Dunhuang weather in April

In April, Dunhuang sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 7°C, with 2 mm of precipitation across 0.7 wet days and about 13 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 19°C in the first days to 24°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in April, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of April to 13 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, April is Dunhuang's 8th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dunhuang's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
6th warmest
Overnight low
7th coldest
Precipitation
2 mm
0.7 wet days
Daylight
13 h 06 min
7:10 AM – 8:13 PM
Cloud cover
44%
8th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
6.7 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.2
out of 10

Temperature in April

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 19°C in the first days to 24°C by the end.

A typical April day in Dunhuang reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 7°C overnight — a 15°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, April runs about 8°C warmer than March and about 6°C cooler than May.

10°20°30°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1184
2194
3194
4194
5194
6195
7205
8205
9205
10206
11206
12216
13216
14217
15217
16227
17227
18228
19238
20238
21238
22239
23249
24249
25249
262410
272410
282510
292510
302510

How April really feels in Dunhuang

Once humidity and wind are folded in, April averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

April sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Dunhuang weather by month

How April compares with the rest of the year at a glance. April is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-1° / -12°10.10.39.50.0
Feb / -7°10.20.210.40.8
Mar14° / -1°20.50.511.75.0
Apr22° / 20.70.1138.2
May27° / 13°51014.27.7
Jun32° / 19°81.6014.85.1
Jul34° / 21°71.4014.63.9
Aug32° / 19°51013.64.9
Sep27° / 12°30.5012.38.1
Oct19° / 10.4010.97.7
Nov / -4°10.30.39.82.2
Dec / -10°10.40.79.20.0

Cloud cover in April

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in April.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of April, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 38%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16238
26238
36238
46139
56238
66238
76238
86139
96238
106238
116238
126238
136238
146238
156337
166337
176337
186337
196238
206238
216238
226337
236337
246337
256238
266238
276238
286238
296238
306238

Chance of precipitation in April

Any precipitation

Dunhuang gets around 2 mm of rain and snow over 0.7 wet days in April. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 2% and peaks near 4% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
12
22
32
42
52
62
72
82
93
103
112
122
132
142
152
162
172
182
192
202
212
222
232
242
252
263
273
283
293
304

Humidity in April

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of April feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, April lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100

Wind in April

Winds average 15 km/h in April, the windiest month of the year.

Across April, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in April

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of April to 13 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 72 minutes over April. Sunrise moves from 7:34 AM to 6:49 AM, and sunset from 7:58 PM to 8:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.47:347:58
212.47:327:59
312.57:318:00
412.57:298:01
512.67:278:02
612.67:268:03
712.77:248:04
812.77:228:05
912.87:218:06
1012.87:198:07
1112.87:188:08
1212.97:168:09
1312.97:148:10
1413.07:138:11
1513.07:118:12
1613.17:108:13
1713.17:088:14
1813.17:078:15
1913.27:058:16
2013.27:048:17
2113.37:028:19
2213.37:018:20
2313.46:598:21
2413.46:588:22
2513.46:568:23
2613.56:558:24
2713.56:538:25
2813.66:528:26
2913.66:518:27
3013.66:498:28

Solar energy in April

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in April, about 6.7 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.44 kWh/m² to a high of 7.48 kWh/m² in June across the year — April's 6.7 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

02468151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.3Intense
56.3Intense
66.3Intense
76.4Intense
86.4Intense
96.5Intense
106.5Intense
116.5Intense
126.6Intense
136.6Intense
146.6Intense
156.7Intense
166.7Intense
176.7Intense
186.8Intense
196.8Intense
206.8Intense
216.9Intense
226.9Intense
236.9Intense
247.0Intense
257.0Intense
267.0Intense
277.0Intense
287.0Intense
297.0Intense
307.1Intense
Planning a trip in April

Hazard calendar for Dunhuang

In seasonPeak

In April, Dunhuang sits inside its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Dunhuang sees dust haze year-round, heaviest in May.

Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is April a good time to visit Dunhuang?

Our two travel scores rate April for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

8.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.3
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

April is one of the better times to visit Dunhuang for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Dunhuang in April

From April's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In April, Dunhuang sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 7°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer.

sun protectiona warm layer

UV index in Dunhuang in April

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in April peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dunhuang peaks around July 16 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highModerateJul 16UV 10Jan 11UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7High
May7High
Jun10Very high
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Dunhuang in April

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where April falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Dunhuang is worst in March — around 276 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 2.2× the cleanest month (December, 125 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0306090120150180210240270JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery unhealthyUnhealthyVery unhealthyUnhealthyVery unhealthyUnhealthyMar 19268 µg/m³Dec 13129 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan179Very unhealthy
Feb180Very unhealthy
Mar276Very unhealthy
Apr222Very unhealthy
May218Very unhealthy
Jun139Unhealthy
Jul136Unhealthy
Aug169Very unhealthy
Sep133Unhealthy
Oct167Very unhealthy
Nov145Unhealthy
Dec125Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Dunhuang?

Dunhuang sits at 40.2°N, 94.7°E, 1,131 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Jiayuguan, 309 km away.

JiayuguanTurpanAltaiUrumqiBogdHovdBayanhongorUliastay

Topography around Dunhuang

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Dunhuang.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Dunhuang has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 31 m around an average of 1,129 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 582 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,435 m.

The land around Dunhuang is covered by cropland (54%) within 3 km, bare terrain (56%) and cropland (31%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (95%) within 80 km.

3 km
31 m
16 km
582 m
80 km
3,435 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
April weather nearby: Jiayuguan 309 km · Turpan 552 km · Altai 702 km · Urumqi 711 km · Bogd 792 km · Hovd 806 km · Bayanhongor 829 km · Uliastay 860 km

China travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / I
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 47% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$13,862
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.5
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
17.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 464
Religion
unaffiliated 52%folk religion 22%Buddhist 18%Christian 5%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Dunhuang (40.1667°, 94.6833°, elevation 1,131 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).