The climate of Kyoto, the ancient Japanese capital, located in the southern part of Honshu Island, in the Kansai region, is
, with quite mild winters and hot, moist, and rainy summers. Like the rest of Japan, the city is affected by the
: in winter, the northwest cold currents will prevail, while in summer, they will be replaced by hot and humid currents of tropical origin.
The city is located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) away from the sea, in a plain surrounded by low mountains, and to the south, it is practically merged with Osaka and Kobe, in a large metropolitan area called
, there are fairly mild periods, with highs above 10 °C (50 °F), alternating with cold periods, with wind and rain, highs around 5/7 °C (41/45 °F) or less, and possible falls of sleet or snow. Snowfalls, however, are usually light, as are nocturnal frosts.
From time to time, especially in the past, there have been more intense cold waves. The records are -8 °C (17.5 °F) in January 1963 and -8.8 °C (16 °F) in February 1929.
in Kyoto are particularly hot and humid, both because of the distance from the sea and because of the heat island effect which is typical of big cities. There can be periods of good weather, with maximum temperatures around 35 °C (95 °F) or above, tropical nights and high humidity, but also periods of bad weather due to the summer monsoon. August is the hottest month, both because of the thermal inertia of the sea and because of the lower frequency of periods of bad weather.
is quite abundant, in fact, it amounts to 1,500 millimeters (60 inches) per year. Winter is undoubtedly the driest season, at least in quantity; the rainiest months are June and July, ie the first period of the rainy season (called
). In August, there is a certain decrease in rain frequency: on average, among the summer months, it is the hottest as well as the driest and sunniest.
in Kyoto, all things considered, is decent in winter, but it never becomes very good, however, there are two relative maxima, one in spring (April-May) and the other in August, after the Baiu rains, both with around 6 hours of sunshine per day.
From June to October (but especially from August to early October), Kyoto may be affected by
As regards to the climate, the best times to visit Kyoto are spring and autumn, and in particular, from mid-April to mid-May and from late October to mid-November.
in Kyoto reaches its peak around April the 3rd. 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 °C (50 °F), you can take advantage of this period to visit the Buddhist temples that are located around the city (and maybe, nearby Lake Biwa).
Or you can go from mid-November to early December, when the trees take on the beautiful autumn colors. That of Kyoto is indeed one of the best areas for the so-called
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
5.3 °C, with a minimum of
1.5 °C and a maximum of
9.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2 °C. However, it dropped to
-5.5 °C in January 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
14 °C. However, it reached
17.2 °C in January 1997.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 40% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
11 kph.
February is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
5.8 °C, with a minimum of
1.6 °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
-4.2 °C in February 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
17.5 °C. However, it reached
22.1 °C in February 2010.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 40% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
11 kph.
March is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
9.2 °C, with a minimum of
4.3 °C and a maximum of
14.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-1.6 °C in March 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
22 °C. However, it reached
25.5 °C in March 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
105 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 42% of the time.
The average humidity is 60%.
The average wind speed is of
10 kph.
April is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
14.6 °C, with a minimum of
9.2 °C and a maximum of
20.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2.5 °C. However, it dropped to
0.4 °C in April 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27.5 °C. However, it reached
30.7 °C in April 2005.
Precipitation amounts to
115 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 60%.
The average wind speed is of
9 kph.
May is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
19.8 °C, with a minimum of
14.5 °C and a maximum of
25.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
8.5 °C. However, it dropped to
4.5 °C in May 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31.5 °C. However, it reached
34.2 °C in May 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
150 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 42% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
8 kph.
June is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
23.6 °C, with a minimum of
19.2 °C and a maximum of
28.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
14 °C. However, it dropped to
12.2 °C in June 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33.5 °C. However, it reached
36.4 °C in June 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
200 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 30 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 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 31% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
8 kph.
July is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
27.8 °C, with a minimum of
23.6 °C and a maximum of
32 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
19.5 °C. However, it dropped to
16.6 °C in July 2003.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
36.5 °C. However, it reached
39.8 °C in July 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
225 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 10 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 32% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
8 kph.
August, the hottest month of the year, is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
29.2 °C, with a minimum of
24.7 °C and a maximum of
33.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
20.5 °C. However, it dropped to
17.7 °C in August 2002.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
37.5 °C. However, it reached
39.8 °C in August 1994.
Precipitation amounts to
155 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 44% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
8 kph.
September is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
25 °C, with a minimum of
20.7 °C and a maximum of
29.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
15 °C. However, it dropped to
11.4 °C in September 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
34.5 °C. However, it reached
38.1 °C in September 2010.
Precipitation amounts to
180 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 38% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
8 kph.
October is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
18.9 °C, with a minimum of
14.4 °C and a maximum of
23.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
8 °C. However, it dropped to
5.2 °C in October 2020.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
29 °C. However, it reached
33.6 °C in October 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
145 mm, distributed over 9 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 44% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
9 kph.
November is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
12.8 °C, with a minimum of
8.4 °C and a maximum of
17.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
3 °C. However, it dropped to
0.9 °C in November 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
23 °C. However, it reached
26.9 °C in November 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
75 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
10 kph.
December is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7.6 °C, with a minimum of
3.5 °C and a maximum of
11.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.7 °C in December 2005.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
17 °C. However, it reached
22.7 °C in December 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 50 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 44% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
10 kph.