Ask an Expat: Weather in May and June

A beautiful March sky in Den Haag.

Last week, Alinda asked: We’re spending 2 months in Europe beginning mid-may. (our 1st time too) We’ll be camping a lot because we’re frugal and we love the outdoors. I’m wondering just how much it really rains in northern Europe and Britain. How much (dry) camping is possible? Thanks!

Alinda, oh what fun! I wish I could play fairy godmother and wave a magic wand to ensure you have perfect weather during your holiday ;-)

I had to go back to my archives and see what the weather was like in May and June these last three years. I get kind of a weather amnesia after winter and can only think of Spring and Summer as being staggeringly glorious. LOL! That is as it should be, I think.

To answer your question: In my opinion, late March-June are the loveliest months in this climate. Not too hot, not too cold, and yes, I might even go out on a limb and say… not so much rain! BUT I wouldn’t expect it to be bone dry. We definitely do get our share of wet. I’ve not done any camping here in Europe, so I can’t address your query about “dry camping”. I will say that the rain we get here tends to be rather mild–a steady drizzle by Texas weather standards. What we called “rain” back home in Houston, the English say is “torrential” or a “deluge”. Also, for the most part, the rain doesn’t last all day, so it’s possible that though it might rain a bit every day, the ground might not be completely soaked.

Here’s a site that might be helpful for you: European Travel Weather & Climate–Vacation Planning. This overview is interesting too: Europe Climate Historic Averages. Also, for weather forecasts up to five days in advance, I like BBC Weather. If you’re worried about flooding or any other severe weather, you might like to bookmark this site: UK Warnings. I’m not sure where to go for European weather warnings…

Thanks for your question, Alinda. I would love to hear about your trip. If you get a chance, I hope you’ll stop by and let us know how you fared. Bon Voyage!

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As always, if you’ve ever wondered anything about living/travelling in Europe, please do leave a question in the comments and I’ll try to answer next week!