Best Time to Visit Shanghai: Weather Month by Month

Q: What is the best time to visit Shanghai?

September is the best month with 28.0°C highs, 22.0°C lows, 5.6h of sunshine and 33.0% rainy days. The months of September & May offer comparable conditions.

Q: How many hours of sunshine does Shanghai get in September?

Shanghai averages 5.6 sunshine hours per day in September. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 7.6/10.

Q: What is the rainiest month in Shanghai?

January is the most unfavourable month with January has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

Q: What are the temperatures at night in Shanghai in September?

In September, overnight lows reach 22.0°C, while afternoon highs average 28.0°C.

Q: Is Shanghai good in winter?

In winter (December-February), Shanghai scores 4.0/10 on average — Difficult period — prefer the peak season.. The best month overall remains September with a score of 7.6/10.

Q: When should you avoid Shanghai?

January is the most difficult month to visit Shanghai, with January has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.

Decide

When to visit Shanghai?

The decision rests on several criteria. Climate score, tourist crowds and feasible activities.

Verdict: In Shanghai, May and September clearly stand out. February concentrates the least favourable conditions.

Top & avoid

🏆 May · 8.1 September · 8.1 October · 8.0 June · 7.8 ⚠️ February · 4.1

4.1

Jan

4.1

Feb

4.3

Mar

7.5

Apr

8.1

May

7.8

Jun

4.9

Jul

5.0

Aug

8.1

Sep

8.0

Oct

7.3

Nov

4.2

Dec

Best period · ≥ 7 Decent period · 4 – 7 Tough conditions · < 4

What you grasp in 5 seconds

Shanghai offers 6 comfortable months, without any month really to avoid. The gap stays moderate: 8.1 in May vs 4.1 in February.

What to check next

Your tolerance for crowds and budget. The best months concentrate tourist saturation and higher prices. Shoulder seasons offer a good compromise.

Next action

Scroll down to the detailed table to compare month by month, then open the page of the month that interests you.

Compare the 12 months By your project

How we calculate the score

The score combines 4 weighted criteria using 10 years of real climate data (ERA5).

Source : ERA5 · Open-Meteo · 10 years (2016–2025) · Full methodology →

Understand

Compare all 12 months

Month-by-month details: temperature, rain, sunshine, score and verdict.

✅ 6 comfortable months (Apr · May · Jun · Sep · Oct · Nov)

Month	T° min	T° max	Rain %	mm/day	Sun	Score	Verdict
🌥️ January →	2°C	9°C	17%	2.1mm	3.7h	4.1/10	Decent period
🌥️ February →	3°C	10°C	19%	2.2mm	4.2h	4.1/10	Decent period
🌥️ March →	7°C	15°C	21%	2.6mm	4.1h	4.3/10	Decent period
☀️ April →	12°C	20°C	22%	3.4mm	5.0h	7.5/10	Best period
☀️ May →	16°C	25°C	25%	4.1mm	5.5h	8.1/10	Best period
☀️ June →	21°C	28°C	39%	8.1mm	4.4h	7.8/10	Best period
🌥️ July →	26°C	32°C	39%	7.1mm	6.2h	4.9/10	Decent period
🌥️ August →	26°C	32°C	30%	4.0mm	6.0h	5.0/10	Decent period
☀️ September →	22°C	28°C	33%	6.1mm	5.6h	8.1/10	Best period
☀️ October →	16°C	22°C	17%	2.5mm	5.2h	8.0/10	Best period
⛅ November →	10°C	18°C	18%	2.3mm	4.4h	7.3/10	Best period
🌥️ December →	4°C	11°C	13%	1.3mm	4.1h	4.2/10	Decent period

🌥️ January

4.1/10

T°2°C / 9°C

Rain %17%

Sun3.7h

Decent period

🌥️ February

4.1/10

T°3°C / 10°C

Rain %19%

Sun4.2h

Decent period

🌥️ March

4.3/10

T°7°C / 15°C

Rain %21%

Decent period

Rain %22%

Best period

Rain %25%

Best period

Rain %39%

Best period

Rain %39%

Decent period

Rain %30%

Decent period

Rain %33%

Best period

Rain %17%

Best period

Rain %18%

Best period

T°4°C / 11°C

Rain %13%

Sun4.1h

Decent period

📊 Quick read

Optimal window

Apr → Jun

Good transition

Mar · Jul · Aug · Dec

Tough period

none

🌡️ Detailed conditions (May)

🌡️ Feel

Comfortable

☀️ UV

6.7 · Moderate-Strong

💧 Humidity feel

16°C · Pleasant

☔ Rain

25% · 4.1 mm/day

🌅 Sunshine

5.5h/day

Week by week

Shanghai week by week: your odds of avoiding rain

For each week of the year: in how many years out of 10 it was mostly dry (at most 2 rainy days), 2016 to 2025.

