Shanghai weather in August
In August, Shanghai sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 154 mm of rain across 14.8 wet days and about 13.1 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.
Highs ease over the month, from about 32°C in the first days to 30°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in August, and the air most often feels miserable.
Daylight stretches from about 13 h 30 min at the start of August to 12 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Shanghai's 6th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shanghai's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 31°
- 2nd warmest
- Overnight low
- 26°
- 12th coldest
- Rainfall
- 154 mm
- 14.8 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 h 06 min
- 5:24 AM – 6:33 PM
- Cloud cover
- 62%
- 6th clearest
- Wind
- 14 km/h
- 1st windiest
- Solar energy
- 4.98 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 3.9
- out of 10
Shanghai is provincial-level municipality in China.
- Air quality
- Very high
- PM2.5 37.7 µg/m³ · 2018
- Density
- 3,923/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1292
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in August
Highs ease over the month, from about 32°C in the first days to 30°C by the end.
A typical August day in Shanghai reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and about 4°C warmer than September.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Avg low (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32 | 27 |
| 2 | 32 | 27 |
| 3 | 32 | 27 |
| 4 | 32 | 27 |
| 5 | 32 | 27 |
| 6 | 32 | 27 |
| 7 | 32 | 27 |
| 8 | 32 | 27 |
| 9 | 32 | 27 |
| 10 | 32 | 27 |
| 11 | 32 | 27 |
| 12 | 32 | 27 |
| 13 | 31 | 26 |
| 14 | 31 | 26 |
| 15 | 31 | 26 |
| 16 | 31 | 26 |
| 17 | 31 | 26 |
| 18 | 31 | 26 |
| 19 | 31 | 26 |
| 20 | 31 | 26 |
| 21 | 31 | 26 |
| 22 | 31 | 26 |
| 23 | 31 | 26 |
| 24 | 31 | 26 |
| 25 | 30 | 25 |
| 26 | 30 | 25 |
| 27 | 30 | 25 |
| 28 | 30 | 25 |
| 29 | 30 | 25 |
| 30 | 30 | 25 |
| 31 | 30 | 25 |
How August really feels in Shanghai
Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in August is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Shanghai weather by month
How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8° / 3° | 63 | 8.4 | 0.5 | 10.2 | 1.5 |
| Feb | 10° / 4° | 62 | 8.7 | 0.5 | 10.9 | 2.2 |
| Mar | 14° / 7° | 96 | 11.3 | 0.1 | 11.8 | 3.8 |
| Apr | 19° / 12° | 104 | 10.2 | 0 | 12.7 | 5.9 |
| May | 24° / 17° | 127 | 10 | 0 | 13.6 | 6.7 |
| Jun | 27° / 22° | 270 | 14.5 | 0 | 14 | 5.4 |
| Jul | 31° / 26° | 157 | 13.9 | 0 | 13.8 | 3.8 |
| Aug | 31° / 26° | 154 | 14.8 | 0 | 13.1 | 3.9 |
| Sep | 27° / 22° | 106 | 10.9 | 0 | 12.2 | 6.1 |
| Oct | 23° / 17° | 61 | 6 | 0 | 11.2 | 7.4 |
| Nov | 17° / 11° | 56 | 7.4 | 0 | 10.4 | 5.8 |
| Dec | 11° / 5° | 45 | 6.7 | 0.3 | 10 | 3.0 |
Cloud cover in August
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in August.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 53%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 54 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 44 |
| Cloudier (%) | 46 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 56 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 54 | 46 |
| 2 | 53 | 47 |
| 3 | 53 | 47 |
| 4 | 53 | 47 |
| 5 | 52 | 48 |
| 6 | 51 | 49 |
| 7 | 51 | 49 |
| 8 | 50 | 50 |
| 9 | 49 | 51 |
| 10 | 49 | 51 |
| 11 | 48 | 52 |
| 12 | 48 | 52 |
| 13 | 48 | 52 |
| 14 | 47 | 53 |
| 15 | 47 | 53 |
| 16 | 47 | 53 |
| 17 | 45 | 55 |
| 18 | 45 | 55 |
| 19 | 45 | 55 |
| 20 | 44 | 56 |
| 21 | 44 | 56 |
| 22 | 44 | 56 |
| 23 | 44 | 56 |
| 24 | 43 | 57 |
| 25 | 43 | 57 |
| 26 | 43 | 57 |
| 27 | 42 | 58 |
| 28 | 42 | 58 |
| 29 | 42 | 58 |
| 30 | 43 | 57 |
| 31 | 44 | 56 |
Chance of precipitation in August
Shanghai gets around 154 mm of rain over 14.8 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 46% and peaks near 51% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 39 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 39 |
| 2 | 40 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 | 41 |
| 5 | 42 |
| 6 | 43 |
| 7 | 43 |
| 8 | 44 |
| 9 | 45 |
| 10 | 45 |
| 11 | 46 |
| 12 | 46 |
| 13 | 47 |
| 14 | 47 |
| 15 | 48 |
| 16 | 48 |
| 17 | 49 |
| 18 | 49 |
| 19 | 50 |
| 20 | 50 |
| 21 | 50 |
| 22 | 51 |
| 23 | 50 |
| 24 | 50 |
| 25 | 50 |
| 26 | 49 |
| 27 | 49 |
| 28 | 48 |
| 29 | 47 |
| 30 | 46 |
| 31 | 45 |
Humidity in August
Most of August feels miserable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, August lands in the miserable band about 72% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
| Oppressive (%) | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 |
