Sunshine hours in Beijing: 2,490 hours a year, month by month

Beijing gets 2,490 hours of sunshine a year on average (6.8 a day). Sunniest month: May with 265 hours. Every month, measured 1991–2020.

• Beijing gets 2,490 hours of sunshine a year on average, 6.8 a day – 56% of the astronomically possible. The sunniest month is May with 265 hours (8.5 a day), the dullest November with 173 (5.8 a day).
• Number 88 of 444 large cities in China.
• Nearest weather station: Beijing (Peking), 11 km away – 1991–2020 average, Deutscher Wetterdienst.

Sunshine hours month by month

• January: 188 h · 6.1 h a day · 62 %
• February: 189 h · 6.8 h a day · 63 %
• March: 231 h · 7.5 h a day · 62 %
• April: 243 h · 8.1 h a day · 61 %
• May: 265 h · 8.5 h a day · 59 %
• June: 222 h · 7.4 h a day · 49 %
• July: 191 h · 6.2 h a day · 42 %
• August: 205 h · 6.6 h a day · 48 %
• September: 206 h · 6.9 h a day · 55 %
• October: 200 h · 6.5 h a day · 58 %
• November: 173 h · 5.8 h a day · 58 %
• December: 177 h · 5.7 h a day · 61 %

Questions about sunshine hours

• How many hours of sunshine does Beijing get a year? On average over 1991–2020 the sun shines in Beijing for 2,490 hours a year – 6.8 hours a day and 56% of the time the sun is above the horizon.
• What is the sunniest month in Beijing? May, with 265 hours of sunshine, 8.5 a day on average. The least sun comes in November: 173 hours, 5.8 a day.
• Is Beijing a sunny city? Among the 444 large cities in China with measurements, Beijing ranks number 88.
• Where do the figures come from? From the 1991–2020 climate normals of Deutscher Wetterdienst: Germany from its own station network, the rest of the world from the CLIMAT reports of the national weather services. Beijing uses the station Beijing (Peking).
• What counts as an hour of sunshine? By the World Meteorological Organization's definition the sun is shining once its direct radiation exceeds 120 watts per square metre. Just after sunrise and before sunset it is often too weak – which is why even deserts never reach 100%.

The sunniest large cities: United States

• 1. Phoenix: 3,873 h a year
• 2. Las Vegas: 3,826 h a year
• 3. Tucson: 3,806 h a year
• 4. Reno: 3,647 h a year
• 5. Sacramento: 3,609 h a year
• 6. Fresno: 3,565 h a year
• 7. Chico: 3,542 h a year
• 8. Colorado Springs: 3,463 h a year
• 9. Albuquerque: 3,414 h a year
• 10. Amarillo: 3,298 h a year

The cloudiest large cities: United States

• 1. Pittsburgh: 1,972 h a year
• 2. Anchorage: 2,063 h a year
• 3. Syracuse: 2,120 h a year
• 4. Seattle: 2,170 h a year
• 5. Columbus: 2,182 h a year
• 6. Grand Rapids: 2,188 h a year
• 7. Buffalo: 2,206 h a year
• 8. Meads: 2,259 h a year
• 9. Cleveland: 2,281 h a year
• 10. Rochester: 2,299 h a year

The sunniest large cities in the world

• 1. Mexicali: 4,017 h a year
• 2. Phoenix: 3,873 h a year
• 3. Las Vegas: 3,826 h a year
• 4. Tucson: 3,806 h a year
• 5. Ciudad Juárez: 3,763 h a year
• 6. Reno: 3,647 h a year
• 7. Dubai: 3,610 h a year
• 8. Sacramento: 3,609 h a year
• 9. Victoria de Durango: 3,573 h a year
• 10. Fresno: 3,565 h a year

The cloudiest large cities in the world

• 1. Chengdu: 962 h a year
• 2. Chongqing: 985 h a year
• 3. Sukabumi: 1,082 h a year
• 4. Glasgow: 1,153 h a year
• 5. Tanjung Pinang: 1,172 h a year
• 6. Medan: 1,201 h a year
• 7. Samarinda: 1,275 h a year
• 8. Sungai Penuh: 1,311 h a year
• 9. Limerick: 1,339 h a year
• 10. Huaihua: 1,352 h a year

• Data: Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), sunshine duration climate normals 1991–2020, CC BY 4.0. Possible hours: time between sunrise and sunset.