Best Time to Visit Shanghai

Photo by Li Yang on Unsplash

Late October and November are the best time to visit Shanghai. October runs 26.0°C / 78.8°F by day and 19.9°C / 67.8°F at night with only 41.0mm of rain across 7 days, and November cools to 18.2°C / 64.8°F with 12.4mm over 6 days — the driest stretch of the entire warm season. April is the spring equivalent at 25.2°C / 77.4°F and just 51.3mm across 4 days, though it's a narrow window before May's rain picks up.

The best months: October, November, and April

Shanghai's autumn is genuinely the reason to plan around this city. In October, highs of 26.0°C / 78.8°F and lows of 19.9°C / 67.8°F mean you never need a jacket during the day and rarely need one at night. The 41.0mm of rain falls across 7 days — spread thin, roughly a quarter of the month has some rain, and none of it is heavy. That's an average of under 6mm per rainy day, which is drizzle-and-move-on territory, not a washout.

November is the driest month worth traveling in. 12.4mm across 6 days is almost nothing — those "rainy days" are mostly grey mornings that produce a few millimetres. The tradeoff is temperature: 18.2°C / 64.8°F high, 10.1°C / 50.2°F low. That's a 8.1-degree daily swing, so a sweater in the morning and shirtsleeves at 2pm. For anyone who wants to walk the Bund, wander the French Concession, and spend six hours on their feet without sweating through a shirt, November is the month.

April is the spring counterpart and the warmest of the three at 25.2°C / 77.4°F. What makes it work is the rain pattern: 51.3mm across only 4 days. More total water than October but concentrated into fewer days — meaning three or four properly wet days and 26 dry ones. Lows of 13.2°C / 55.8°F make evenings cool enough for a light jacket. If you're coming for the gardens and blossom season, this is your month, and the 11.9-degree gap between the daytime high and nighttime low is the largest of any month here, so pack for both.

Months to avoid: June through September

June is the single worst month. 311.9mm of rain across 21 days — that's more rain than October, November, December, January, February, and April combined, falling on seven days out of ten. This is the plum rain season (梅雨), and unlike a tropical afternoon thunderstorm, it's genuinely persistent: grey, humid, drizzling for days at a stretch. The 28.6°C / 83.5°F high combined with a 22.1°C / 71.8°F low means it never cools down at night either. You'll be damp and warm simultaneously for most of your trip.

July brings 233.0mm over 17 days at 33.2°C / 91.8°F, and this is a different kind of wet. 233mm across 17 days is about 13.7mm per rainy day — heavier per event than June's 14.9mm but on fewer days, which is the signature of afternoon convective storms rather than all-day drizzle. Practically: mornings are usable, then a violent hour of rain around 3–5pm, then steam. Lows of 26.4°C / 79.5°F mean the city never cools off overnight.

August is the hottest month of the year at 35.5°C / 95.9°F with lows of 27.6°C / 81.5°F. The rain drops sharply to 73.0mm over 11 days, so it's actually the driest of the summer months — but that's not a recommendation. 35.5°C with high humidity and overnight lows that never fall below 27.6°C / 81.5°F means the city has no recovery period. Concrete holds heat. Walking tours become an exercise in finding the next air-conditioned building. The lower rain total means less relief, not more comfort.

September looks tempting on the temperature line — 31.8°C / 89.2°F is a real drop from August — but the rain returns hard: 153.6mm over 21 days. Same number of rainy days as June. Combined with lows of 25.1°C / 77.2°F, early September is still summer with more water. The month improves substantially in its final week, but a September booking is a gamble on which half you land in.

Shoulder season: March, May, and December

These are the months where prices drop and the weather is workable rather than ideal.

March at 16.8°C / 62.2°F high and 8.2°C / 46.8°F low is cool but comfortable for walking. The catch is 79.2mm across 9 days — nearly a third of the month has rain, at about 8.8mm per rainy day. That's steady, unremarkable spring rain. You'll want a jacket and a compact umbrella and you'll be fine. Crowds are thin, hotel rates are noticeably below the April spike, and the city looks good in the light.

May is the warmest shoulder month at 26.5°C / 79.7°F — actually warmer than October — with lows of 17.6°C / 63.8°F. The problem is that 114.1mm falls over 9 days, which is 12.7mm per rainy day. May is where the plum rain starts leaning in. Early May is usually fine; late May starts feeling like June. If you're booking May, book the first half.

December is the driest month of the year: 6.6mm across 2 days. Two rainy days in an entire month. Highs of 14.0°C / 57.2°F and lows of 5.9°C / 42.6°F mean a proper coat, but the daytime is completely walkable and you get near-guaranteed dry weather. For anyone who prioritizes not getting rained on over being warm, December is a strong and consistently underrated choice.

What each season actually means for your trip

Spring (March–May). Layers. March's 8.2°C / 46.8°F mornings warm to 16.8°C / 62.2°F afternoons, so you'll be carrying whatever you took off. By April the 25.2°C / 77.4°F days are shirtsleeve weather but 13.2°C / 55.8°F evenings need a jacket. You'll be doing gardens — Yuyuan, the water towns, Century Park — and outdoor cafés. Bring a packable rain shell rather than a bulky coat; the rain here is frequent-but-light, not torrential.

