China
Shanghai in May
In May, Shanghai averages a daytime high of 24 °C and a night-time low of 16 °C, with about 97 mm of rain over the month. It falls outside Shanghai's most comfortable months, October.
- Average high
- 24 °C
- Average low
- 16 °C
- Rain in the month
- 97 mm
- Daylight on 15 May
- 13 h 50 min
- Comfortable month
- No
- Places to stay
- 79
When to go
How May compares with the rest of the year in Shanghai
May is the 5th warmest month in Shanghai by average daytime high; across the year the highs run from 8 °C to 32 °C and the lows from 1 °C to 25 °C. By day, May is 5 °C warmer than April, and June is 3 °C warmer than May.
May brings 97 mm of rain, less than the monthly average of 100 mm (1194 mm a year); it is tied for the 5th wettest month.
On 15 May the sun is up for about 13 h 50 min, against 10 h 10 min at the shortest and 14 h 10 min at the longest point of the year (calculated from the latitude, sunrise to sunset).
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8 °C | 1 °C | 63 mm | |
| February | 10 °C | 3 °C | 63 mm | |
| March | 14 °C | 6 °C | 97 mm | |
| April | 20 °C | 11 °C | 86 mm | |
| May | 24 °C | 16 °C | 97 mm | |
| June | 27 °C | 21 °C | 185 mm | |
| July | 32 °C | 25 °C | 152 mm | |
| August | 31 °C | 25 °C | 174 mm | |
| September | 28 °C | 21 °C | 118 mm | |
| October | 23 °C | 15 °C | 54 mm | Yes |
| November | 17 °C | 10 °C | 58 mm | |
| December | 10 °C | 3 °C | 48 mm |
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
When to go
Is May a good time to visit Shanghai?
Not by the measure used here: about 97 mm of rain is 80 mm or more. The comfortable months in Shanghai are October; the nearest is October.
The measure is about weather for a city stay only; it says nothing about events, school holidays or prices.
Public holidays in China in May
Nationwide public holidays; shops and offices may close on these dates.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Shanghai
This guide lists 79 places to stay in Shanghai, hotels recorded in Wikidata. By straight-line distance from the centre: under 1 km, 7; 1–3 km, 22; 3–10 km, 23; 10 km or more, 27.
Sources: climate from CRU TS v4.10 (Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia; Open Database License), 1991–2020 averages; day length calculated from the latitude; public holidays from python-holidays (MIT); places to stay from each operator's own public pages and Wikidata. How this guide is made.