Beijing has a rather dry, monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dwa), characterised by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and generally cold, windy, dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone.[41] Spring can bear witness to sandstorms blowing in from the Mongolian steppe, accompanied by rapidly warming, but generally dry, conditions. Autumn, like spring, sees little rain, but is crisp and short. The monthly daily average temperature in January is -3.7 °C (25.3 °F), while in July it is 26.2 °C (79.2 °F). Precipitation averages around 570 mm (22.4 in) annually, with the great majority of it falling in the summer months. Extremes have ranged from -27.4 to 42.6 °C (-17 to 109 °F).
| Climate data for Beijing (1971-2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) |
5.0 (41.0) |
11.6 (52.9) |
20.3 (68.5) |
26.0 (78.8) |
30.2 (86.4) |
30.9 (87.6) |
29.7 (85.5) |
25.8 (78.4) |
19.1 (66.4) |
10.1 (50.2) |
3.7 (38.7) |
17.9 (64.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | -8.4 (16.9) |
-5.6 (21.9) |
0.4 (32.7) |
7.9 (46.2) |
13.6 (56.5) |
18.8 (65.8) |
22.0 (71.6) |
20.8 (69.4) |
14.8 (58.6) |
7.9 (46.2) |
0.0 (32.0) |
-5.8 (21.6) |
7.2 (45.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 2.7 (0.106) |
4.9 (0.193) |
8.3 (0.327) |
21.2 (0.835) |
34.2 (1.346) |
78.1 (3.075) |
185.2 (7.291) |
159.7 (6.287) |
45.5 (1.791) |
21.8 (0.858) |
7.4 (0.291) |
2.8 (0.11) |
571.8 (22.512) |
| %humidity | 44 | 44 | 46 | 46 | 53 | 61 | 75 | 77 | 68 | 61 | 57 | 49 | 56.8 |
| Avg. precipitation days (>= 0.1 mm) | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 5.8 | 9.7 | 13.6 | 12.0 | 7.6 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 70.6 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 194.1 | 194.7 | 231.8 | 251.9 | 283.4 | 261.4 | 212.4 | 220.9 | 232.1 | 222.1 | 185.3 | 180.7 | 2,670.8 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration | |||||||||||||
Suzhou has a four-season, monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers, and cool, cloudy, damp winters with occasional snowfall. Northwesterly winds blowing from Siberia during winter can cause temperatures to fall below freezing at night, while southerly or southwesterly winds during the summer can push temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F).
| Climate data for Suzhou (1971-2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) |
9.2 (48.6) |
12.8 (55.0) |
19.1 (66.4) |
24.1 (75.4) |
27.6 (81.7) |
31.8 (89.2) |
31.3 (88.3) |
27.2 (81.0) |
22.6 (72.7) |
17.0 (62.6) |
11.1 (52.0) |
20.2 (68.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.1 (34.0) |
2.2 (36.0) |
5.6 (42.1) |
10.9 (51.6) |
16.1 (61.0) |
20.8 (69.4) |
25.0 (77.0) |
24.9 (76.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
9.0 (48.2) |
3.0 (37.4) |
12.9 (55.2) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 50.6 (1.992) |
56.8 (2.236) |
98.8 (3.89) |
89.3 (3.516) |
102.3 (4.028) |
169.6 (6.677) |
156.3 (6.154) |
157.9 (6.217) |
137.3 (5.406) |
62.5 (2.461) |
46.2 (1.819) |
37.1 (1.461) |
1,164.7 (45.854) |
| % humidity | 75 | 74 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 78 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 76.8 |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 9.7 | 10.3 | 13.9 | 12.7 | 12.1 | 14.4 | 12.0 | 11.3 | 11.0 | 8.1 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 129.0 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 123.0 | 115.7 | 126.0 | 156.1 | 173.5 | 147.6 | 217.8 | 220.8 | 158.9 | 160.8 | 146.6 | 147.7 | 1,894.5 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration | |||||||||||||
Hangzhou is located in northwestern Zhejiang province, eastern China, at the southern end of the Grand Canal of China, on the plain of the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). The prefecture-level region of Hangzhou extends west to the border with the hilly-country Anhui Province, and east to the flat-land near Hangzhou Bay. The city center is built around the eastern and northern sides of the West Lake, just north of the Qiantang River.
