China Weather by Region: Monthly Temperatures, Rainy Seasons and Typhoons

China's weather depends far more on where you are than on what month it is. The east has monsoon climates that run from tropical in the far south to temperate in the north, the northwest is dry continental country, and the Tibetan Plateau has a cold high-altitude climate of its own. In winter the gap between north and south is huge: north of a line running roughly along the Huai River and the Qinling Mountains, January averages are around or below freezing, while Sanya on Hainan Island averages above 20 °C. In summer almost everywhere is hot, except the high plateau and mountains. So if your trip covers three or four regions, you are really packing for three or four climates.

Below are regional city averages, a monthly table, rain and typhoon seasons, altitude and where to check forecasts; to choose dates by weather, crowds and prices together, see the best time to visit China.

How China's Weather Splits by Region

China's own government describes the country with three big climate types: monsoon climates across the east, a temperate continental climate in the northwest, and an alpine climate on the Tibetan Plateau. "Monsoon" here means the wind and rain change with the season. Summer air comes in wet from the ocean, and winter air comes down cold and dry from the interior of Asia. For a traveler, that means most of eastern China gets most of its rain in summer and stays fairly dry in winter.

The rain does not arrive everywhere at once. It moves north through the summer and then pulls back south. South China's rains pick up after the South China Sea monsoon starts in mid-to-late May, the rain belt sits over the Yangtze River valley in June and July, it reaches North China and the Northeast in July and August, and the summer monsoon has normally left eastern China by late September or early October. The government's overview puts it simply: in the south the rainy season starts early, ends late and runs mostly from May to October, while in the north it is short and falls mostly in July and August.

For planning, it helps to think in seven travel regions. These are our groupings, not an official map:

• North (Beijing, Xi'an): four clear seasons, cold dry winters, hot summers with short heavy rain.
• East and the Yangtze valley (Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou): damp, chilly winters, a "plum rain" season in early summer, then heat and humidity.
• South (Guangzhou, Guilin, Hong Kong, Sanya): a long hot season, a lot of rain, and typhoons from summer into autumn.
• Southwest: two different climates side by side. The Sichuan Basin (Chengdu, Chongqing) is humid and often overcast; the Yunnan plateau (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang) stays mild all year because of its height.
• Northwest (Xinjiang, Dunhuang, the Silk Road): very dry, hot summer days, cold winters, big swings between day and night.
• Northeast (Harbin): long, hard winters and pleasant summers.
• Tibet and the plateau (Lhasa): thin air, strong sun, cool summers, chilly nights all year.

The single most useful fact for a multi-city trip is that line along the Huai River and the Qinling Mountains. It is the rough border where January averages drop to around or below freezing. Xi'an, right next to the line, averages just above 0 °C in January, and Beijing, further north, averages below it. It is also roughly where annual rainfall drops below 800 mm, so north of it is drier as well as colder. Beijing and Xi'an sit north of it; Shanghai, Chengdu and Guilin sit south of it. In July the gap mostly disappears: most of the country averages above 20 °C, and many places in the south average 28 °C or more.

Region by Region: Temperatures and Rainy Months

The city numbers in this section and in the table below are long-term averages for 1991–2020, mostly as published by the Japan Meteorological Agency from Chinese station data. Where a city only has figures from the China Meteorological Administration's 1981–2010 averages (Harbin, Sanya, Dali, Lijiang, and rainfall for Hangzhou and Guilin), we say so. A monthly average mixes day and night, so afternoons run warmer and early mornings cooler than the number. For quick conversion: 0 °C is 32 °F, 10 °C is 50 °F, 20 °C is 68 °F and 30 °C is 86 °F.

North China: Beijing and Xi'an

Beijing averages −2.8 °C in January and 27.2 °C in July, and about 67% of its year's rain falls in June, July and August, with July the wettest month. Winter is cold, dry and usually sunny; summer is hot and sticky with short, heavy downpours. North China's rainy season normally starts around 18 July, and the heaviest rain of the whole year falls from late July to early August, sometimes with flash floods in hilly areas of the north, including around Beijing, and flooded streets.

Xi'an is a little milder in winter, averaging 0.5 °C in January and 27.7 °C in July. Its rain is spread more evenly: July is the wettest month, but September is almost as wet, so early autumn in Xi'an can be grey. Both cities get spring dust: more than 70% of China's dust weather happens in spring, with April the worst month. Northern China averages about 6.3 dust days each spring, so expect a few hazy, gritty days rather than weeks of it.

East China and the Yangtze: Shanghai and Hangzhou

Shanghai averages 5.0 °C in January and 28.8 °C in July. That January number sounds mild, but it is a damp cold, and many buildings here are heated by wall air-conditioners rather than radiators, so it feels colder indoors than the figure suggests. Rain falls in every month, June is wet from the plum rain, and August is the wettest month of all.

Hangzhou is slightly warmer, averaging 5.4 °C in January and 29.7 °C in July. On the older 1981–2010 figures, its average July afternoon high is 33.6 °C and June is its wettest month. West Lake in light rain is still worth seeing, but plan indoor options for June, and do the long walks early in the day in July and August.

