Best time to visit Beijing
The best time to visit Beijing is during spring and autumn: April and May, and September to early November – so avoiding the heat and rains of summer, as well as the cold of winter.
At these times the sights are less crowded and it’s warm and dry, with an average temperature of 23°C (73°F). Early summer is also a good time to visit Beijing.
Beijing weather
Located in northern China, Beijing experiences a humid continental climate, characterised by four distinct seasons influenced by the East Asian monsoon.
Summer, from June to August, is hot, humid and wet, with an average high temperature of 30°C (86°F), which can soar beyond 35°C (95°F). July and August are the wettest months of the year.
Autumn, from September to November, sees both humidity and rainfall ease with temperatures becoming more comfortable.
Winter, December to February, is cold but sunny. January is the coldest month averaging -4°C (24°F), but the temperature can drop to -20°C (-4°F). It can snow. Air pollution is high, especially in winter.
Spring, from March to May, sees a sharp rise in the temperature.
What is the best month to visit Beijing?
Mid-April to mid-May during spring, and from mid-September to mid-October during autumn, are the best months to visit Beijing.
Which is the hottest month in Beijing?
The hottest month in Beijing is normally July, with an average high temperature of 32°C (89°F), with high heat and humidity, and a low of 22°C (71°F).
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature may climb to around 37°C (98°F).
The hot season lasts from early-May to mid-September, with an average daily high temperature above 25°C (77°F).
Which is the coldest month in Beijing?
The coldest month in Beijing is January, with an average high of 2°C (35°F) and a low of -8°C (17°F).
The cooler season lasts from late-November to late-February, with an average daily high temperature below 7°C (44°F).
Which is the sunniest month in Beijing?
The sunniest month in Beijing is usually October, with an average of 6.5 hours of sunshine per day; 60% of daylight hours on average.
What is the humidity in Beijing?
Beijing experiences extreme seasonal variation in perceived humidity, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at between 40% – 75% over the course of the year.
What do the humidity conditions feel like in Beijing?
We derive the humidity comfort level – what conditions feel like – from the dew point temperature, which measures moisture content in the atmosphere: a higher dew point feels more humid, while a lower dew point feels drier.
Meteorologists agree that dew point temperature is a more consistant indication of 'absolute humidity' than relative humidity, which fluctuates with temperature.
The average annual dew point in Beijing is 3°C (37°F), and varies over the course of the year from very dry at -15°C (4°F) to muggy at 21°C (70°F).
The more humid time of year in Beijing lasts from mid-June to mid-September, when you can expect the comfort level to be muggy at least 22% of the time.
The month with the most muggy days in Beijing is July, with 25 days on average that feel muggy.
The months of November through to April rarely experience humidity.
Which month has the most rain in Beijing?
July is usually the wettest month in Beijing with 160mm (6in) of rainfall on average, distributed across 13 days.
The wet season lasts from early-June through to mid-September, with a greater than 20% chance of rainfall on any given day.
The drier season lasts from mid-September to early-June. The month with the least rainfall in Beijing is December, with an average of 2mm of rainfall, distributed across two days.
Which is the windiest month in Beijing?
The windiest month of the year in Beijing is April, with an average hourly wind speed of 14 kilometres per hour (8.7 mph; 7.6 knots).
The windy part of the year lasts from early-January through to early-June, with average wind speeds of more than 11 kilometres per hour (7 mph; 6 knots).
The less-windy time of year lasts from early-June through to early-January. The calmest month of the year in Beijing is August, with an average hourly wind speed of 8 kilometres per hour (5 mph; 4 knots).
The predominant average hourly wind direction varies throughout the year in Beijing.
When is the typhoon season in Beijing?
Typhoon season lasts from July to early October. The highest risk of a typhoon impacting Beijing is during August and September, with a risk factor of around 10%.
Beijing Weather Averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average high temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 2 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 27 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 27 | 19 | 10 | 4 |
| Average low temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| -8 | -5 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 15 | 7 | -1 | -7 |
| Average daily sunshine (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Average daily daylight (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| Comfort level – heat | |||||||||||
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| Comfort level – humidity (#muggy days) | |||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 25 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Average dew point temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| -15 | -13 | -7 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 14 | 5 | -5 | -13 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | |||||||||||
| 43 | 41 | 40 | 43 | 49 | 60 | 74 | 75 | 68 | 61 | 55 | 47 |
| UV Index (max) | |||||||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Average days of rainfall (≥1mm) | |||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Average monthly rainfall (mm) | |||||||||||
| 3 | 8 | 10 | 25 | 39 | 71 | 160 | 126 | 60 | 34 | 16 | 2 |
| Average wind speed (km/h) | |||||||||||
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Beijing, China | |||||||||||
Seasons
Peak season: It’s best to avoid the three long national Chinese holidays: Spring Festival (Chinese New Year and the following two days, but can last longer); Labor Day (May 1); and National Day (October 1), which last for the first week in May and October respectively.
July and August is considered peak season for overseas tourists.
Note: Chinese New Year varies annually and is celebrated on the day of the first new moon after January 21 but no later than February 20. (In 2013 – February 10).
Beijing weather by month
Source: Meteorological data for Beijing is based on weather statistics gathered for the 30-year period 1992 to 2021 by the China Meteorological Administration at the closest weather station: Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA), also called Capital Airport or Beijing Airport, located 32km (20mi) northeast of Beijing.
Advice on the best time to visit a particular destination is based on average local weather statistics, when the weather conditions are generally better than at other times of the year. We consider high and low temperatures, risk of rain (and thunderstorms, etc.), amount of sunshine and sea temperature. For general outdoor activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 18°C (64°F) and 27°C (80°F); and for hot-weather activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 24°C (75°F) and 32°C (89°F). Often, the best times to visit correspond to high season and therefore involve higher prices.
Latest update: Beijing weather: 10 May, 2024
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