Hangzhou's climate is humid subtropical with four distinctive seasons, characterized by long, very hot, humid summers and chilly, cloudy and drier winters (with occasional snow). The mean annual temperature is 16.5 °C (61.7 °F), with monthly daily averages ranging from 4.3 °C (39.7 °F) in January to 28.4 °C (83.1 °F) in July. The city receives an average annual rainfall of 1,450 millimetres (57.1 in) and is affected by the plum rains of the Asian monsoon in June. In late summer (August to September), Hangzhou, along with other cities in the province, suffer typhoon storms, but typhoons seldom strike it directly. Generally they make landfall along the southern coast of Zhejiang, and affect Hangzhou with strong winds and stormy rains.
| Climate data for Hangzhou (1971–2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 8.0 (46.4) |
9.4 (48.9) |
13.7 (56.7) |
20.6 (69.1) |
25.5 (77.9) |
28.6 (83.5) |
33.0 (91.4) |
32.4 (90.3) |
27.5 (81.5) |
22.7 (72.9) |
16.8 (62.2) |
11.1 (52.0) |
20.8 (69.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) |
2.7 (36.9) |
6.4 (43.5) |
12.1 (53.8) |
17.0 (62.6) |
21.1 (70.0) |
24.9 (76.8) |
24.5 (76.1) |
20.3 (68.5) |
15.0 (59.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
3.4 (38.1) |
13.2 (55.8) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 73.2 (2.882) |
84.2 (3.315) |
138.2 (5.441) |
126.6 (4.984) |
146.6 (5.772) |
231.1 (9.098) |
159.4 (6.276) |
155.8 (6.134) |
145.2 (5.717) |
87.0 (3.425) |
60.1 (2.366) |
47.1 (1.854) |
1,454.5 (57.264) |
| % humidity | 75 | 75 | 78 | 76 | 76 | 81 | 78 | 79 | 81 | 77 | 74 | 72 | 76.8 |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 12.4 | 12.3 | 16.3 | 15.2 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 13.0 | 13.6 | 12.6 | 10.0 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 151.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 107.2 | 99.1 | 109.5 | 140.6 | 163.3 | 141.9 | 216.1 | 209.5 | 147.2 | 148.3 | 137.6 | 136.2 | 1,756.5 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration | |||||||||||||
Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa) and experiences four distinct seasons. Winters are chilly and damp, and cold northwesterly winds from Siberia can cause nighttime temperatures to drop below freezing, although most years there are only one or two days of snowfall. Summers are hot and humid, with an average of 8.7 days exceeding 35 °C (95 °F) annually; occasional downpours or freak thunderstorms can be expected. The city is also susceptible to typhoons in summer and the beginning of autumn, none of which in recent years has caused considerable damage. The most pleasant seasons are Spring, although changeable and often rainy, and Autumn, which is generally sunny and dry. The city averages 4.2 °C (39.6 °F) in January and 27.9 °C (82.2 °F) in July, for an annual mean of 16.1 °C (61.0 °F). Shanghai experiences on average 1,878 hours of sunshine per year, with the hottest temperature ever recorded at 40.2 °C (104 °F), and the lowest at -12.1 °C (10 °F).
| Climate data for Shanghai (1971-2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) |
9.2 (48.6) |
12.8 (55.0) |
19.1 (66.4) |
24.1 (75.4) |
27.6 (81.7) |
31.8 (89.2) |
31.3 (88.3) |
27.2 (81.0) |
22.6 (72.7) |
17.0 (62.6) |
11.1 (52.0) |
20.2 (68.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.1 (34.0) |
2.2 (36.0) |
5.6 (42.1) |
10.9 (51.6) |
16.1 (61.0) |
20.8 (69.4) |
25.0 (77.0) |
24.9 (76.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
9.0 (48.2) |
3.0 (37.4) |
12.9 (55.2) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 50.6 (1.992) |
56.8 (2.236) |
98.8 (3.89) |
89.3 (3.516) |
102.3 (4.028) |
169.6 (6.677) |
156.3 (6.154) |
157.9 (6.217) |
137.3 (5.406) |
62.5 (2.461) |
46.2 (1.819) |
37.1 (1.461) |
1,164.7 (45.854) |
| % humidity | 75 | 74 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 78 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 76.8 |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 9.7 | 10.3 | 13.9 | 12.7 | 12.1 | 14.4 | 12.0 | 11.3 | 11.0 | 8.1 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 129.0 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 123.0 | 115.7 | 126.0 | 156.1 | 173.5 | 147.6 | 217.8 | 220.8 | 158.9 | 160.8 | 146.6 | 147.7 | 1,894.5 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration | |||||||||||||