Shanghai Weather in May

Shanghai weather in May is warm overall, usually with the daily high temperature above 25°C (77°F). Drizzles fall from time to time, but usually stop quickly, guaranteeing long enough sunshine hours for you to travel around. Scenery-wise, Shanghai in May is vibrant, colorful, and fragrant with new plants and blooming flowers. Considering all of these, May is absolutely one of the best months to visit Shanghai.
 

In the first half of May, Shanghai features warm and cozy daytime and cool nighttime: the daily high temperature is mainly in the range of 20-27 degrees Celsius (68-81 degrees Fahrenheit), and the daily low fluctuates between 15°C (59°F) and 20°C (68°F). 

In the second half of the month, the temperature rises. On most days, the daytime is warm or even a bit hot at 25-32°C (86-91°F), and the nighttime turns relatively warm with the temperature above 20°C (68°F). Usually, at the end of May, Shanghai enters summer, and it’s not rare that the highest temperature of a day reaches around 35°C (95°F).

There are two other things that you should pay attention to: First, rain may bring sudden temperature drops, so sometimes, you may wear a T-shirt alone during the midday hours on a day and need to put on a denim jacket during the same time period of the next day. Second, temperature can vary a lot from day to night, usually 7-10°C (18°F).

Warm Shanghai in May

 

Shanghai in May doesn’t receive much rainfall, which averages about 115 mm. It is scattered over 15 rainy days on average, meaning that the possibility of encountering rain during your trip is a bit high. Fortunately, the rain mainly falls in the form of soft drizzles or quickly stopping showers, affecting your trip only slightly.

The relatively high humidity, 71% on average, may make you feel a bit stuffy during the midday hours in late May.

The Bund in Sunny May

 

Daytime is about 13-14 hours long this month, quite enough to have a rich as well as leisurely trip. For those who get into the habit of getting up early, you have the chance to explore the quiet aspect of this metropolis as sunrise time is as early as 04:51-05:10. Besides, the sunset time is not very late, at around 18:33-18:53, indicating that you can admire the night view and experience the nightlife relatively early, and thus go back to the hotels and have a rest not too late. 

Since there are rarely long-lasting rains, the sunshine hours reach around 6 per day on average, and you can enjoy bright sunshine most of the time during your tour. However, when enjoying the sunshine, do not ignore making necessary sun-protection measures - the UV rays are quite strong this month with the maximum UV index of 10.
 

 Clothes: Generally speaking, the warm climate of Shanghai in the daytime of May allows summer clothes. So, males can bring short-sleeve T-shirts, shorts, and thin long pants; while females can additionally pack dresses and skirts. Because of the temperature gap between day and night, thin jackets or long-sleeve shirts are needed.

Shoes: Comfortable and breathable sneakers and flats are the first choice.

Accessories: To protect yourself from the rain and the sunshine, a parasol, sunglasses, sunhats, and sun-blocking cream are recommended to bring.
 Crowds:
Each May 1-5, the Chinese have a five-day public holiday and may travel around to relax. Shanghai, one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, attracts numerous visitors during this period. If you travel to Shanghai at that time, you will see numerous visitors in famous attractions like the Bund and the Yu Garden, need to wait in endless queues to experience programs in Shanghai Disneyland Park, and have to spend much more for hotels than usual…

Crowded Nanjing Road in Early May

After the holiday, Shanghai becomes quieter, but various attractions still receive many visitors - after all, May is a month with quite favorable and comfortable weather conditions. Hotels also become a bit cheaper compared with the first a few days of the month.

Scenery:
In May, Shanghai is a picturesque place with vibrant blooms and lush greenery. Visiting Shanghai at this time allows you to experience both the bustling energy of this metropolis at places like the Bund and the vitality of the countryside in its various parks. In addition, flower shows are held in downtown areas like Huangpu Xintiandi and Qiantan, offering vibrant and stunning views well worth a visit.

