Shanghai monthly weather averages

What's the weather like in Shanghai?

Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate with hot and humid summers and cool, dry winters. The city experiences four distinct seasons, including a chilly autumn/fall and a warm spring. Temperatures in Shanghai can range from -2.7° (27.1°) in January to 34.7° (94.5°) in July. However, average temperatures of 4 °C (39 °F) are more common for the coldest month and 29 °C (84 °F) for the warmest.

Rainfall in Shanghai is abundant throughout the year, with the majority of precipitation falling between April and June. Shanghai receives an average of 1,200 mm (47 inches) of precipitation per year. The city also experiences occasional typhoons during the summer and autumn months.

Shanghai's air quality has been steadily improving since the 1990s, when industrial pollution was particularly bad. However, air pollution is still a problem, especially during the winter months, when coal burning for heating is common.

Overall, Shanghai has a generally pleasant climate, with warm and humid summers and cool and dry winters.

Average daytime temperature

The bar chart below shows the average monthly peak daytime temperatures at Shanghai

Shanghai average temperature chart (Celsius) Shanghai average temperature chart (Fahrenheit)
Average monthly temperatures in Shanghai (degrees centigrade and fahrenheit)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
°C 7.2 7.9 12.2 18.2 23.1 26.7 31.2 31.2 27 21.9 16.4 10.1
°F 45 46.3 53.9 64.8 73.6 80 88.2 88.2 80.7 71.4 61.5 50.1

Please note: these are the average peak daytime temperatures (usually around mid-afternoon) so do not show daytime / night highs and lows. To see the daily range of temperatures have a look at the temperature max / min chart below.

Average rainfall & rainy days

The graph below shows the average rainfall and number of rainy days per month.

Shanghai monthly rainfall chart (mm) Shanghai monthly rainfall chart (inches)
Average monthly rainfall in Shanghai (mm and inches)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
mm 43 60 84 103 115 159 135 136 152 58 52 37
inches 1.7 2.4 3.3 4 4.5 6.3 5.3 5.3 6 2.3 2 1.4
Rainy days 11 12 14 15 15 15 12 11 13 12 11 10

Average annual rainfall in Shanghai: 1286.767mm (506.6 inches)

Average daily sunshine

The bar chart below shows the average daily sunshine hours in Shanghai

Shanghai average daily sunshine chart
Average daily sunshine Shanghai
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Hrs sunshine 4.8 4.5 4.9 5.6 6.1 5.9 7.8 8.3 6 5.8 5.4 5.3

Day / night temperatures

The graph below shows the daily range of temperatures for each month.

Shanghai average minimum / maximum temperatures (Celsius) Shanghai average minimum / maximum temperatures (Fahrenheit)
Maximum and minimum daily temperatures in Shanghai (degrees centigrade and fahrenheit)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Min °C 0.2 1.1 4.9 10.4 15.5 20 24.6 24.6 20.6 14.6 8.6 2.2
Max °C 7.4 8.1 12.4 18.4 23.3 26.9 31.4 31.4 27.2 22.1 16.6 10.3
Min °F 32.4 34 40.7 50.7 59.9 67.9 76.3 76.3 69.1 58.2 47.5 35.9
Max °F 38.8 40.3 47.5 57.9 66.9 74.1 82.4 82.4 75 64.9 54.7 43.2

Sea temperature

The graph below shows the average sea temperature.

Shanghai average sea temperature chart (Celsius) Shanghai average sea temperature chart (Fahrenheit)
Average sea temperature around Shanghai in degrees centigrade and fahrenheit
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
°C 8.6 7 8.2 11.5 16.9 21.7 25.5 27.3 25.4 22 18 12.9
°F 47.5 44.5 46.7 52.6 62.4 71 78 81.1 77.8 71.6 64.5 55.3

Wind speed

The graph below shows the average wind speed.

Shanghai average winspeed by month (km/h) Shanghai average winspeed by month (mph)
Average wind speed in Shanghai (mph and kmh)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
km/h 11 11 12 12 11 10 11 11 10 10 10 10
mph 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6

A monthly average windspeed of over 16km/h or 10mph suggests a location is fairly windy.

Relative humidity

The graph below shows the average relative humidity.

Shanghai relative humidity averages
Average relative humidity in Shanghai
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
74% 75% 76% 77% 78% 81% 81% 80% 80% 77% 76% 74%
Shanghai

Other monthly averages

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Shanghai weather stats

Shanghai weather statistics
Hottest month: July 31.2°C 88.2°F
Driest month: December 37mm 1.5ins
Sunniest month: August 8.3hrs
Coldest month: January 7.2°C 45°F
Wettest month: June 159mm 6.3ins
Warmest sea: August 27.3°C 81.1°F
Map showing location of Shanghai (31.22222, 121.45806) Shanghai map pin © Google

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