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When is the best time to visit Shanghai?

The best time to visit Shanghai is between April and June, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

Shanghai has four seasons without a desert summer or a guaranteed freeze. Pack for mixed weather. The good outdoor weeks are real, and so are the grey ones. Shanghai is a city in China. This page is about Shanghai, not a country average.

Most visitors come for cities, walking and the milder stretch of the year. Treat midwinter as museums and food unless you like weather for its own sake. The monthly table owns the averages. This layer is how Shanghai actually feels.

Part of China weather.

Shanghai
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Spring

Spring in Shanghai is when the year becomes walkable again. March, April and May are mixed: bright days, wet days, and the odd reminder that winter has not fully left.

In Shanghai the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. This is a good month-range for a city break that wants outdoor hours without betting the packing list on heat. Carry a shell.

Read Shanghai in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Summer

Summer in Shanghai is the most usable stretch of the year: June, July and August. Long days, milder nights, and outdoor weather that makes a city break feel like a holiday.

In Shanghai the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. It is still a mixed-sky climate. A grey afternoon is not a surprise. Pack for sitting outside and for the hour you duck into a museum because the sky decided otherwise.

Read Shanghai in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Autumn

Autumn in Shanghai is the second spring, then a slide: September, October and November. Early weeks are for walking. Later weeks are for jackets and shorter outdoor plans.

In Shanghai the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. Rain returns as a planning constraint. Shanghai in these months is still a good city-break climate if you pack for weather instead of for a brochure afternoon.

Read Shanghai in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Winter

Winter in Shanghai is grey, wet and short on daylight: December, January and February. Snow is possible and not the identity of the season. Museums, food and walking between showers are the trip.

In Shanghai the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. A bright winter afternoon in Shanghai is worth going out for. The rest of the day is not a failed summer. It is the climate this place actually has.

Read Shanghai in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Shanghai weather by month

TemperatureRainfall

Source: MeteostatPeriod: 1991-2020Checked: 2 Sept 2026358 places covered

Average temperature and rainfall, month by month

Every figure below is a 1991–2020 climate normal for Shanghai, in °C and °F. Open a month for what to expect and what to pack.

Shanghai weather by month: average temperature, rainfall, sunshine for each month, from 1991–2020 climate normals
MonthAverageRainfall
January6°C / 42°F69 mm
February7°C / 45°F65 mm
March11°C / 52°F88 mm
April16°C / 62°F72 mm
May22°C / 71°F84 mm
June25°C / 77°F192 mm
July30°C / 85°F151 mm
August29°C / 85°F216 mm
September25°C / 77°F97 mm
October20°C / 68°F64 mm
November14°C / 58°F53 mm
December8°C / 47°F43 mm

Where to stay in Shanghai

Dates are a starting point for April.

All hotels in Shanghai

Travel guides for Shanghai

What to read before you book.

All travel guides in Shanghai

Check another month

Now pick a month.

FAQs about Shanghai weather

Climate averages for Shanghai, 1991–2020.

The best time to visit Shanghai is between April and June, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

July is the hottest month, with an average around 30°C.

August is the wettest month, with about 216 mm of rain.

Shanghai has a distinct rainy season from June to August, peaking in August at about 216 mm. The dry season runs from September to May.

January is the coolest month, averaging 6°C (42°F) against 30°C (85°F) in July.

This page does not show today's weather. It is a 1991–2020 climate normal from Meteostat — a long-run average of what each month is usually like, which is what you want when booking ahead. For today or the coming week, check a live forecast.

No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.