May brings 23°C daytime highs, 84mm of precipitation across about 9 wet days and 13.6 hours of daylight — best for hiking, cycling and reliable sunshine. The strongest run of the year is October to December. July is the quietest month: quiet and local, and still good for beach days, swimming and quiet and local.
Long-run climate normals for Shanghai. Month ratings compare months within Shanghai only — they are not a ranking of Shanghai against other destinations, and they are not a forecast for a specific year.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Best month | May — Hiking, Cycling, Reliable sunshine |
| Best 3-month window | October–December |
| Quietest month | July — Quiet and local |
| Driest month | December — 42mm |
| Wettest month | June — 160mm |
| Warmest / coolest | July 32°C / February 8°C |
| Seasonality | Fairly even across the year |
| Annual rainfall | 1159mm over roughly 113 rain days |
July gets roughly 75% more precipitation than May — 147mm against 84mm. That difference, more than temperature, is what changes how a day here feels.
Shanghai swings 24°C between July (32°C) and February (8°C) — the month you pick changes what you pack more than where you go.
June gives you 14 hours of daylight against just 10 in December — a 4-hour difference in how much you can actually fit into a day.
December is the driest month at 42mm across roughly 4 wet days, while June peaks at 160mm.
November is almost as good as May, but usually quieter and cheaper. If your dates are flexible, it is the easier trip.
Shanghai stays fairly consistent all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Ratings compare months within Shanghai, not against destinations worldwide: five stars means the best time to be here, not that Shanghai beats anywhere else. Tags describe what the conditions actually suit.
| Month | Rating | High / Low | Precipitation | Wet days | Sun | Daylight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ★★☆☆☆ | 8°C / 1°C | 74mm | 8 | 5h | 10.2h | Low-angle light · Quiet and local |
| February | ★★☆☆☆ | 8°C / 1°C | 59mm | 6 | 5h | 10.9h | Low-angle light · Quiet and local |
| March | ★★★☆☆ | 12°C / 4°C | 84mm | 9 | 5h | 11.8h | Spring greenery |
| April | ★★★☆☆ | 17°C / 10°C | 94mm | 10 | 6h | 12.8h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| May | ★★★★★ | 23°C / 15°C | 84mm | 9 | 10h | 13.6h | Hiking · Cycling · Reliable sunshine |
| June | ★★★☆☆ | 28°C / 21°C | 160mm | 17 | 11h | 14h | Quiet and local |
| July | ★★☆☆☆ | 32°C / 24°C | 147mm | 15 | 5h | 13.8h | Beach days · Swimming · Quiet and local |
| August | ★★☆☆☆ | 32°C / 24°C | 133mm | 14 | 5h | 13.1h | Beach days · Swimming · Quiet and local |
| September | ★★★☆☆ | 28°C / 21°C | 87mm | 9 | 5h | 12.2h | Beach days · Swimming |
| October | ★★★★☆ | 23°C / 15°C | 64mm | 7 | 4h | 11.2h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| November | ★★★★★ | 17°C / 10°C | 51mm | 5 | 9h | 10.4h | Hiking · Cycling · Reliable sunshine |
| December | ★★★★☆ | 12°C / 4°C | 42mm | 4 | 8h | 10h | Festive season · Low-angle light |
| You are planning | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun & beach days | November | 9h daily sunshine, 17°C highs and only 5 rain days. |
| City walking & sightseeing | October | 23°C highs with 11.2h of daylight — long days without heat fatigue. |
| Photography & light | May | 10h of sun and 13.6h daylight give the widest window for golden-hour work. |
| Value & fewer crowds | December | Scores 68/100 — close to peak conditions but outside the busiest window. |
| Cooler-weather travel | November | 17°C highs and 10°C nights suit anyone who dislikes heat. |
Each month in Shanghai is described from long-run climate normals and then rated relative to the other eleven months in the same city. A five-star January in a cold destination means January is one of the best times to be there — not that it beats a Mediterranean summer.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Described | Average daytime high and overnight low for the month, shown as measured rather than judged. |
| Precipitation | Described | Monthly millimetres and wet-day count, labelled as snow or rain/snow where temperatures make that the likely phase. |
| Sunshine & daylight | Described | Average daily sunshine hours and astronomical daylight length at mid-month, from the city’s latitude. |
| “Best for” tags | Derived | Applied only when the conditions genuinely support the activity — snow depth-friendly cold for skiing, 13–24°C and low rain risk for hiking, dark evenings at high latitude for aurora. A month with few strong use cases gets fewer tags rather than padded ones. |
| Star rating | Relative | Ranks the month against the other eleven months in the same city. Never a comparison between cities. |
Figures are long-run climate averages, not a forecast for a specific year. Where a month lacks sourced rainfall or humidity, the value is modelled from temperature range and rain frequency.
May is the best all-round month in Shanghai: 23°C highs, 84mm of precipitation and 13.6 hours of daylight, which suits hiking, cycling and reliable sunshine. The strongest three-month window is October to December.
July — 32°C highs, 147mm of precipitation over roughly 15 days and 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the cheapest and least crowded time to go, and it still works for beach days, swimming and quiet and local.
December is the driest month at 42mm over about 4 rain days, against 160mm in June. Across the year Shanghai records around 1159mm.
Yes — conditions in Shanghai stay fairly even all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Daylight ranges from 10 hours in December to 14 hours in June, calculated from the city's latitude.