Yikes! The weather forecast for my entire stay in Umbria and Tuscany, May 5-14, calls for thunderstorms every day. Do storms typically settle over this region for long periods, or is it possible that they pass through (quickly!)? I knew the weather is unpredictable in May, but I was thinking rain would be only occasional.

My experience is that they pass quickly. Intense for half an hour then gone.

Nobody knows what the weather will be like a week ahead, let alone two weeks. Ignore those long-term forecasts, they are useless no matter how convincing they look.

We were in Umbria in May of 2016 and encountered a fair amount of rain. Some days were a steady rainy. Some days we had intermittent rains/storms. It got pretty chilly at times, too. Dress accordingly. And bring shoes with a grippe sole. The sidewalks in the hill towns can get slick.

Make that "grippy."

And I agree that it's too early to rely on the forecast. A lot can change between now and then. But if rain remains in the forecast, I can't stress enough that you need to bring the right shoes and layers to stay warm. We were in Umbria in May of 2015 as well and we enjoyed warm/hot weather with not a drop of rain over 11 days. It lulled us into thinking that was "normal" the following year and we weren't quite prepared for chilly temps and heavy rain. We managed, but I would have brought a warmer coat had I known. Lots of people were still wearing down coats during our 2016 visit. I'm not trying to scare you, but you can't do anything to change the weather by worrying about it; the best you can do is bring the right gear.

If you are looking for a certainty, you will not find it. A weather forecast is just a PIECE of information. It is not something taken at face value nor rejected in totality. Look at the changing forecasts as you get closer to your dates not only the particular period, but the days before and after. That is the LIKELY range of the weather. It is more productive to bring items acceptable in dealing with AT LEAST that much range in weather variation using minimum amount of multiple purpose items. When I travel with inexperienced travelers, they would pack many special purpose items each good at dealing with specific weather. However, inevitably that includes a lot of space hogging items they never use.

Those thunderstorms can provide some interesting backdrop for the landscape. I have some cool, moody photos from our May trip to Tuscany. It always seemed we got sunshine between the rain storms but as above, it was a bit chilly. Travel umbrellas are your best buddy. And buy a good one so you don’t lose it with the first gust of wind.

Thanks all! Great advice. You would think I'd know by now to just prepare, prepare, prepare!