Climate and average weather in Shimabara
In Shimabara, the summers are muggy, hot, showery, and partly cloudy and the winters are cool and partly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Shimabara typically varies from 5°C to 32°C, and is rarely below 1°C or above 36°C. August is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Shimabara for warm-weather activities are from mid April to early June and late September to mid November.
- Hottest
- Aug
- 32°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 5°
- Wettest
- Jun
- 429 mm
- Driest
- Jan
- 70 mm
- Rain / yr
- 2079 mm
- 137 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.8–14.2 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 11 m
- 32.8°N
- Clearest
- Oct
- 47% cloud
Shimabara is city in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.
- Density
- 524/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1940
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Shimabara weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around late September to mid November.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Shimabara, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.2 months, from June 24 to September 27, with daily high temperatures above 27°C. The hottest month of the year in Shimabara is August, with an average high of 32°C and low of 25°C.
The cool season lasts 3.3 months, from December 3 to March 12, with daily high temperatures below 15°C. The coldest month of the year in Shimabara is January, with an average low of 5°C and high of 11°C.
Days typically run about 7°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 11 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 24 | 18 | 13 |
| Avg low (°C) | 5 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 7 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | 5 |
| Feb | 12 | 5 |
| Mar | 15 | 8 |
| Apr | 20 | 12 |
| May | 24 | 16 |
| Jun | 27 | 21 |
| Jul | 30 | 24 |
| Aug | 32 | 25 |
| Sep | 29 | 22 |
| Oct | 24 | 17 |
| Nov | 18 | 12 |
| Dec | 13 | 7 |
How hot and cold Shimabara really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Shimabara feels like about 39°C (around August 4). About 68 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 11 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 27 | 35 | 37 | 31 | 24 | 18 | 13 |
| Air high (°C) | 11 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 24 | 18 | 13 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 2 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 11 | 5 |
| Air low (°C) | 5 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 7 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | 11 | 2 | 5 |
| Feb | 12 | 12 | 3 | 5 |
| Mar | 15 | 15 | 6 | 8 |
| Apr | 20 | 20 | 12 | 12 |
| May | 24 | 24 | 16 | 16 |
| Jun | 27 | 27 | 20 | 21 |
| Jul | 35 | 30 | 24 | 24 |
| Aug | 37 | 32 | 25 | 25 |
| Sep | 31 | 29 | 22 | 22 |
| Oct | 24 | 24 | 17 | 17 |
| Nov | 18 | 18 | 11 | 12 |
| Dec | 13 | 13 | 5 | 7 |
Average hourly temperature in Shimabara
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on August afternoons, near 32°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 5°C.
Shimabara weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11° / 5° | 70 | 7.7 | 10.1 | 2.7 |
| Feb | 12° / 5° | 88 | 9 | 10.8 | 3.2 |
| Mar | 15° / 8° | 134 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 4.6 |
| Apr | 20° / 12° | 151 | 10.9 | 12.8 | 6.1 |
| May | 24° / 16° | 182 | 11.1 | 13.7 | 6.6 |
| Jun | 27° / 21° | 429 | 17 | 14.1 | 5.2 |
| Jul | 30° / 24° | 348 | 18.5 | 13.9 | 3.7 |
| Aug | 32° / 25° | 179 | 14.5 | 13.2 | 3.5 |
| Sep | 29° / 22° | 203 | 12.4 | 12.2 | 5.3 |
| Oct | 24° / 17° | 112 | 7.9 | 11.2 | 7.3 |
| Nov | 18° / 12° | 102 | 8.4 | 10.3 | 6.2 |
| Dec | 13° / 7° | 81 | 7.6 | 9.9 | 3.9 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Shimabara gets about 2079 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 3.7 months, from around May 31 to Sep 19, peaking in June at about 73% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jan 1.
