When to go · China

When to go to Shanghai

Twelve months of averages for Shanghai, and what they say about when to go.

Photo: MasaneMiyaPA · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

When to go

What the averages say

Mean daily highs and lows and the month's rain, averaged over 2001 to 2020.

On these averages, Shanghai has a mean high between 18°C and 32°C and under 150 mm of rain in April, May and September to November.

Hot months (a mean high of 32°C or more): July and August.
Wet months (150 mm of rain or more): June and August.
Humid months (a high of 25°C or more with relative humidity of 70% or more): May to September.
Cold months (a mean high under 10°C): January.
The warmest month is July (32°C) and the coolest January (8°C). The wettest is June (195 mm) and the driest December (53 mm); about 1,286 mm of rain falls in a year.

How these sentences are worded

Each sentence is written from the figures by fixed rules, and says no more than they do. Mild to warm: a mean daily high from 18°C up to 32°C. Hot: 32°C or more. Cool: 10°C up to 18°C. Cold: under 10°C. Dry: under 50 mm of rain in the month; wet: 150 mm or more. Humid: a high of 25°C or more with relative humidity of 70% or more. A month is described as good for going when it is mild to warm and not wet.

Shanghai: highs, lows and rainHighLowRain

The year at a glance

Mild to warm and dry
Mild to warm, humid or showery
Hot
Cool
Wet
Cold

JanCold
FebCool
MarCool
AprMild–warm, mixed
MayMild–warm, mixed
JunWet
JulHot
AugWet
SeptMild–warm, mixed
OctMild–warm, mixed
NovMild–warm, mixed
DecCool

Month by month

Every month in Shanghai

The whole year, with humidity, cloud and the sunlight reaching the ground.

Climate in Shanghai by month: mean daily high and low, rain, and what the month is like
Month	High	Low	Rain	Humidity	Cloud	Sunlight (kWh/m²/day)	High in Dubai	What it is like
January	8°C	1°C	67 mm	79%	65%	2.3	23°C	Cold
February	10°C	2°C	78 mm	80%	67%	2.7	24°C	Cool
March	14°C	5°C	88 mm	78%	64%	3.8	27°C	Cool
April	20°C	11°C	95 mm	77%	65%	4.5	31°C	Mild to warm, humid or showery
May	25°C	16°C	104 mm	77%	70%	4.8	35°C	Mild to warm, humid or showery
June	28°C	21°C	195 mm	81%	79%	4.2	37°C	Wet
July	32°C	25°C	148 mm	81%	70%	5.1	39°C	Hot
August	32°C	25°C	173 mm	80%	61%	5	39°C	Wet
September	28°C	21°C	137 mm	78%	63%	4.1	37°C	Mild to warm, humid or showery
October	23°C	16°C	77 mm	76%	58%	3.5	34°C	Mild to warm, humid or showery
November	18°C	10°C	71 mm	77%	57%	2.6	29°C	Mild to warm, humid or showery
December	11°C	3°C	53 mm	77%	55%	2.2	25°C	Cool

The Dubai column is Dubai's mean daily high, for comparison.

Modelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020. These data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) POWER Project funded through the NASA Earth Science/Applied Science Program.

When to go nearby

Plan it

Plan a trip to Shanghai

Tell us when and who is travelling, and a person puts the flights, the stays and the rest into one quote.

Plan a trip to Shanghai More about Shanghai When to go

Month

High

Low

Rain

Humidity

Cloud

Sunlight (kWh/m²/day)

High in Dubai

What it is like

January

8°C

1°C

67 mm

79%

65%

2.3

23°C

Cold

February

10°C

2°C

78 mm

80%

67%

2.7

24°C

Cool

March

14°C

5°C

88 mm

78%

64%

3.8

27°C

Cool

April

20°C

11°C

95 mm

77%

65%

4.5

31°C

Mild to warm, humid or showery

May

25°C

16°C

104 mm

77%

70%

4.8

35°C

Mild to warm, humid or showery

June

28°C

21°C

195 mm

81%

79%

4.2

37°C

Wet

July

32°C

25°C

148 mm

81%

70%

5.1

39°C

Hot

August

32°C

25°C

173 mm

80%

61%

39°C

Wet

September

28°C

21°C

137 mm

78%

63%

4.1

37°C

Mild to warm, humid or showery

October

23°C

16°C

77 mm

76%

58%

3.5

34°C

Mild to warm, humid or showery

November

18°C

10°C

71 mm

77%

57%

2.6

29°C

Mild to warm, humid or showery

December

11°C

3°C

53 mm

77%

55%

2.2

25°C

Cool