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Bellinzona's 12th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bellinzona's year-round climate.

Daytime high
15°
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Precipitation
152 mm
16.6 wet days
Daylight
14 h 48 min
4:57 AM – 7:43 PM
Cloud cover
64%
12th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.42 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.9
out of 10

Bellinzona is capital of the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.

Density
2,260/km²
people per km²

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 13°C in the first days to 17°C by the end.

A typical May day in Bellinzona reaches about 15°C in the afternoon and slips back to 6°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 10°C and 20°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 4°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1134
2134
3134
4135
5145
6145
7145
8145
9145
10145
11145
12156
13156
14156
15156
16156
17156
18156
19166
20167
21167
22167
23167
24167
25167
26177
27177
28178
29178
30178
31178

How May really feels in Bellinzona

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.

Bellinzona weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -6°688.88.98.80.0
Feb / -5°598.38.1100.0
Mar / -2°8210.16.511.61.0
Apr11° / 13013.1513.32.4
May15° / 15216.61.314.73.9
Jun19° / 10°15015.90.315.55.3
Jul21° / 11°12714.80.115.25.9
Aug21° / 11°15013.50146.0
Sep16° / 14812.40.412.34.9
Oct12° / 16013.12.110.72.7
Nov / -1°15811.96.79.20.6
Dec / -5°819.688.50.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 60%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13466
23367
33367
43466
53466
63466
73565
83664
93664
103763
113961
123961
133961
144060
154060
164159
174159
184357
194357
204456
214555
224654
234654
244654
254555
264555
274654
284654
294555
304555
314555

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Bellinzona gets around 152 mm of rain and snow over 16.6 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 54% and peaks near 59% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
15810
2589
3599
4598
5598
6597
7586
8586
9585
10575
11574
12564
13564
14553
15553
16543
17533
18533
19523
20513
21503
22503
23492
24492
25492
26492
27492
28502
29512
30512
31522

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
241000
251000
261000
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in May

Winds average 4 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 72 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:19 AM to 4:43 AM, and sunset from 7:24 PM to 7:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.15:197:24
214.15:177:25
314.25:157:26
414.25:147:28
514.35:127:29
614.35:117:30
714.45:097:32
814.45:087:33
914.55:077:34
1014.55:057:35
1114.55:047:37
1214.65:027:38
1314.65:017:39
1414.75:007:40
1514.74:597:42
1614.84:577:43
1714.84:567:44
1814.84:557:45
1914.94:547:47
2014.94:537:48
2115.04:527:49
2215.04:517:50
2315.04:507:51
2415.14:497:52
2515.14:487:53
2615.14:477:54
2715.24:467:55
2815.24:457:56
2915.24:457:57
3015.24:447:58
3115.34:437:59

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.42 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.33 kWh/m² to a high of 5.77 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.42 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
55.1Bright
65.1Bright
75.1Bright
85.2Bright
95.2Bright
105.2Bright
115.3Bright
125.3Bright
135.3Bright
145.3Bright
155.4Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.6Bright
235.6Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Bellinzona?

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

3.9
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
0.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Bellinzona.

What to pack for Bellinzona in May

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

In May, Bellinzona sees daytime highs around 15°C and nights near 6°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer and sun protection. About 17 days see rain.

rain geara warm layersun protection

UV index in Bellinzona 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 Bellinzona peaks around July 16 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 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 highHighModerateLowJul 16UV 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Bellinzona?

Bellinzona sits at 46.2°N, 9.0°E, 230 m above sea level, in Switzerland. The nearest listed city is Locarno, 17 km away.

LuganoComoVaresePallanza-Intra-SunaMalnateErbaVerbania

Topography around Bellinzona

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Bellinzona has very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,236 m around an average of 523 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,510 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,912 m.

The land around Bellinzona is covered by trees (72%) within 3 km, trees (69%) and grassland (24%) within 16 km, and trees (49%) and grassland (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,236 m
16 km
2,510 m
80 km
3,912 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
May weather nearby: Locarno 17 km · Lugano 21 km · Como 43 km · Varese 44 km · Pallanza-Intra-Suna 45 km · Malnate 46 km · Erba 46 km · Verbania 47 km

Switzerland travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / J
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 112% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$114,769
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.6
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
2.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 564
Religion
Roman Catholic 34%none 29%Protestant 23%other Christian 6%

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 Bellinzona (46.1928°, 9.017°, elevation 230 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. 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).