Guangzhou Weather
Guangzhou is located in a subtropical monsoon climate zone, with mild and agreeable weather conditions all year-round. It has an annual average temperature of about 21.5 ℃. It's not burning hot in summer, nor severe cold in winter.
Only second to Kunming, Guangzhou has the minimum temperature differences all the year-round.
It's humid and rainy in spring (March to May), while a little bit hot with occasional typhoons in the long summer (May to September). Autumn (October to December) is cool and windy, with comfortable weather conditions, which is suitable for traveling to Guangzhou.
Thus, the best time to visit Guangzhou is from October to December.
Winter (December to March) of Guangzhou is a little bit cold; however, it's very short.
The hottest month is July, with the temperature ranging from 25 ºC(77ºF) to 32.22 ºC(90ºF). The coldest month is January, with the temperature ranging from 9.44 ºC (49ºF) to 17.78 ºC (64ºF). The annual mean precipitation is about 1695.9mm.
Guangzhou has sufficient sunshine annually, with an annual mean sunshine duration of over 1,800 hours. The most abundant sunshine falls from June to December, with an average sunshine duration of over 5 hours every day.
However, thunderstorms are frequent in Guangzhou. The thunderstorm season lasts from March 4th to October 12th, lasting for 223 days.
The rainy season lasts from April to August, with an annual rainfall of about 1623 millimeters. Due to the favorable weather condition, Guangzhou has the reputation of "The City of Flowers". Guangzhou boasts a variety of colorful flowers which are in full bloom all year-round.
During the Chinese New Year, Guangzhou holds the grand flower fair annually, attracting numerous tourists to appreciate the blossoms.
Best Visiting Time
The best time to travel to Guangzhou is in autumn and winter, lasting from October to the following March, with favorable weather conditions.
The Spring Festival, Chinese New Year, usually falls in February, during which, Guangzhou holds a number of activities in celebration of the great festival, such as Guangzhou New Year Fireworks, Lion Dance Performances, and The Flower Fair.
These years, many tourists flock to Guangzhou to participate in the activities. However, due to the huge crowds of people during the Spring Festival, there are some inconveniences for tourism, such as transportation and accommodation.
The Annual Temperature
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| High (ºC) | 17.8 | 18.3 | 21.1 | 25 | 28.9 | 31.1 | 32.2 | 32.2 | 31.1 | 28.3 | 23.9 | 20 |
| Low (ºC) | 9.4 | 11.1 | 14.4 | 18.9 | 22.2 | 24.4 | 25 | 25 | 23.3 | 20 | 15.6 | 11.1 |
| Precipitation (mm) |
1.7 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 8.7 | 6.8 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 9 |
Spring
Spring lasts from March to May in Guangzhou, which is humid and cloudy at times. Especially in March and April, there is frequent rain lasting for a long, which is bothersome.
During this period, tourists should bring rain boots, raincoats, and umbrellas, for fear of boiling the journey. The International Labor Day, May Day Festival, lasting from May 1st to 3rd, should be avoided, as there will be crowds of Chinese people traveling, bringing inconvenience to tourists.
Summer
Summer lasts from May to September in Guangzhou, which is quite long. The hottest months are July and August, with the highest temperature of 32.22 ºC (90ºF).
During the summer period, there are frequent thunderstorms and sometimes there are typhoons. Thus, it's advisable to bring rain boots, raincoats, and umbrellas. In summer, in order to relieve the summer heat, lots of tourists choose to participate in water activities.
It's suggested to wear shorts and short-sleeved T-shirts. Besides, sunglasses and sunblock are also necessary.
Autumn
Autumn lasts from October to December in Guangzhou, which is cool and comfortable, ranked as the best season of Guangzhou. During this season, many tourists from home and abroad go to Guangzhou for shopping, for Guangzhou is really a paradise for shopping.
The National Day, lasting from October 1st to 3rd, should be avoided, as there will be crowds of Chinese people traveling, bringing inconvenience to tourists.
Winter
Winter lasts from December to the following March, which is a little bit cold. January is the coldest month of Guangzhou, with the temperature ranging from 9.44 ºC (49ºF) to 17.78 ºC (64ºF).
Due to the favorable weather condition, the winter of Guangzhou is also a world of flowers, with an ocean of colorful flowers coming into view, which is a good time to appreciate flowers.
Chinese New Year falls in February when there will be a number of celebration activities; however, there will be huge crowds of people there. Thus, tourists had better avoid this peak tourist month. Sweaters and thermal underwear are enough for winter.
Avoid Peak Traveling Periods
It is strongly suggested that tourists should avoid peak traveling periods in China, when there are numerous Chinese people traveling, bringing inconvenience to tourists, such as transportation and accommodation.
During peak travel periods, it's very difficult to get a flight or train ticket and hotels raise their prices a lot. Shopping malls are crowded with people.
The peak travel periods include some traditional Chinese festivals, including New Year's Day (January 1st to 3rd), Spring Festival ( late January or early February), May Day( May 1st to 3rd), and National Day holidays (October 1st to 7th).