, with quite mild, sunny winters and hot, humid and rainy summers. Like the rest of Japan, the city is affected by the
: in winter, the northwest cold currents prevail, while in summer, they are replaced by hot and humid currents of tropical origin.
Hamamatsu is located in the central part of the island of Honshu, on the coast, in the Chubu region and in the Shizuoka prefecture. North of the city lie the Kiso Mountains, or Central Alps, with a series of peaks almost 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) tall.
Given the relatively low latitude (on the 34th parallel) and the protection given by the mountains (we are on the southern side), in
, the currents of Siberian origin are felt little, so there are many sunny days, and usually, it's not very cold. However, cold and windy periods, with highs around 6/8 °C (43/46 °F) or less, can not be ruled out. Snowfall is very rare: unlike in Tokyo, where it can sometimes snow, in practice it never snows (but sometimes, it can snow in the northern outskirts of the city, see Tenryu-ku). Night frosts are quite rare and usually light, however, at night, the temperature often drops near 0 °C (32 °F).
, sunny and muggy periods alternate with periods of bad weather, with wind and rain. Fortunately, the breeze blows from the sea.
is abundant, in fact, it amounts to 1,800 millimeters (70 inches) per year. Winter is definitely the driest season. The rainiest periods are the first part of the rainy season (mid-June to mid-July, the plum rains) and the latest (September, also because of the contribution given by typhoons, see below).
in Hamamatsu is good in winter, while it is barely decent in the other seasons, due to weather disturbances in spring and autumn, as well as to the summer monsoon. In summer, August is the sunniest month: apart from typhoons and some waves of bad weather, there are several sunny periods.
is warm enough for swimming, with a temperature of 23 °C (73 °F) or more, from July to October.
From June to October (but especially from August to early October), Hamamatsu can be affected by
, the tropical cyclones of the Pacific, which in this area, facing south, are felt in a particular way. The most intense typhoons can bring torrential rains and heavy damage.
As regards to the climate, the best times to visit Hamamatsu are spring and autumn, and in particular, from mid-April to mid-May and from late October to mid-November.
in Hamamatsu reaches its peak around the 30th of March. About a week passes between the beginning and the peak of the flowering. The blooming date can vary by a few days, or even a week, earlier or later, depending on the year. Even though in some years it can get a little cold, with highs around 10/12 °C (50/54 °F), you can also take advantage of this period.
In summer, August is partly preferable to July, having more sunshine and less rainfall, but it is also true that it is hotter and there's a greater risk of typhoons.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
6.1 °C, with a minimum of
2.3 °C and a maximum of
10 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2 °C. However, it dropped to
-5 °C in January 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
15 °C. However, it reached
18 °C in January 1996.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 66% of the time.
The average humidity is 56%.
The average wind speed is of
15.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
17.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
February is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
6.9 °C, with a minimum of
2.8 °C and a maximum of
11 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2 °C. However, it dropped to
-5 °C in February 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
18 °C. However, it reached
22 °C in February 2006.
Precipitation amounts to
75 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 61% of the time.
The average humidity is 55%.
The average wind speed is of
16 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
17 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
March is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
10.1 °C, with a minimum of
5.9 °C and a maximum of
14.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
0 °C. However, it dropped to
-2 °C in March 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
20.5 °C. However, it reached
25 °C in March 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
145 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 54% of the time.
The average humidity is 58%.
The average wind speed is of
15.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
17.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
April is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
14.9 °C, with a minimum of
10.7 °C and a maximum of
19.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
4 °C. However, it dropped to
0 °C in April 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24.5 °C. However, it reached
29 °C in April 2005.
Precipitation amounts to
180 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 51% of the time.
The average humidity is 63%.
The average wind speed is of
14.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
18.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.
May is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
19 °C, with a minimum of
15.1 °C and a maximum of
23 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10 °C. However, it dropped to
7.8 °C in May 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
28 °C. However, it reached
31 °C in May 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
190 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 47% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
12.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
20.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is cool for swimming.
June is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
22.5 °C, with a minimum of
19.4 °C and a maximum of
25.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
15.5 °C. However, it dropped to
13 °C in June 2010.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31.5 °C. However, it reached
36 °C in June 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
225 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 25 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 34% of the time.
The average humidity is 79%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
11.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
23.2 °C. Therefore, the sea can be considered barely acceptable for swimming.
July is generally a warm to hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
26.3 °C, with a minimum of
23.2 °C and a maximum of
29.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
19 °C. However, it dropped to
16.8 °C in July 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
34.5 °C. However, it reached
37 °C in July 2001.
Precipitation amounts to
210 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 10 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 40% of the time.
The average humidity is 81%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
11.5 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
26 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
August, the hottest month of the year, is generally a very hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
27.6 °C, with a minimum of
24.2 °C and a maximum of
30.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
21 °C. However, it dropped to
18.5 °C in August 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35.5 °C. However, it reached
39 °C in August 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
125 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 51% of the time.
The average humidity is 77%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
11.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
27.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
September is generally a warm to hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
24.5 °C, with a minimum of
21.1 °C and a maximum of
27.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
16 °C. However, it dropped to
13 °C in September 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33 °C. However, it reached
36 °C in September 1992.
Precipitation amounts to
245 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 76%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
11.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
26.6 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
October is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
19.3 °C, with a minimum of
15.6 °C and a maximum of
23 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10 °C. However, it dropped to
6 °C in October 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
28 °C. However, it reached
31 °C in October 2013.
Precipitation amounts to
205 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 46% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
24.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
November is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
13.9 °C, with a minimum of
10 °C and a maximum of
17.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
4 °C. However, it dropped to
2 °C in November 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
23 °C. However, it reached
26 °C in November 2000.
Precipitation amounts to
115 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 55% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
12.1 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
22 °C. Therefore, the sea is cool for swimming.
December is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
8.5 °C, with a minimum of
4.6 °C and a maximum of
12.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-3 °C in December 2012.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
18 °C. However, it reached
23 °C in December 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 55 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 65% of the time.
The average humidity is 60%.
The average wind speed is of
14.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
19.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.