Best Time to Visit Yangpu

Spring and autumn: the sweet spots

April is the one to aim for, and October matches it. November is rated Excellent too. Days are mild, around 20°C in April and 23°C in October. You can walk all afternoon without sweating through your shirt.

Spring is a little damper than autumn. April has rain on about 10 days, but it's usually light. October is the driest of the three, with rain on only 7 days. If you like walking, this is when Yangpu works best. Try the paths around Fudan University's leafy campus, or the long riverside walkway along the Huangpu River. The old shipyards there have been turned into parks and cafés.

Summer: hot, sticky and wet

June brings the plum rain season, called meiyu. It's grey, humid and wet, with 15 rainy days and only 3.2 hours of sun a day. July and August are the hottest, both with highs of 32°C and lows of 26°C. Nights give you no relief.

July has rain on 19 days, but showers often pass fast. August is a bit sunnier. Plan around the heat. Do museums, malls and long lunches in the middle of the day, and go out to the river after dark when it's a little cooler. Early September is still warm and damp, so it's rated only Fair.

Typhoons can reach Shanghai in late summer. If one is forecast, expect flight delays and closed parks.

Winter: cold, grey and quiet

December to February is chilly and damp. Highs sit between 8°C and 10°C, and January has the lowest lows, at 1°C. Homes and some older buildings often have weak heating, so evenings can feel colder than the numbers suggest. December is the driest winter month and has more sun than the rest, so it's the best of the cold months.

Chinese New Year falls in late January or February, and the date changes each year. Many local shops and restaurants close for several days. Millions of people travel across China, so trains and flights fill up. The city itself gets quieter, though.

Crowds and timing

Spring and autumn are the busiest times for visitors. Golden Week, the national holiday in the first week of October, is the one to watch. Parks, metro lines and the Bund fill up. Late October and November are calmer, and still pleasant. Summer school holidays bring families, but the heat keeps numbers down. Winter is the cheapest and quietest time to come.