Shanghai Temperature by Month
Shanghai in Shanghai Area, China sees significant seasonal temperature differences, with daytime highs between 9°C (48°F) in January and 33°C (91°F) in July, averaging 21°C (70°F) annually. Explore the full monthly breakdown below.
Shanghai Monthly Temperatures
The climate in Shanghai is dynamic, ranging widely from chilly in winter to very warm in summer. Nights are significantly colder, with lows dropping from 26°C (79°F) in July to 3°C (37°F) in January.
The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in Shanghai by month:
From around 4 AM to 6 AM temperatures are at their lowest; by 3 PM they've climbed to their daily peak. July, the warmest month, averages 191 hours of sunshine.
The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:
Daily Historical Temperatures
50-year average (1976-2025)
Average high and low temperatures for each day of the month based on long-term records.
Average temperatures in June
Historical Shanghai Temperatures: 1976-2026
Browse day-by-day temperature records for Shanghai spanning 51 years. Select any month and year to see actual high and low temperatures recorded on each day.
Temperature: Shanghai vs China
The map below shows the annual temperature across China. You can also select individual months if you want to compare a specific time of year.
very warm
warm
pleasant
moderate
cold
very cold
Shanghai vs World: Temperature Compared
Shanghai's average annual maximum temperature is 21°C (70°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:
Lisbon, Portugal averages 21°C (70°F) annually — warm summers, mild winters, and rain mainly in the cooler months.
Reykjavík, Iceland averages 9°C (48°F) a year — mild summers by Icelandic standards, but cold winters and frequent wind.
San Francisco, USA averages 19°C (66°F) annually, but with little seasonal variation — summers are often cool and foggy, winters mild.
Brisbane, Australia averages 26°C (79°F) a year, with warm winters and hot, humid summers.
What Does the Temperature Feel Like in Shanghai?
Temperature alone doesn't tell the whole story — humidity plays a big role in how warm or cold it actually feels. High humidity in summer makes the heat feel more intense, particularly once temperatures climb above 25°C. In winter, the same humidity can make cold air feel sharper than the thermometer suggests.
In the cooler months, when temperatures drop below 10°C, high humidity makes the cold feel more cutting than it would in dry conditions.
In Shanghai, January is the coolest month, with average highs of 9°C (48°F) and humidity around 74% — considered high. In July, the warmest month, temperatures average 33°C (91°F) with 77% humidity — conditions that feel high. For a full picture, see our humidity page.
Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.
The readings come from a range of sources — land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.
For cities and regions with significant elevation, altitude is one of the biggest factors shaping local temperatures. As a rule of thumb, temperatures fall by around 6°C for every 1,000 metres gained — so a city at 2,000 metres will typically be around 12°C cooler than a city at sea level in the same region. Higher ground also tends to see more dramatic day-to-night temperature swings, since thinner air loses heat faster after sunset.
For more on Shanghai's weather — including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity — visit our Shanghai climate page.
