Biel/Bienne weather in May

In May, Biel/Bienne sees average daytime highs of 18°C and overnight lows near 8°C, with 151 mm of precipitation across 17.8 wet days and about 14.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 16°C in the first days to 19°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 12 min at the start of May to 15 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Biel/Bienne's 8th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Biel/Bienne's year-round climate.

Daytime high
18°
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Precipitation
151 mm
17.8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 54 min
5:02 AM – 7:53 PM
Cloud cover
68%
8th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.1 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.6
out of 10

Biel/Bienne is Settlement within the Swiss municipality of the same name.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 9.1 µg/m³ · 2020

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 16°C in the first days to 19°C by the end.

A typical May day in Biel/Bienne reaches about 18°C in the afternoon and slips back to 8°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 11°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 4°C cooler than June.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1167
2167
3167
4167
5167
6167
7168
8168
9178
10178
11178
12178
13178
14178
15178
16178
17188
18189
19189
20189
21189
22189
23189
24199
25199
261910
271910
281910
291910
301910
311910

How May really feels in Biel/Bienne

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.

Biel/Bienne 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 / -2°8713.36.98.70.0
Feb / -2°78126.7100.2
Mar10° / 93144.811.61.9
Apr14° / 10515.32.313.33.4
May18° / 15117.80.214.84.6
Jun21° / 12°14617.5015.65.3
Jul23° / 14°15316.5015.35.9
Aug23° / 13°15715.90145.9
Sep18° / 10°11413.9012.45.3
Oct13° / 10913.60.510.63.5
Nov / 10113.33.59.11.0
Dec / -1°10614.56.68.40.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% 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 67%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12971
22872
32872
42872
52872
62872
72971
82971
92971
103169
113169
123169
133169
143268
153268
163367
173367
183466
193565
203664
213664
223763
233862
243862
253862
263961
273961
283763
293763
303763
313664

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Biel/Bienne gets around 151 mm of rain and snow over 17.8 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 58% and peaks near 61% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1592
2602
3601
4601
5611
6611
7611
8611
9601
10601
11601
12601
13591
14591
15591
16581
17581
18581
19570
20560
21560
22550
23550
24550
25550
26550
27560
28560
29570
30580
31590

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 93% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19910
29910
39910
49910
59910
69820
79820
89820
99820
109820
119730
129730
139730
149730
159640
169640
179550
189550
199460
209370
219280
229190
2390100
2489110
2588120
2687130
2785150
2883161
2982171
3080191
3178202

Wind in May

Winds average 7 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 12 min at the start of May to 15 h 24 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 5:23 AM to 4:47 AM, and sunset from 7:33 PM to 8:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.25:237:33
214.25:227:34
314.35:207:36
414.35:197:37
514.45:177:38
614.45:167:40
714.55:147:41
814.55:127:42
914.55:117:44
1014.65:107:45
1114.65:087:46
1214.75:077:48
1314.75:057:49
1414.85:047:50
1514.85:037:52
1614.95:027:53
1714.95:007:54
1814.94:597:55
1915.04:587:57
2015.04:577:58
2115.14:567:59
2215.14:558:00
2315.14:548:01
2415.24:538:03
2515.24:528:04
2615.24:518:05
2715.34:508:06
2815.34:498:07
2915.34:488:08
3015.44:488:09
3115.44:478:10

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.1 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.02 kWh/m² to a high of 5.63 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.1 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.7Bright
24.7Bright
34.7Bright
44.7Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.8Bright
94.8Bright
104.9Bright
114.9Bright
124.9Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
165.1Bright
175.1Bright
185.2Bright
195.2Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.3Bright
245.4Bright
255.4Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.4Bright
305.4Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Biel/Bienne?

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

4.6
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.3
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Biel/Bienne for sightseeing.

What to pack for Biel/Bienne in May

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

In May, Biel/Bienne sees daytime highs around 18°C and nights near 8°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 18 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Biel/Bienne 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 Biel/Bienne peaks around July 15 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 15UV 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Biel/Bienne?

Biel/Bienne sits at 47.1°N, 7.2°E, 434 m above sea level, in Switzerland. The nearest listed city is Grenchen, 13 km away.

SolothurnBernKönizNeuchâtelBurgdorfLa Chaux-de-FondsFribourg

Topography around Biel/Bienne

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Biel/Bienne has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 562 m around an average of 541 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,170 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,796 m.

The land around Biel/Bienne is covered by trees (50%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 3 km, trees (44%) and grassland (26%) within 16 km, and trees (47%) and grassland (33%) within 80 km.

3 km
562 m
16 km
1,170 m
80 km
2,796 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Grenchen 13 km · Solothurn 23 km · Bern 26 km · Köniz 27 km · Neuchâtel 29 km · Burgdorf 30 km · La Chaux-de-Fonds 32 km · Fribourg 38 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 Biel/Bienne (47.1371°, 7.2461°, elevation 434 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).