Lush View of the Yu Garden

 1. As mentioned above, Shanghai during the period from May 1 to 5 will be very crowded, so it is highly recommended to avoid this time. If you fail to do so, you need to take the following measures to make the trip go more smoothly.
(1) Choose and book hotels that you are satisfied with in advance. 
(2) Arrange visits for popular attractions in the early morning to avoid main crowds. For instance, if you arrive at and begin to visit the Yu Garden at around 09:00, the time that the Garden just opens, you will enjoy a relatively quiet scene.
2. Don’t put your umbrella back in the luggage just because the sun is out in the morning: rain in May could fall all of a sudden.
3. Zhujiajiao Water Town is also at its most beautiful time in May with fresh greenery and blooming flowers like wisteria, roses, and hydrangeas. On sunny days, it is warm and of good visibility, while on rainy days, it is cool but not cold, and you have a chance to see the Town showing a hazy and misty scene. 

Zhujiajiao Water Town in May

4. At night, with the also comfortable temperature, in addition to visiting the Bund, you can also take a cruise on the Huangpu River to see the historic buildings and creative districts along both banks.

See also:
 Shanghai Spring – Weather, Clothing & Tour Tips
 Top 5 Shanghai Must See Places in May
 15 Most Beautiful Places in Shanghai in Spring
 

May	Temperature		Sunrise / Sunset	Humi- dity (%)
	High	Low
1	26.6°C / 79.9°F	18.3°C / 64.9°F	05:10 / 18:33	48
2	21.2°C / 70.2°F	15.4°C / 59.7°F	05:09 / 18:34	43
3	20.2°C / 68.4°F	14.4°C / 57.9°F	05:08 / 18:35	62
4	20.0°C / 68.0°F	12.4°C / 54.3°F	05:07 / 18:35	60
5	22.6°C / 72.7°F	13.4°C / 56.1°F	05:06 / 18:36	61
6	28.5°C / 83.3°F	16.5°C / 61.7°F	05:05 / 18:37	64
7	31.6°C / 88.9°F	18.6°C / 65.5°F	05:04 / 18:37	68
8	27.9°C / 82.2°F	20.6°C / 69.1°F	05:04 / 18:38	70
9	32.0°C / 89.6°F	25.1°C / 77.2°F	05:03 / 18:39	66
10	35.2°C / 95.4°F	25.1°C / 77.2°F	05:02 / 18:39	60
11	29.6°C / 85.3°F	15.9°C / 60.6°F	05:01 / 18:40	84
12	26.0°C / 78.8°F	16.0°C / 60.8°F	05:00 / 18:41	64
13	26.9°C / 80.4°F	17.1°C / 62.8°F	05:00 / 18:41	33
14	27.5°C / 81.5°F	19.1°C / 66.4°F	04:59 / 18:42	41
15	27.9°C / 82.2°F	15.5°C / 59.9°F	04:58 / 18:43	44
16	28.7°C / 83.7°F	17.9°C / 64.2°F	04:58 / 18:44	53
17	30.1°C / 86.2°F	18.6°C / 65.5°F	04:57 / 18:44	58
18	30.4°C / 86.7°F	20.3°C / 68.5°F	04:57 / 18:45	47
19	33.0°C / 91.4°F	21.1°C / 70.0°F	04:56 / 18:46	57
20	34.4°C / 93.9°F	22.1°C / 71.8°F	04:55 / 18:46	58
21	28.2°C / 82.8°F	16.6°C / 61.9°F	04:55 / 18:47	89
22	17.4°C / 63.3°F	15.4°C / 59.7°F	04:54 / 18:47	81
23	16.7°C / 62.1°F	14.7°C / 58.5°F	04:54 / 18:48	88
24	22.4°C / 72.3°F	15.6°C / 60.1°F	04:53 / 18:49	57
25	24.2°C / 75.6°F	16.7°C / 62.1°F	04:53 / 18:49	67
26	22.7°C / 72.9°F	18.2°C / 64.8°F	04:53 / 18:50	77
27	21.7°C / 71.1°F	16.9°C / 62.4°F	04:52 / 18:51	75
28	20.2°C / 68.4°F	17.2°C / 63.0°F	04:52 / 18:51	78
29	27.1°C / 80.8°F	15.2°C / 59.4°F	04:51 / 18:52	58
30	29.8°C / 85.6°F	17.1°C / 62.8°F	04:51 / 18:52	43
31	27.4°C / 81.3°F	20.8°C / 69.4°F	04:51 / 18:53	60