Shanghai China Weather and City Information

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Shanghai China Weather belongs to the model city of China's economic miracle.

Shanghai at day

Let's start with some Chinese history - After the opening of China in the 19th century, the Japanese invasion and then the Communist overthrow of Chiang Kai Shek put the city of Shanghai on hold for fifty years.

Modernization programs in China in the 1980s led to the boom of the 1990s and globalization.  Shanghai became the world's busiest port because of this.

Most of urban China is powered by coal.  The Chinese emission standards for coal-fired plants are much laxer than in the US and Western Europe, which has caused localized climate changes and special effects on Shanghai weather.

Here are links to forecasts for China's biggest cities, listed by population:

Each city has its own history, culture, and economy.  China's political, economic, and cultural landscape is shaped by them.

- Shanghai - With over 24 million people, Shanghai is the world's most populous city.  A major cultural and tourist destination, it's a global financial center.

Shanghai weather

- Over 21 million people live in Beijing, China's capital.  Many of China's most important government institutions, cultural landmarks, and international corporations are here.

- Guangzhou - Located in southern China, Guangzhou has more than 14 million people.  Several manufacturing industries, ports, and financial services make it a major trade and commerce hub.

- Shenzhen - Shenzhen is a city in southeastern China with over 13 million people.  China's Silicon Valley is known for its innovative technology companies.

- Tianjin - With over 12 million people, Tianjin is a major port city and industrial hub in northeastern China.  There are also a lot of universities and research institutions there.

- The city of Chongqing has over 10 million people and is located in southwestern China.  Known for its manufacturing industries and scenic beauty, it's a major transportation and logistics hub.

- Chengdu is a city in southwestern China with over 10 million people.  Science and technology, cultural tourism, and cuisine are all big here.  Science and technology, cultural tourism, and cuisine are all big here.  I have a good friend from Chengdu.

- Wuhan - This city has over 8 million people and is located in central China.  Known for its manufacturing industries and cultural attractions, it's a major transportation and logistics hub.  Since 2019, Wuhan has become well-known for other things as well. 

Factors affecting the climate and Shanghai China weather

Shanghai's weather, climate, and geography depend on an alluvial plain coming from the Yangtse river, and it's flat.  Buildings on soft ground need deep pilings to avoid sinking.  Shanghai's location on this flood plain between an island and peninsula makes it an awesome harbor.   Also, it protects the city from typhoons coming off the Pacific.

Shanghai's smog days are also pretty bad.  While not as bad as Beijing, Shanghai's air quality is usually worse than Los Angeles, and China has had the ten worst days for air quality over the last decade.  These lists usually put Shanghai in the middle.

In the summer monsoon season, a lot of the weather is driven by hot moist air coming off of the ocean.  The two best times to visit Shanghai are spring and autumn, when the weather is wildly variable and the city is cool and dry - Shanghai's wind patterns shift the pollution out to sea more readily in autumn.

Shanghai Weather resulting from mesoscale effects

Shanghai evenings

There's a lot more blacktop and asphalt absorbing sunlight and re-radiating it back into the atmosphere, and a lot more cars on the road releasing hot gasses.

These have had a micro climate effect and, when preparing a weather forecast for Shanghai, it may be easier to predict rainfall from traffic patterns than from barometric measurements, just like it does in any large city, and Shanghai's metroplex area has 22 million people, so it's one of the world's largest urban complexes.

If you want to visit China, Shanghai is a good place to start.  There are tons of cultural treasures to see, and it's very Westerner-friendly.

It also has the biggest construction boom in the world, with skyscrapers going up everywhere.  That might also change the Shanghai China Weather.  Sooner or later.

Go back from Shanghai China Weather to the China Air Pollution web page or visit the Stuff in the Air homepage.

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Do you have any experience with Shanghai's weather?

Are you considering a trip to the far east?  What factors affect Shanghai China Weather, and what can you expect during your trip?

Do you have concerns about air pollution in your area??

Perhaps modelling air pollution will provide the answers to your question.

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Thank you to my research and writing assistants, ChatGPT and WordTune, as well as Wombo and others for the images.

GPT-4, OpenAI's large-scale language generation model (and others provided by Google and Meta), helped generate this text.  As soon as draft language is generated, the author reviews, edits, and revises it to their own liking and is responsible for the content.