| Miserable (%) | 91 | 89 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 84 | 82 | 81 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 76 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 69 | 67 | 65 | 63 | 62 | 59 | 57 | 55 | 51 | 49 | 47 | 44 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 91 |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 89 |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 89 |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 88 |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 87 |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 87 |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 86 |
| 8 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 85 |
| 9 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 84 |
| 10 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 82 |
| 11 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 81 |
| 12 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 79 |
| 13 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 78 |
| 14 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 77 |
| 15 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 76 |
| 16 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 74 |
| 17 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 73 |
| 18 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 72 |
| 19 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 71 |
| 20 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 69 |
| 21 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 67 |
| 22 | 1 | 6 | 28 | 65 |
| 23 | 1 | 7 | 29 | 63 |
| 24 | 1 | 8 | 29 | 62 |
| 25 | 2 | 10 | 29 | 59 |
| 26 | 2 | 11 | 30 | 57 |
| 27 | 2 | 13 | 30 | 55 |
| 28 | 3 | 15 | 31 | 51 |
| 29 | 3 | 16 | 31 | 49 |
| 30 | 4 | 18 | 31 | 47 |
| 31 | 4 | 20 | 32 | 44 |
Wind in August
Winds average 14 km/h in August, the windiest month of the year.
Across August, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | light breeze |
| 2 | 15 | light breeze |
| 3 | 15 | light breeze |
| 4 | 15 | light breeze |
| 5 | 15 | light breeze |
| 6 | 15 | light breeze |
| 7 | 15 | light breeze |
| 8 | 15 | light breeze |
| 9 | 14 | light breeze |
| 10 | 14 | light breeze |
| 11 | 14 | light breeze |
| 12 | 14 | light breeze |
| 13 | 14 | light breeze |
| 14 | 14 | light breeze |
| 15 | 14 | light breeze |
| 16 | 13 | light breeze |
| 17 | 13 | light breeze |
| 18 | 13 | light breeze |
| 19 | 13 | light breeze |
| 20 | 13 | light breeze |
| 21 | 13 | light breeze |
| 22 | 13 | light breeze |
| 23 | 13 | light breeze |
| 24 | 13 | light breeze |
| 25 | 13 | light breeze |
| 26 | 13 | light breeze |
| 27 | 13 | light breeze |
| 28 | 13 | light breeze |
| 29 | 13 | light breeze |
| 30 | 13 | light breeze |
| 31 | 13 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in August
Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of August to 12 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days shrink by about 48 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:14 AM to 5:33 AM, and sunset from 6:46 PM to 6:15 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.7 | 12.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:14 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:16 | 5:17 | 5:17 | 5:18 | 5:19 | 5:19 | 5:20 | 5:21 | 5:21 | 5:22 | 5:23 | 5:23 | 5:24 | 5:24 | 5:25 | 5:26 | 5:26 | 5:27 | 5:28 | 5:28 | 5:29 | 5:30 | 5:30 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:32 | 5:33 | 5:33 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:46 | 6:46 | 6:45 | 6:44 | 6:43 | 6:42 | 6:41 | 6:40 | 6:40 | 6:39 | 6:38 | 6:37 | 6:36 | 6:35 | 6:34 | 6:33 | 6:32 | 6:31 | 6:29 | 6:28 | 6:27 | 6:26 | 6:25 | 6:24 | 6:23 | 6:21 | 6:20 | 6:19 | 6:18 | 6:16 | 6:15 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.5 | 5:14 | 6:46 |
| 2 | 13.5 | 5:15 | 6:46 |
| 3 | 13.5 | 5:15 | 6:45 |
| 4 | 13.5 | 5:16 | 6:44 |
| 5 | 13.4 | 5:17 | 6:43 |
| 6 | 13.4 | 5:17 | 6:42 |
| 7 | 13.4 | 5:18 | 6:41 |
| 8 | 13.4 | 5:19 | 6:40 |
| 9 | 13.3 | 5:19 | 6:40 |
| 10 | 13.3 | 5:20 | 6:39 |
| 11 | 13.3 | 5:21 | 6:38 |
| 12 | 13.3 | 5:21 | 6:37 |
| 13 | 13.2 | 5:22 | 6:36 |
| 14 | 13.2 | 5:23 | 6:35 |
| 15 | 13.2 | 5:23 | 6:34 |
| 16 | 13.1 | 5:24 | 6:33 |
| 17 | 13.1 | 5:24 | 6:32 |
| 18 | 13.1 | 5:25 | 6:31 |
| 19 | 13.1 | 5:26 | 6:29 |
| 20 | 13.0 | 5:26 | 6:28 |
| 21 | 13.0 | 5:27 | 6:27 |
| 22 | 13.0 | 5:28 | 6:26 |
| 23 | 12.9 | 5:28 | 6:25 |
| 24 | 12.9 | 5:29 | 6:24 |
| 25 | 12.9 | 5:30 | 6:23 |
| 26 | 12.9 | 5:30 | 6:21 |
| 27 | 12.8 | 5:31 | 6:20 |
| 28 | 12.8 | 5:31 | 6:19 |
| 29 | 12.8 | 5:32 | 6:18 |
| 30 | 12.7 | 5:33 | 6:16 |
| 31 | 12.7 | 5:33 | 6:15 |
Solar energy in August
