Shanghai Climate and Seasonality

Shanghai Skyline:
http://www.flickr.com

Introduction: Shanghai is a coastal Mega City with a population over 20 Million people and growing.  The city is one Chinas largest population  centers  and is often referred to as China’s showcase to modernity.   Located at 31 Degrees North Latitude and along the South China Sea; Shanghai’s weather and climate are highly influenced  geographic location and seasonal weather patterns.   

Seasonality:  Shanghai is a northern hemisphere location and seasonal climate paterns similar to what we experience in the United States.  Located at   31 degrees North latitude means Shanghai receives fairly high solar angles throughout the year.  Shanghai, experiences all 4 seasons with receives some temperature moderating impacts from the proximity to the ocean. The relatively low latitude also indicates that Shanghai has a semi-tropical and humid climate.  The humidity is typically higher during the spring and summer months, influenced  by the monsoon season.

Shanghai Climate graph contributed by climatetemp.info

Generalized Monsoon
meted.ucar.edu

High and Low Pressure:  Shanghai is located in the Yangtze River delta and experiences extreme  rainfall runoff  and drought cycles.  These cycles are defined by seasonal variations in atmospheric pressure between the continent and the ocean.  During the winter , cold dry  weather over the Asian continent creates high pressure systems that force westerly air masses toward the South China Sea.  In the summer an opposite effect occurs, low pressure over the Asian continent allows moist air to come inland. This process creates conditions for monsoon season. Monsoons in Shanghai are very pronounced and have detrimental impacts on the lives of the people living in the region.  Shanghai receives most of its annual rainfall in during the late summer months of July and August.