Rize weather in May
May in Rize: nice, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 20 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#1 of 12 months in Rize · #666 of 1413 destinations to visit in May · comfort 82/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 20°C
- Nights
- 13°C
- Wet days
- 20
- Sun
- 10.2 h
- Humidity
- 83%
- Daylight
- 15 h
Traveller notes on Rize in May
Forum posters name May through October as the ideal weather window for Turkey's eastern Black Sea coast, including Rize, though posters visiting in May specifically describe conditions as still pretty cold despite sunshine, with a lot of rain and even snow still piled up along the nearby Zigana mountain pass. Posters consistently flag Rize as one of the greenest, wettest parts of the country - rainfall here is described as exceeding even notoriously rainy Singapore - so real rain on any given May day shouldn't come as a surprise. Posters note the region's tea, hazelnut and kiwi agriculture depends on exactly this wet climate, framing the rain as a defining, expected feature of a Rize visit rather than an unlucky exception.
Other months in Rize
Rize's own forum doesn't oversell November: it's one of the wettest stretches of the year here, with cold, rainy evenings down in town, while real snow is mostly reserved for the yaylas (highland pastures) above. Posters warned that unpaved roads up to those highland areas can turn muddy or close outright this time of year, needing 4WD if passable at all, and that a fair amount of accommodation outside the main towns shuts down for the season. The main coastal highway stays open and reliable, so the town itself and a Black Sea coastal drive remain doable even if the yaylas aren't.
Add your own note from Rize's card on the map.
Rize climate normals — May
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Rize in May
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusyKurban Bayrami (Eid al-Adha), school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Rize's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Best weatherRize's weather peaks April–June, best around May.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Rize in May
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Tea harvest season
1 May – 31 Oct · usuallyThe prized first flush, Mayis cayi, is picked in May from the youngest leaves after winter; a bigger, milder-flavoured summer flush follows through July, and a final autumn pass finishes by October. The terraced hillside gardens are at their most active May to October. Source ↗
- Holiday
Kurban Bayrami (Eid al-Adha)
27–30 MayRamadan & EidClosuresBook earlyThe longer religious holiday, four days and frequently stretched to nine. Offices and many shops close, intercity buses and domestic flights sell out well ahead and fares climb, and holiday hotels fill with Turkish families before the foreign season peaks. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Rize — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Rize?
Rize in May — FAQ
- Is May a good time to visit Rize?
- May in Rize: nice, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 20 rainy days. It ranks #1 of 12 months for Rize on SeasonMap's comfort score (82/100).
- What is the weather like in Rize in May?
- In May, Rize averages a daily high of 19.6°C and a low of 13.2°C, with about 167.6 mm of rain over roughly 20.2 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Rize in May?
- Rize has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 49 in May.
Within 300 km: Elbrus' Spring corn snow around 15 Mar – 15 May, and Batumi's Independence Day on 26 May.