Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate and experiences four distinct seasons. Winters are chilly and damp, with northwesterly winds can cause nighttime temperatures to drop below freezing, although most years there are only one or two days of snowfall.
Summers are hot and humid, with an average of 8.7 days exceeding 35 °C (95 °F) annually; occasional downpours or freak thunderstorms can be expected. The city is also susceptible to typhoons in summer and the beginning of autumn, none of which in recent years has caused considerable damage. The most pleasant seasons are spring, although changeable and often rainy, and autumn, which is generally sunny and dry.
Season Guide
Spring – March to May – Comfortable
It’s a great time to visit Shanghai with temperatures moving from a comfortable cool to warm in May.
What to wear: Mostly lighter clothes but you may need a jacket and sweater.
Summer – June to September – Hot and Wet
It rains a lot during summer but the rains while sudden, can be short and sharp which provides relief from the heat. Mid-July to Mid-August is hot and very humid.
What to wear: shorts, t-shirt, skirt, only light clothes required. But you should definitely carry an umbrella or at least one of those handy plastic disposable raincoats. Also, be sure to keep your passport/mobile phone in a waterproof bag.
Autumn – October to November – the Best Time to Visit Shanghai
The temperature does chop and change a bit but it’s quite comfortable and there is little rainfall. it’s a great time to visit the city.
What to wear: Light clothes and maybe a sweater especially towards November.
Winter – December to February – Cold and Dry
No snow but the occasional bitterly cold wind. Towards February is Spring Festival holiday period and the city will feel almost deserted as everyone heads home for festivities.
What to wear: Jumper and jacket weather, beanie and gloves on some days.
Weather Chart
| Climate data for Shanghai | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 22.1 (71.8) |
27.0 (80.6) |
29.6 (85.3) |
34.3 (93.7) |
36.4 (97.5) |
37.5 (99.5) |
39.2 (102.6) |
39.9 (103.8) |
38.2 (100.8) |
34.0 (93.2) |
28.7 (83.7) |
23.4 (74.1) |
39.9 (103.8) |
| Av. high °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) |
10.1 (50.2) |
13.8 (56.8) |
19.5 (67.1) |
24.8 (76.6) |
27.8 (82.0) |
32.2 (90.0) |
31.5 (88.7) |
27.9 (82.2) |
22.9 (73.2) |
17.3 (63.1) |
11.1 (52.0) |
20.6 (69.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.8 (40.6) |
6.6 (43.9) |
10.0 (50.0) |
15.3 (59.5) |
20.7 (69.3) |
24.4 (75.9) |
28.6 (83.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
24.9 (76.8) |
19.7 (67.5) |
13.7 (56.7) |
7.6 (45.7) |
17.1 (62.7) |
| Av. low °C (°F) | 2.1 (35.8) |
3.7 (38.7) |
6.9 (44.4) |
11.9 (53.4) |
17.3 (63.1) |
21.7 (71.1) |
25.8 (78.4) |
25.8 (78.4) |
22.4 (72.3) |
16.8 (62.2) |
10.6 (51.1) |
4.7 (40.5) |
14.1 (57.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.1 (13.8) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
6.9 (44.4) |
12.3 (54.1) |
16.3 (61.3) |
18.8 (65.8) |
10.8 (51.4) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
| Av. precipitation mm (inches) | 74.4 (2.93) |
59.1 (2.33) |
93.8 (3.69) |
74.2 (2.92) |
84.5 (3.33) |
181.8 (7.16) |
145.7 (5.74) |
213.7 (8.41) |
87.1 (3.43) |
55.6 (2.19) |
52.3 (2.06) |
43.9 (1.73) |
1,166.1 (45.91) |
| Av. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 9.9 | 9.2 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.4 | 12.7 | 11.4 | 12.3 | 9.1 | 6.9 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 120.8 |
| Av. relative humidity (%) | 74 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 72 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 75 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 74 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 114.3 | 119.9 | 128.5 | 148.5 | 169.8 | 130.9 | 190.8 | 185.7 | 167.5 | 161.4 | 131.1 | 127.4 | 1,775.8 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration/Wikipedia | |||||||||||||