South China: Guangzhou, Guilin, Hong Kong and Sanya

Guangzhou averages 13.8 °C in January and 28.9 °C in July, and it gets about 1,944 mm of rain a year, with June the wettest month. The wet season starts early here: South China's first rainy season of the year normally begins around 9 April and runs mainly from April to June. These rains get heavier once the South China Sea monsoon arrives in mid-to-late May.

Guilin is cooler in winter, averaging 8.7 °C in January and 28.8 °C in July. On the 1981–2010 figures it gets about 1,888 mm of rain a year, and June is the wettest month. The karst peaks along the Li River still look good in mist, but heavy rain can change river trips, so keep your Guilin days flexible from April to June. Our Guilin and Yangshuo guide covers the boat options.

Hong Kong is the wettest city in this guide, with 2,431.2 mm a year; June is the wettest month, and from November to February each month gets less than 40 mm. That dry, mild stretch is why late autumn and winter suit a Hong Kong and Macau trip. Sanya, on Hainan Island, stays warm all year: on 1981–2010 figures its average January high and low are 26.9 °C and 19.5 °C, its rainy season runs from May to October, and December to March each get under 25 mm of rain. That makes it the beach option for a winter trip; see our Sanya beach guide.

Southwest: the Sichuan Basin and Yunnan

Chengdu averages 5.7 °C in January and 25.6 °C in July, and about 61% of its rain falls from June to August, with July the wettest month. Winters are short of sunshine and feel damp, but they are rarely freezing. Chongqing, in the same basin, is hotter: its warmest month is August at 29.5 °C, and June is its wettest month. Chongqing in August is one of the more tiring places on a China summer trip, with steep streets and heavy, humid heat.

Yunnan works differently because of altitude. Kunming sits at an average of 1,891 m. Its January average is 9.3 °C and its warmest month is June at only 20.7 °C, so there is no real hot season; the trade-off is a clear wet season, with about 60% of the rain falling from June to August. Dali and Lijiang have warm days and cold nights in winter: on 1981–2010 figures, Lijiang's average January high is about 14.0 °C and its average low about 0.3 °C, and Dali's are about 15.7 °C and 2.6 °C. The Yunnan travel guide has the route and the best months for each town.

Northwest: Xinjiang, Dunhuang and the Silk Road

This is desert and semi-desert country. Dunhuang gets only about 44 mm of rain in a year, and it averages −8.1 °C in January and 25.8 °C in July. Urumqi averages −12.1 °C in January and 24.2 °C in July, with about 304 mm of rain a year. The averages hide the daily swing: dry air heats up fast in the sun and cools fast after dark, so a desert day that is hot at 3 pm can need a jacket at 9 pm. Turpan, covered in the extremes section below, is far hotter than both. For route planning, see the Dunhuang and Silk Road guide.

Northeast: Harbin

Harbin is the coldest city most visitors go to. On 1981–2010 figures, its average January high is −12.0 °C and its average January low is −22.9 °C. Most of that cold sits in December, January and February: in November and March the average lows are around −9 °C, and the average March high is just above freezing. Summer is pleasant, with an average July high of 27.8 °C, and July is also its wettest month. Our Harbin winter guide covers the ice festival season and how to dress for it.

Tibet: Lhasa

Lhasa sits at an average altitude of 3,658 m and gets more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, which is why it is called the "City of Sunlight" (日光城, Rìguāng Chéng). Its January average is −0.1 °C and its warmest month is June at only 16.8 °C. It is also very dry for most of the year: about 76% of its rain falls from June to August, and from October to April there is almost none. More on Tibet's sun and nights in the extremes section below, and on permits and routes in our Lhasa and Tibet guide.

Month-by-Month Quick Reference Table

The table below gives the average temperature and rainfall for each month in 15 cities, so you can line up your own route month by month. Most rows are 1991–2020 averages; a few use 1981–2010 averages or show highs and lows instead of a single average, and each row is labelled.

A few ways to read it for a multi-city trip:

• Compare rows, not just columns. In April, Beijing and Xi'an average about the same temperature and both are still dry, while Guangzhou is warmer and already in its rainy season with several times their rainfall.
• Rainfall in millimetres tells you how often you will need an umbrella. A month with under 20 mm is mostly dry; a month with 200 mm or more means rain on many days.
• Averages smooth out the swings. Desert and plateau cities have the biggest gap between afternoon and night, so pack for the night, not the average.
• Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are the months when the most cities in the table are comfortable at the same time. Summer is when the north and the plateau are at their best and the south is at its wettest. Winter splits the country: the far south is pleasant, the north is cold and dry.

For what to wear in each of these conditions, see what to wear in China by season, and for the full list of what goes in the bag, what to pack for China.

