Will It Rain in Beijing Today?

Beijing is mostly dry — rain falls on only about 18% of days

Beijing records about 571mm of rain across roughly 66 wet days a year, which is a 18% chance on an average day. July is the wettest month at 185mm (32% of the annual total) and January the driest at 3mm. Local rain type: monsoon. Beijing has a dramatic wet/dry split — July-August monsoon can be torrential while winter is bone-dry. Summer umbrellas are essential.

Chance of rain on an average day: 18%

Rainfall climatology for Beijing. The live hour-by-hour answer for today loads at the top of this page from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day — the figures below describe a typical year, not today.

Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.

Key numbers for Beijing

Annual rainfall571mm
Rain days per year66
Odds on an average day18%
Wettest monthJuly — 185mm over 21 days
Driest monthJanuary — 3mm over 1 days
Rain typemonsoon
Best dry windowSeptember through November offers the famous "Beijing autumn" — clear, dry, and comfortably cool.
Worst rain windowJuly and August bring over 60% of the year's total rainfall as heavy monsoon storms.

What the data actually tells you

Wettest against driest

July delivers 6067% more rain than January (185mm vs 3mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.

How concentrated the rain is

32% of the year's rain falls in July alone, so Beijing has a genuine wet season rather than evenly spread showers.

Umbrella or jacket

Beijing rain arrives in short, heavy bursts — shelter and timing matter more than gear.

Wet-day frequency

Rain falls on about 21 days in July against 1 in January — the frequency swing matters more for planning than the millimetre totals.

Monthly rainfall in Beijing

Climate normals. Use them to judge whether today's live forecast at the top of the page is typical or unusual for the season.

MonthRainfallRain daysChance on a given dayHighs
January3mm13%2°C
February6mm13%2°C
March8mm13%6°C
April22mm310%13°C
May34mm413%20°C
June78mm930%27°C
July185mm2170%31°C
August160mm1963%31°C
September46mm517%27°C
October17mm27%20°C
November8mm13%13°C
December3mm13%6°C

Planning around rain in Beijing

How we turn rain data into a yes or no

Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Beijing we combine the hourly probability curve, expected volume in millimetres, and the city's own rainfall record into a single umbrella verdict.

FactorWeightWhat it measures
Hourly probability 40% Peak and sustained chance of measurable rain across the next 24 hours.
Expected volume 30% Total millimetres, which separates a passing shower from a genuine soaking.
Timing & duration 20% When rain starts, when it eases, and the longest continuous dry window.
Local rain type 10% Drizzle, brief showers, thunderstorms or monsoon — each needs different gear.

Live hourly values come from Open-Meteo and refresh through the day. Monthly rainfall figures are climate normals, so they describe a typical year rather than a forecast.

Frequently asked questions

How often does it rain in Beijing?

Beijing records rain on roughly 66 days a year — about a 18% chance on any given day — totalling around 571mm.

What is the rainiest month in Beijing?

July, with about 185mm over 21 rain days. That is 32% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.

When is the driest time in Beijing?

January is the driest month at 3mm across roughly 1 days. September through November offers the famous "Beijing autumn" — clear, dry, and comfortably cool.

Do I need an umbrella in Beijing?

Beijing has a dramatic wet/dry split — July-August monsoon can be torrential while winter is bone-dry. Summer umbrellas are essential.

Does a 40% rain probability mean it will rain for 40% of the day?

No. Probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm of rain falls at your location at some point in the period. Check the expected millimetres alongside it: 40% with 0.4mm is a passing shower, 40% with 12mm is a soaking.

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