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 4.98 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.47 kWh/m² to a high of 5.31 kWh/m² in July across the year — August's 4.98 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 17 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 18 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 19 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 20 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 21 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 22 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 23 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 24 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 25 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 26 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 27 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 28 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 29 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 30 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 31 | 4.6 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Shanghai
In August, Shanghai sits inside its pacific typhoon and rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Shanghai sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.
Shanghai's rainy season runs May–August, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is August a good time to visit Shanghai?
Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
August is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Shanghai.
What to pack for Shanghai in August
From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In August, Shanghai sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 15 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Shanghai in August
The nearest coast averages about 28°C in August — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 23 km away) is warmest in August at about 28°C and coldest in February near 7°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from May 27 to Oct 25 — about 5 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 8 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 21 | 17 | 12 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Cool | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Bracing |
| Feb | 7 | Bracing |
| Mar | 10 | Bracing |
| Apr | 14 | Bracing |
| May | 19 | Cool |
| Jun | 22 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 26 | Warm |
| Aug | 28 | Warm |
| Sep | 26 | Warm |
| Oct | 21 | Refreshing |
| Nov | 17 | Cool |
| Dec | 12 | Bracing |
UV index in Shanghai in August
Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Shanghai peaks around August 16 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | High | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4 | Moderate |
| Mar | 6 | High |
| Apr | 7 | High |
| May | 7 | Very high |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 10 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 5 | Moderate |
| Nov | 4 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3 | Moderate |
Air quality in Shanghai in August
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where August falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Shanghai is worst in December — around 53 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.2× the cleanest month (August, 25 µg/m³).
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Shanghai's WHO annual average of 37.7 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 51 | 45 | 44 | 40 | 34 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 32 | 43 | 53 |
| Level | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | Poor |
| Feb | 45 | Poor |
| Mar | 44 | Poor |
| Apr | 40 | Poor |
| May | 34 | Moderate |
| Jun | 29 | Moderate |
| Jul | 27 | Moderate |
| Aug | 25 | Moderate |
| Sep | 28 | Moderate |
| Oct | 32 | Moderate |
| Nov | 43 | Poor |
| Dec | 53 | Poor |
Where is Shanghai?
Shanghai sits at 31.2°N, 121.5°E, 12 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Suzhou, 83 km away.
Topography around Shanghai
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Shanghai.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Shanghai has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 30 m around an average of 6 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 55 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 158 m.
The land around Shanghai is covered by artificial surfaces (86%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (73%) within 16 km, and water (39%), cropland (29%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 80 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
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 Shanghai (31.2222°, 121.4581°, elevation 12 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).