Changsha climate
Changsha (Guangdong, China) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C73 °F, and about 1,834 mm72 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Changsha climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2068 | 947 | 1458 | 471.9 |
| Feb | 2373 | 1253 | 1763 | 391.6 |
| Mar | 2679 | 1559 | 2169 | 873.4 |
| Apr | 2984 | 1967 | 2476 | 1445.7 |
| May | 3187 | 2373 | 2780 | 29612 |
| Jun | 3187 | 2577 | 2882 | 33413 |
| Jul | 3188 | 2578 | 2883 | 2379.3 |
| Aug | 3188 | 2577 | 2883 | 28211 |
| Sep | 3087 | 2374 | 2780 | 2198.6 |
| Oct | 2882 | 1966 | 2474 | 732.9 |
| Nov | 2577 | 1458 | 2068 | 441.7 |
| Dec | 2169 | 949 | 1559 | 311.2 |
| Year | 3188 | 947 | 2373 | 1,83472 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74% | 66% | 2.8 | 10:54 |
| Feb | 76% | 75% | 2.8 | 11:23 |
| Mar | 77% | 82% | 2.9 | 11:58 |
| Apr | 79% | 80% | 3.5 | 12:39 |
| May | 84% | 79% | 4.3 | 13:12 |
| Jun | 89% | 83% | 4.4 | 13:30 |
| Jul | 88% | 76% | 5.0 | 13:23 |
| Aug | 88% | 76% | 4.8 | 12:54 |
| Sep | 86% | 68% | 4.5 | 12:15 |
| Oct | 82% | 51% | 4.1 | 11:35 |
| Nov | 78% | 56% | 3.5 | 11:02 |
| Dec | 72% | 54% | 3.0 | 10:46 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Changsha is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 25 °C78 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 20 °C68 °F and lows 9 °C47 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 14 °C25.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,834 mm72 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 47% of the annual total. The wettest month is June (334 mm13 in), the driest is December (31 mm1.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 72% in December to 89% in June. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 51%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in August to 10 km/h (6 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 10.8 hours in December to 13.5 hours in June.
Best time to visit Changsha
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October–March: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 31 mm1.2 in to 87 mm3.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is June, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C87 °F, very wet (334 mm13 in) and humid (89% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Changsha
- Wetter months (May–September) — highs 3087 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 2373 to 25 °C78 °F, about 274 mm11 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (October–April) — highs 2068 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 947 to 19 °C67 °F, about 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Changsha compares
Compared with Zhongshan, about 73 km to the east, Changsha has practically the same average temperature and receives 8% more precipitation (1,834 mm72 in vs 1,701 mm67 in). The difference is largest in November (0.7 °C1.3 °F cooler).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Changsha is the 36th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 24th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the China climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Bắc Giang (Vietnam, Cwa), Chũ (Vietnam, Cwa) and Thái Nguyên (Vietnam, Cwa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Taishan (pop. 145,440). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Changsha, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Encheng 45 km · 23 °C73 °F · 2,041 mm80 in
- Shaping 52 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,730 mm68 in
- Jingan 65 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,939 mm76 in
- Zhongshan 73 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,701 mm67 in
- Daliang 77 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,730 mm68 in
- Zhaoqing 78 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,728 mm68 in
- Sanshui 89 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,730 mm68 in
- Yunfu 90 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,596 mm63 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Changsha?
July is the warmest month in Changsha, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 25 °C (78 °F).
What is the coldest month in Changsha?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 20 °C (68 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (47 °F).
When does it rain the most in Changsha?
June is the wettest month with about 334 mm (13.2 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 31 mm (1.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Changsha?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October–March.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 112 m, while Changsha lies at about 6 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.7 °C1.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.