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Shanghai in May: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Discover the weather for Shanghai in May and if it’s a good time to travel (based on historical data).
Check flight prices to Shanghai on Avionero:
May

Weather in Shanghai in May 2025

Good Weather
Warm
🌧️
Rainy
Weather for Shanghai in May is typically good with an average maximum temperature of +77°F during the day, and approximately 8 sunny days monthly. Typically, there are about 14 rainy days with the total average precipitation that falls in May around 131 mm. Expect good weather and pack accordingly to enjoy the outdoors. Search flights in one click on Avionero.

Average weather

☀️
+77°F
Avg. max. temperature
+48°F
Min.
+99°F
Max.
131 mm
Total precipitation
72%
Avg. humidity
3 m/s
Avg. wind
8 ☀️
Sunny Days
8 ⛅️
Cloudy
14 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Shanghai has good weather in May.

Average temperature in Shanghai in May

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Shanghai for May based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The expected average maximum temperature in May is +79°F with a maximum of +93°F and a minimum of +55°F.

The average maximum temperature goes down 5% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +82°F to +81°F.

Is Shanghai warm or cold in May?

Shanghai is typically warm in May.

Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +66°F to +77°F. The minimum temperature also goes up from +54°F to +63°F.

It’s generally warm, but pack a long-sleeve shirt for evenings.

Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Shanghai:

Climate in Shanghai in May

Shanghai weather looks like this, on average, in May and the surrounding months.
AprilMayJune
Avg. temperature
+66°F+77°F+82°F
Min. temperature
+34°F+48°F+57°F
Max. temperature
+91°F+99°F+100°F
Rainfall
103 mm131 mm262 mm
Wind
3 m/s3 m/s2 m/s
Humidity
71%72%79%
Air pressure
1014 HPa1009 HPa1005 HPa
Sunny days
884
Cloudy days
887
Rainy days
131417
Snowy days
000

May weather is still as good as in April. It’s getting warmer as May arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +66°F to +77°F during the day. Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 103 mm to 131 mm. Humidity rises from 71% to 72%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during May, staying around 3 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 8 sunny days during the month.

Next month (June) brings a further decline in the weather.

Wind

Wind speed in Shanghai in May based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 7 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.

The average wind speed in Shanghai is gradually decreasing during May, going from 4 m/s to 2 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during May in Shanghai based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Total precipitation in May is about 329 mm, with a 58% chance of rain on a typical day. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 84 mm, which is considered heavy rain. May is a pretty wet month with over 18 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
Here’s how May is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Shanghai wettest month is June, where a typical day has a 57% chance of precipitation and 262 mm of rainfall per day. December, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 23% chance of precipitation and 37 mm of rainfall per day.

How was the weather last May in Shanghai?

This is the weather in Shanghai in May 2023:
1 May
☀️
+82°F
2 May
☀️
+77°F
3 May
🌧️
+79°F
4 May
☀️
+85°F
5 May
☁️
+77°F
6 May
☁️
+71°F
7 May
☁️
+61°F
8 May
☀️
+70°F
9 May
☀️
+75°F
10 May
☀️
+72°F
11 May
☀️
+68°F
12 May
☁️
+73°F
13 May
☀️
+81°F
14 May
☀️
+88°F
15 May
☀️
+93°F
16 May
☀️
+84°F
17 May
🌧️
+70°F
18 May
☁️
+75°F
19 May
☁️
+75°F
20 May
☁️
+79°F
21 May
☁️
+83°F
22 May
☀️
+65°F
23 May
☀️
+79°F
24 May
☀️
+71°F
25 May
☀️
+81°F
26 May
☀️
+87°F
27 May
☀️
+79°F
28 May
☀️
+91°F
29 May
☀️
+93°F
30 May
🌧️
+84°F
31 May
☁️
+81°F
In May 2023 Shanghai had 19 sunny days, 9 cloudy days, and 3 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +79°F, with an absolute maximum of +93°F and a minimum of +61°F. The average humidity was 77%, with a maximum of 100% and a minimum of 28%. The average wind speed was 4 m/s, with a maximum of 10 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in May?

Climate Change Over the Years

This is how Shanghai climate has changed over the last 43 years.

The climate in Shanghai in May has not changed that much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1980 (+65°F) and the highest in 2016 (+72°F). The driest year was 2003 with only 716 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2023 with 3129 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Shanghai in May:

Is May a good time to visit Shanghai?

May is a really good time to go to Shanghai. The weather is nice so plan your packing around outdoor activities and exploring. Check out other good time to visit Shanghai.

Can you sunbathe in Shanghai in May?

May is warm in Shanghai. You may enjoy some beach or pool time in the day, but pack something a tad warmer for the evening.

Is Shanghai rainy in May?

Shanghai is often rainy in May. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in Shanghai in May?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Shanghai in May, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in China

Check out the weather for other cities in China.

Monthly weather in Shanghai

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Shanghai, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.