June is the wettest month by volume, with 429 mm over about 17 wet days; January is the driest, with 70 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 25 | 32 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 57 | 59 | 47 | 40 | 27 | 28 | 24 |
| Rain days | 8 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 8 |
| Feb | 32 | 9 |
| Mar | 37 | 12 |
| Apr | 37 | 11 |
| May | 36 | 11 |
| Jun | 57 | 17 |
| Jul | 59 | 19 |
| Aug | 47 | 15 |
| Sep | 40 | 12 |
| Oct | 27 | 8 |
| Nov | 28 | 8 |
| Dec | 24 | 8 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Shimabara collects about 2079 mm of rain across 137 wet days — roughly 173 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. June is the wettest month with 429 mm, while January is the driest at just 70 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 47% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 70 | 88 | 134 | 151 | 182 | 429 | 348 | 179 | 203 | 112 | 102 | 81 |
| Rain days | 8 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70 | 8 |
| Feb | 88 | 9 |
| Mar | 134 | 12 |
| Apr | 151 | 11 |
| May | 182 | 11 |
| Jun | 429 | 17 |
| Jul | 348 | 19 |
| Aug | 179 | 15 |
| Sep | 203 | 12 |
| Oct | 112 | 8 |
| Nov | 102 | 8 |
| Dec | 81 | 8 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Shimabara, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around July 26 and lasts for 5.2 months, ending around December 31. The clearest month is October, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 60% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around April 4 and lasts for 3.7 months, ending around July 25. The cloudiest month is June, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 79% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 38 | 42 | 44 | 42 | 38 | 21 | 31 | 46 | 50 | 60 | 56 | 47 |
| Cloudier (%) | 62 | 58 | 56 | 58 | 62 | 79 | 69 | 54 | 50 | 40 | 44 | 53 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 62 |
| Feb | 42 | 58 |
| Mar | 44 | 56 |
| Apr | 42 | 58 |
| May | 38 | 62 |
| Jun | 21 | 79 |
| Jul | 31 | 69 |
| Aug | 46 | 54 |
| Sep | 50 | 50 |
| Oct | 60 | 40 |
| Nov | 56 | 44 |
| Dec | 47 | 53 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 17, brings about 14 h 12 min of light; the shortest, around December 17, only 9 h 48 min — a swing of roughly 4 h 24 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.1 | 10.8 | 11.8 | 12.8 | 13.7 | 14.1 | 13.9 | 13.2 | 12.2 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.9 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:26 | 7:09 | 6:36 | 5:54 | 5:24 | 5:14 | 5:25 | 5:46 | 6:07 | 6:28 | 6:55 | 7:19 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:30 | 5:57 | 6:21 | 6:43 | 7:05 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 6:59 | 6:19 | 5:39 | 5:12 | 5:10 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.1 | 7:26 | 5:30 |
| Feb | 10.8 | 7:09 | 5:57 |
| Mar | 11.8 | 6:36 | 6:21 |
| Apr | 12.8 | 5:54 | 6:43 |
| May | 13.7 | 5:24 | 7:05 |
| Jun | 14.1 | 5:14 | 7:23 |
| Jul | 13.9 | 5:25 | 7:23 |
| Aug | 13.2 | 5:46 | 6:59 |
| Sep | 12.2 | 6:07 | 6:19 |
| Oct | 11.2 | 6:28 | 5:39 |
| Nov | 10.3 | 6:55 | 5:12 |
| Dec | 9.9 | 7:19 | 5:10 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Shimabara averages about 9 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 2 and 15 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 3.5 months, from around Aug 26 to Dec 11. The sunniest month is October, with roughly 14 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is June, down near 4 sunny days — about 75% fewer than the October peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 9 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 7 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 9 | Mixed |
| Apr | 9 | Mixed |
| May | 8 | Mixed |
| Jun | 4 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 6 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 9 | Mixed |
| Sep | 11 | Mixed |
| Oct | 15 | Mixed |
| Nov | 12 | Mixed |
| Dec | 9 | Mixed |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Shimabara, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 4.8 months, from around May 18 to October 11. The muggiest month is July, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 100% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around October 12 to May 17, and January is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 99 | 98 | 93 | 70 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 39 | 79 | 98 |
| Comfortable (%) | 1 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 27 | 14 | 2 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 27 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 19 | 6 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 35 | 12 | 10 | 27 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 47 | 51 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 40 | 38 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 98 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 93 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 70 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 29 | 32 | 27 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun | 2 | 9 | 23 | 35 | 23 | 7 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 47 | 40 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 51 | 38 |
| Sep | 4 | 10 | 19 | 27 | 32 | 8 |
| Oct | 39 | 27 | 19 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| Nov | 79 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 98 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Shimabara is typically calm, near 9 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 4.8 months, from around Nov 22 to Apr 16. The windiest month is January, averaging about 11 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Apr 17 to Jun 26, with June the calmest month at about 8 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | calm |
| Feb | 11 | calm |
| Mar | 10 | calm |
| Apr | 9 | calm |
| May | 8 | calm |
| Jun | 8 | calm |
| Jul | 9 | calm |
| Aug | 8 | calm |
| Sep | 9 | calm |
| Oct | 9 | calm |
| Nov | 9 | calm |
| Dec | 10 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Shimabara
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Shimabara sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.