Summer (June–August). This is a "plan around the weather" season, not a "walk everywhere" season. June's 21 rainy days mean an umbrella lives in your bag permanently. July and August at 33.2–35.5°C / 91.8–95.9°F with overnight lows of 26.4–27.6°C / 79.5–81.5°F mean you should be structuring days around indoor anchors: the Shanghai Museum, malls on Nanjing Road, the Power Station of Art, long lunches. Quick-dry fabrics only — cotton stays wet. Two shirts a day is realistic. If you must travel in summer, August's 73.0mm over 11 days is the least rainy of the three, but you're trading rain for the year's peak heat.

Autumn (September–November). September's 153.6mm over 21 days is still a summer pattern; October and November are the payoff. October at 26.0°C / 78.8°F with 19.9°C / 67.8°F nights is single-layer weather for 12 hours a day. November's 10.1°C / 50.2°F lows mean a mid-weight jacket in the morning that comes off by noon. This is when you walk the Bund at night, do the full French Concession loop on foot, and take a day trip to Suzhou or Zhujiajiao without weather being a factor.

Winter (December–February). Cold but remarkably dry. December's 6.6mm over 2 days and January's 12.4mm over 2 days are the two driest months of the year. Highs of 14.0°C / 57.2°F in December and 10.9°C / 50.0°F in January with lows of 5.9°C / 42.6°F and 2.5°C / 36.5°F mean a real winter coat, but Shanghai's damp cold feels worse than the number suggests — buildings are often under-heated and the humidity cuts through. Thermal base layer, insulated coat, gloves. February is the coldest and wettest of the three at 9.8°C / 49.6°F high and 26.2mm over 4 days. In exchange: the lowest prices of the year and the shortest queues at everything.

Month-by-month

• January — 10.9°C / 51.6°F high, 2.5°C / 36.5°F low, 12.4mm over 2 days. Cold and very dry. Coat weather, but you won't get rained on.
• February — 9.8°C / 49.6°F high, 2.3°C / 36.1°F low, 26.2mm over 4 days. Coldest month of the year. Cheapest month too.
• March — 16.8°C / 62.2°F high, 8.2°C / 46.8°F low, 79.2mm over 9 days. Comfortable walking temperatures, but rain a third of the days.
• April — 25.2°C / 77.4°F high, 13.2°C / 55.8°F low, 51.3mm over 4 days. Warm days, cool nights, only four wet days. One of the three best months.
• May — 26.5°C / 79.7°F high, 17.6°C / 63.8°F low, 114.1mm over 9 days. Warm and increasingly wet as the month goes on. Book the first half.
• June — 28.6°C / 83.5°F high, 22.1°C / 71.8°F low, 311.9mm over 21 days. Plum rain season. The worst month by a wide margin.
• July — 33.2°C / 91.8°F high, 26.4°C / 79.5°F low, 233.0mm over 17 days. Hot with heavy afternoon storms.
• August — 35.5°C / 95.9°F high, 27.6°C / 81.5°F low, 73.0mm over 11 days. Hottest month of the year. Drier than June or July, but that doesn't help.
• September — 31.8°C / 89.2°F high, 25.1°C / 77.2°F low, 153.6mm over 21 days. Still summer, with rain on 21 days. Improves late in the month.
• October — 26.0°C / 78.8°F high, 19.9°C / 67.8°F low, 41.0mm over 7 days. The best all-round month.
• November — 18.2°C / 64.8°F high, 10.1°C / 50.2°F low, 12.4mm over 6 days. Cool, crisp, and nearly dry. Best month for walking.
• December — 14.0°C / 57.2°F high, 5.9°C / 42.6°F low, 6.6mm over 2 days. Driest month of the year. Cold but dependable.

FAQ

What is the rainiest month in Shanghai?

June, by a large margin — 311.9mm across 21 days. That's more than double July's 233.0mm and roughly 47 times December's 6.6mm. June is the plum rain season, when a stationary front parks over the Yangtze delta and produces days of continuous drizzle rather than short storms. September ties June on rainy days (21) but delivers 153.6mm, about half the volume.

Is it too hot to visit Shanghai in August?

For most people, yes. August highs of 35.5°C / 95.9°F are the year's peak, and the more punishing number is the low: 27.6°C / 81.5°F. The city doesn't cool down overnight, so there's no recovery between days of walking. August's rain is comparatively light at 73.0mm over 11 days, so you won't be rained out — you'll be worn out. If August is your only option, plan mornings and evenings outdoors and book indoor attractions for 12pm–5pm.

Is Shanghai worth visiting in winter?

Yes, if you can handle the cold. December (6.6mm over 2 days) and January (12.4mm over 2 days) are the two driest months of the year — you're almost guaranteed dry weather. Highs of 14.0°C / 57.2°F and 10.9°C / 51.6°F are cold but perfectly walkable in a proper coat. Prices and crowds are at their annual low. The main caveat is that Shanghai's cold is damp, so 5.9°C / 42.6°F here feels sharper than the same number in a dry climate.

April or October — which is better?

October, narrowly. October is 26.0°C / 78.8°F with 19.9°C / 67.8°F nights and 41.0mm over 7 days; April is 25.2°C / 77.4°F with 13.2°C / 55.8°F nights and 51.3mm over 4 days. Almost identical daytime temperatures. October wins on evenings — 19.9°C / 67.8°F is outdoor-dinner weather, while April's 13.2°C / 55.8°F needs a jacket. April wins if you specifically want fewer rainy days (4 vs 7) or you're coming for spring blossom. Rain on either month is manageable; the evening temperature is the real differentiator.