Dunhuang weather by month & the best time to visit
China · regional city · cold desert climate
The best time to visit Dunhuang is April — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 99/100), with October and May close behind. Dunhuang averages about 3,390 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 22°C / 72°F and roughly 4 mm of rain in April.
When is the best time to visit Dunhuang?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Dunhuang is April, then October and May. The dullest month is January (0/100, 2 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Dunhuang?
Dunhuang is one of the sunniest places on Earth: about 3,390 hours of sunshine a year. 99 Sunshine Score points separate April (99) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #5 of 254 destinations in China for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,110 hours. Rain is a non-event in Dunhuang — about 61 mm in a typical year.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 2° / 36°F | -8° / 18°F | 2 mm | 2 |
| February | 0 | 6° / 43°F | -4° / 25°F | 1 mm | 3 |
| March | 49 | 14° / 57°F | 2° / 36°F | 2 mm | 4 |
| April | 99 | 22° / 72°F | 8° / 46°F | 4 mm | 6 |
| May | 98 | 28° / 82°F | 14° / 57°F | 9 mm | 8 |
| June | 87 | 33° / 91°F | 20° / 68°F | 14 mm | 8 |
| July | 68 | 35° / 95°F | 22° / 72°F | 12 mm | 9 |
| August | 78 | 34° / 93°F | 21° / 70°F | 7 mm | 8 |
| September | 98 | 28° / 82°F | 15° / 59°F | 5 mm | 6 |
| October | 99 | 20° / 68°F | 7° / 45°F | 1 mm | 4 |
| November | 16 | 10° / 50°F | 0° / 32°F | 2 mm | 2 |
| December | 0 | 3° / 37°F | -6° / 21°F | 2 mm | 1 |
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
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Dunhuang: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Dunhuang?
Dunhuang is a regional city in China at 1,123 m elevation with a cold desert climate.
How many hours of sunshine does Dunhuang get a year?
Dunhuang gets about 3,390 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around April.
When is the best time to visit Dunhuang?
The sunniest time to visit Dunhuang is April, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 99/100 (with October and May close behind). Expect daytime highs around 22°C / 72°F.
What is the least sunny month in Dunhuang?
January is the least sunny month in Dunhuang, scoring 0/100 with about 2 mm of rain.
How strong is the sun in Dunhuang?
The typical midday UV index in Dunhuang peaks around 9 (very high) in July, easing to about 1 (low) in December. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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