Shimabara's rainy season runs June–July, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Shimabara
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Shimabara throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid November, Shimabara is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Shimabara for general outdoor tourist activities run from mid April to early June and again from late September to mid November, with a peak score in the third week of October.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 2.7 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 5.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 5.3 | 7.2 | 6.1 | 3.9 |
| Rating | poor | poor | fair | good | good | fair | fair | fair | fair | good | good | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.7 | poor |
| Feb | 3.2 | poor |
| Mar | 4.6 | fair |
| Apr | 6.0 | good |
| May | 6.5 | good |
| Jun | 5.2 | fair |
| Jul | 3.7 | fair |
| Aug | 3.6 | fair |
| Sep | 5.3 | fair |
| Oct | 7.2 | good |
| Nov | 6.1 | good |
| Dec | 3.9 | fair |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Shimabara for hot-weather activities run from mid May to mid June and again from mid July to late October, with a peak score in the last week of September.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Shimabara, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around August (highs near 32°C), the essentials are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 11°C), pack a warm layer.
In August, Shimabara sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 15 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Shimabara
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 27°C and coldest in February near 14°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from May 27 to Nov 14 — about 5.7 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 17 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Cool | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Cool | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Bracing |
| Feb | 14 | Bracing |
| Mar | 14 | Bracing |
| Apr | 16 | Cool |
| May | 19 | Cool |
| Jun | 22 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 25 | Warm |
| Aug | 27 | Warm |
| Sep | 26 | Warm |
| Oct | 23 | Refreshing |
| Nov | 20 | Cool |
| Dec | 17 | Cool |
UV index (midday) in Shimabara by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Shimabara peaks around July 13 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 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 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4 | Moderate |
| Mar | 6 | High |
| Apr | 8 | Very high |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 10 | Very high |
| Jul | 10 | Extreme |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 7 | High |
| Nov | 4 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in Shimabara
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in July the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 5.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 6 | 3.5 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 | 4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | 0 |
| Feb | 4 | 0 |
| Mar | 6 | 0 |
| Apr | 7 | 3.5 |
| May | 7.5 | 4 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 5.5 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 5.5 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 5 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 6 | 2 |
| Nov | 3.5 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Air quality in Shimabara by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Shimabara is worst in March — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (July, 13 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 18 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | Moderate |
| Feb | 20 | Moderate |
| Mar | 25 | Moderate |
| Apr | 25 | Moderate |
| May | 23 | Moderate |
| Jun | 19 | Moderate |
| Jul | 13 | Moderate |
| Aug | 15 | Moderate |
| Sep | 14 | Moderate |
| Oct | 14 | Moderate |
| Nov | 16 | Moderate |
| Dec | 15 | Moderate |
Growing season
Shimabara is mild enough that a frost-free day stays more likely than not even in midwinter.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 97 | 96 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 97 | 0 |
| Feb | 96 | 0 |
| Mar | 99 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 99 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Shimabara banks about 3,022 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 0 | 0 | 53 | 182 | 317 | 405 | 540 | 578 | 464 | 323 | 148 | 13 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 53 |
| Apr | 182 |
| May | 317 |
| Jun | 405 |
| Jul | 540 |
| Aug | 578 |
| Sep | 464 |
| Oct | 323 |
| Nov | 148 |
| Dec | 13 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Shimabara receives about 3.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — moderate — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.2 and 5.4 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 7.0 months, from around Mar 10 to Oct 7. The brightest month is July, averaging about 4.8 kWh/m² (bright).
The dimmest month is December, down near 2.2 kWh/m² — roughly 54% less than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 2.4 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.4 | Moderate |
| Feb | 3.1 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4.1 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.0 | Bright |
| May | 5.3 | Bright |
| Jun | 4.3 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.8 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.1 | Bright |
| Sep | 4.3 | Bright |
| Oct | 3.8 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2.7 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2.2 | Moderate |
Where is Shimabara?
Shimabara sits at 32.8°N, 130.4°E, 11 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Unzen, 11 km away.
Topography around Shimabara
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Shimabara.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Shimabara has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 806 m around an average of 69 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,450 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,724 m.
The land around Shimabara is covered by water (39%), trees (27%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 3 km, water (61%) and trees (26%) within 16 km, and trees (52%) and water (32%) within 80 km.
Japan travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 100 V · 50 / 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 65% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $35,951
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.1 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 99%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 0.2
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 3.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 446
- 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 Shimabara (32.7833°, 130.3667°, elevation 11 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).