Plum Rain and Typhoons

The rain seasons in order

China's rain seasons follow the rain belt north and back again. South China opens the year: its first rainy season normally begins around 9 April and runs mainly through April to June, usually tapering off around early July. These rains get heavier once the South China Sea monsoon arrives in mid-to-late May. In the Yangtze valley, the plum rain (梅雨, méiyǔ) comes next. The national climate centre splits it into three zones: south of the Yangtze it normally starts around 9 June and ends around 10 July; along the middle and lower Yangtze it normally runs from about 14 June to 16 July; and in the Jiang–Huai area further north it runs from about 23 June to 14 July. So for Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou, think mid-June to mid-July: grey skies, high humidity and rain on many days, not constant storms. Real years move around the average; in 2026, for example, the plum rain over the Yangtze and Huai area started on 18 June and ended on 15 July.

The north gets its rain last and hardest. North China's rainy season normally starts around 18 July, and the late-July to early-August peak brings short, intense storms that can cause flash floods in hilly areas of the north, including around Beijing. If you plan a Great Wall hike in that window, check the forecast the day before and keep a city day as a backup. West China, roughly the Sichuan Basin, Chongqing and the Xi'an area, then gets a spell of autumn rain from mid-to-late August into mid-September. That is why Xi'an's September is almost as wet as its July. Our summer travel guide covers how to plan around heat and rain.

Typhoon season

On 1991–2020 averages, the western Pacific and the South China Sea produce about 25.1 typhoons a year, and about 7.2 of them make landfall in China. July, August and September are the peak months, but landfalls have happened as early as April and as late as December. Guangdong takes the most hits of any province, with 202 of China's 669 typhoon landfalls from 1949 to 2023. Hainan, Fujian and Zhejiang are also on the typhoon coast.

Hong Kong gives a good sense of how often a typhoon actually disrupts a trip. Its Observatory hoists the No. 8 signal or higher, the serious level, on about 2.4 days in an average year, and No. 1 or higher (No. 1 is the standby signal) on about 15.9 days, mostly from June to October. The Observatory's website explains what each signal means for shops, schools and transport, so check it if a signal goes up. Most typhoon days are a lost day or two, not a lost trip.

When a strong typhoon does land, transport stops. During Super Typhoon Ragasa in September 2025, ferries across the Qiongzhou Strait to Hainan stopped from the evening of 23 September, and all high-speed and regular trains within Guangdong stopped for the whole of 24 September before restarting step by step the next day. If your train is cancelled because of weather, the railway must refund it without a fee or let you change to another train. If you are on the south coast from July to September, keep a spare day before an international flight home.

Altitude and Extreme Weather

Tibet and the plateau: strong sun, cold nights

At Lhasa's height, the air is thin and dry, so the sun feels hot while the shade feels cold. On 1981–2010 figures, the gap between the average daily high and low in Lhasa is about 15.9 °C in January and about 12.0 °C in July. In July, for example, the average high is 23.1 °C and the average low is 11.1 °C. The sun is the bigger issue. Forecasters at the Tibet Autonomous Region weather service say the UV index in March and April already reaches about 90% of the midsummer level, with the peak from May to August, so check the daily UV index on the forecast and cover up even in spring. Altitude sickness is the other plateau risk; it mostly happens above about 2,500 m, which includes Lhasa and parts of northwest Yunnan. Our Tibet guide covers how to acclimatise.

The northeast in deep winter

Harbin's coldest nights go well below the averages. Its lowest recorded temperature is −38.1 °C, on 4 January 1970. The good news is that the city is built for it. Homes must be kept at 18 °C or more in bedrooms and living rooms all day during Harbin's heating season; hotels, malls and metro stations are well heated too. The problem is the walk between them, and how fast phone batteries and fingers stop working outside. Our winter travel guide compares the cold north with the warm south in the same season.

Summer heat: Turpan and the lowland cities

Turpan in Xinjiang is the hottest place in China in summer, with a July average of 33.4 °C. That is the average of day and night, and the China Meteorological Administration counts about 37 days a year when Turpan reaches 40 °C or more. Visit sites early in the morning and late in the afternoon, and spend the middle of the day indoors. In the big eastern and southern cities, heat waves come with humidity; when the forecast shows a yellow, orange or red heat warning, the thresholds are in the warnings table in the next section.

Where to Check Forecasts and Warnings

The National Meteorological Center (nmc.cn) is China's official forecast site; it has city forecasts, weather warnings and typhoon tracks, and there is an English entry on the page. Weather warnings in China use four colours, from blue (least severe) through yellow and orange to red (most severe), and they are labelled in both Chinese and English. Airports, stations, motorways and scenic sites are supposed to display them on their screens. The full rules are in the China Meteorological Administration's warning signal regulation.

In Hong Kong, use the Hong Kong Observatory, which runs its own typhoon signal system. On the mainland, the weather app already on your phone usually works fine for day-to-day forecasts; use nmc.cn for official warnings.

Summary

China's weather splits by region much more than by month. The north is cold and dry in winter and gets short, heavy rain in late July and early August. The Yangtze valley has damp winters and plum rain from mid-June to mid-July. The south is hot and wet for half the year, with typhoons peaking from July to September. Yunnan stays mild because of its altitude, the northwest is dry with big day-night swings, Harbin is very cold from December to February, and Tibet has strong sun and cold nights all year. Before you book, check each city's row in the table, then pick the months that suit your route in the best time to visit China guide and pack with the clothing by season guide.

Last updated: October 2026