Safest week: Oct 29 to Nov 4, mostly dry in 10 years out of 10 (0.5 rainy day(s) on average).

Most exposed: Jun 18 to Jun 24, mostly dry in 2 years out of 10 (3.7 rainy days on average).

Number = years out of 10 with at most 2 rainy days in the week. Source: ERA5 reanalysis (ECMWF) via Open-Meteo, daily data 2016-2025. Rainy day = at least 1 mm, as everywhere on the site.
Jan	Jan 18/1011°C	Jan 88/109°C	Jan 159/109°C	Jan 227/108°C	Jan 299/109°C
Feb	Feb 57/109°C	Feb 129/1012°C	Feb 197/1011°C	Feb 268/1014°C
Mar	Mar 510/1014°C	Mar 1210/1016°C	Mar 196/1016°C	Mar 269/1018°C
Apr	Apr 26/1019°C	Apr 910/1021°C	Apr 167/1022°C	Apr 237/1022°C	Apr 307/1024°C
May	May 79/1024°C	May 148/1026°C	May 218/1026°C	May 287/1027°C
Jun	Jun 47/1027°C	Jun 116/1028°C	Jun 182/1028°C	Jun 253/1030°C
Jul	Jul 23/1032°C	Jul 93/1032°C	Jul 167/1033°C	Jul 235/1033°C	Jul 307/1033°C
Aug	Aug 65/1034°C	Aug 138/1033°C	Aug 204/1033°C	Aug 274/1031°C
Sep	Sep 36/1030°C	Sep 103/1029°C	Sep 174/1027°C	Sep 249/1027°C
Oct	Oct 18/1026°C	Oct 89/1024°C	Oct 157/1022°C	Oct 229/1021°C	Oct 2910/1021°C
Nov	Nov 58/1019°C	Nov 127/1018°C	Nov 198/1016°C	Nov 268/1015°C
Dec	Dec 38/1013°C	Dec 108/1012°C	Dec 179/1010°C	Dec 2410/1010°C

A specific date? The app computes the same figure day by day.

10-year trend

Annual temperatures — Shanghai

Min/max temperature curves observed over the past 10 years (ERA5). Shows climate stability and trend.

Tailor

For your trip

A few angles depending on what kind of trip you are planning.

🏖️ Beaches: Jun-Sept🌊 Swell: Sept-Mar🚤 Water activities

Book

Plan your trip

Hotels at their lowest outside peak season, highest on comfortable months. Shoulder seasons offer a good price/climate compromise.

🏨

Stay

Hotels & rentals · Shanghai

Expedia →

🎟️

Activities

Tours, tickets, experiences

See ↓

✈️

Flights

Multi-airline comparator

Kiwi →

🎟️ Activities & tours · Shanghai

GetYourGuide selection · free cancellation

See all →

Affiliate link · GetYourGuide

Practical info

What you need to know before you go

Three angles: the country (language, currency, safety, budget), the year-round climate, and the specifics of a beach holiday.

Country · China

🗣️LanguageMandarin

💶CurrencyYuan renminbi (¥)

🚗DrivingRight-hand

🛡️Safety ⓘVery safe · 1/5

💰Cost of living ⓘCheap · 2/5

🌡️ Climate

🌍Climate typeTemperate oceanic

📈Climate trend ⓘ+1.42°C/decade

🔥Hottest monthJuly · 32°C

❄️Coolest monthJanuary · 9°C

🌧️Rainiest month ⓘJune · 39%

🏖️ Beach holiday

📅Peak seasonJuin → Sept

🏖️Swell (Sept–Mar) ⓘModérée

Explore

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🗺️ Climate map of 754 destinations

Location

Where is Shanghai ?

Global position + regional geographic context.

🌍 World

🔍 Geographic context

Temperate oceanic climate with a 8.1 → 4.1 gap between best and worst month. 10 years of ERA5 data to choose by project.

31.23°N · 121.47°E

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to visit Shanghai?

September is the best month with 28.0°C highs, 22.0°C lows, 5.6h of sunshine and 33.0% rainy days. The months of September & May offer comparable conditions.

How many hours of sunshine does Shanghai get in September?

Shanghai averages 5.6 sunshine hours per day in September. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 7.6/10.

What is the rainiest month in Shanghai?

January is the most unfavourable month with January has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

What are the temperatures at night in Shanghai in September?

In September, overnight lows reach 22.0°C, while afternoon highs average 28.0°C.

Is Shanghai good in winter?

In winter (December-February), Shanghai scores 4.0/10 on average — Difficult period — prefer the peak season.. The best month overall remains September with a score of 7.6/10.

When should you avoid Shanghai?

January is the most difficult month to visit Shanghai, with January has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.