Comparison
Less hot in summer, less cold in winter: Japan vs Southeast Asia
July-August highs, January lows and rainfall normals for 20 cities in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Guam, with each source and period.
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How to compare with climate normals
We compared 'where is it less hot in summer and less cold in winter?' with numbers rather than hunches. We gathered the average July and August highs, the average January low, and rainfall in the same months for the 20 cities in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Guam that have monthly normals in our guides.
Normals are averages over many years, so they do not tell you this year's weather. Sources and periods also differ by city. Bali uses 1961–1990, an older period. So treat this as a rough comparison.
Temperatures are in °C and rainfall in mm. Summer figures are written as 'July/August', with the source agency and period in brackets.
Where the numbers come from
Every figure is copied as stored from the normals of the agencies below. Cities with different periods are hard to compare exactly, so keep this in mind.
- Japan Meteorological Agency, 1991–2020: Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Nara and Himeji stations, Okinawa (Naha station), Ishigaki (Ishigakijima station)
- Central Weather Administration (CWA), Taiwan, 1991–2020: Taipei station
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020: Guam International Airport station
- WMO World Weather Information Service, 1991–2020: Hong Kong (Hong Kong Observatory), Da Nang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration), Singapore (Meteorological Service Singapore)
- WMO normals collection (national weather service submissions, NOAA NCEI), 1991–2020: Manila (PAGASA), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysian Meteorological Department, MetMalaysia)
- WMO World Weather Information Service, 1961–1990: Bali (Denpasar; Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics, BMKG)
- Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) submission · WMO normals collection (NOAA NCEI), 1991–2020: Bangkok, Phuket
Summer (July-August) highs: where is it less hot?
Here are the average July and August highs, grouped from coolest. Japanese cities can be as hot as Southeast Asian ones in August, or hotter. Osaka's August high of 33.7°C is above Bangkok's 33.3°C and Singapore's 31.4°C (a rough comparison, since the sources differ).
In this comparison, Sapporo is the only city with July-August highs around 26°C. Our Sapporo guide also describes June-August as pleasantly mild.
- Coolest: Sapporo 25.4/26.4°C (JMA, 1991–2020)
- Around 30°C: Tokyo 29.9/31.3°C (JMA, 1991–2020), Bali (Denpasar) 30.4/29.6°C (WMO/BMKG, 1961–1990), Guam 31.1/30.7°C (NOAA NCEI, 1991–2020)
- 31°C range: Singapore 31.4/31.4°C (WMO/MSS, 1991–2020), Manila 31.5/31.0°C (PAGASA via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Hong Kong 31.6/31.3°C (WMO/Hong Kong Observatory, 1991–2020), Okinawa (Naha) 31.9/31.8°C (JMA, 1991–2020)
- Around 32°C: Ishigaki 32.2/32.0°C, Himeji 30.5/32.5°C, Fukuoka 31.2/32.5°C (all JMA, 1991–2020), Phuket 32.3/32.2°C (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Kuala Lumpur 32.8/32.8°C (MetMalaysia via WMO normals, 1991–2020)
- A month at 33°C or above: Ho Chi Minh City 33.0/32.9°C, Hanoi 33.3/32.5°C, Da Nang 34.4/34.0°C (all WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020), Bangkok 33.5/33.3°C (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Nara 31.7/33.4°C, Osaka 31.8/33.7°C (both JMA, 1991–2020), Taipei 34.8/34.2°C (CWA, 1991–2020)
Summer rain: July-August rainfall
In summer, rain matters as much as heat. July-August rainfall varies a lot between cities.
Our Da Nang guide describes June-August as hot but fairly dry, good for the beach, and our Bali guide describes April-October as the dry season with the most sunny days.
- Lower: Bali (Denpasar) 55/25 mm (WMO/BMKG, 1961–1990), Sapporo 90.7/126.8 mm (JMA, 1991–2020), Da Nang 92/167 mm (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020)
- Middle: Singapore 146.6/146.9 mm (WMO/MSS, 1991–2020), Tokyo 156.2/154.7 mm (JMA, 1991–2020), Kuala Lumpur 165.2/174.3 mm (MetMalaysia via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Bangkok 189.7/227.1 mm (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020)
- Higher: Hanoi 300/335 mm (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020), Taipei 226.1/337.8 mm (CWA, 1991–2020), Guam 311.2/448.6 mm (NOAA NCEI, 1991–2020), Hong Kong 385.8/453.2 mm (WMO/Hong Kong Observatory, 1991–2020), Manila 432.3/476.1 mm (PAGASA, 1991–2020)
Winter (January) lows: where is it less cold?
Here are the average January lows, grouped from coldest. Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nara and Himeji sit at 0-4°C, Sapporo is below zero, and most Southeast Asian cities are above 20°C.
Among the Japanese cities here, Ishigaki is the warmest. But our Ishigaki guide notes that in January-February the north wind makes it feel cooler, so bring a jacket. Our Hanoi guide also says winter from December to February is cooler and damper than many expect, with some days around 10°C.
- Below zero: Sapporo -6.4°C, with a January high of -0.4°C (JMA, 1991–2020)
- 0-4°C: Himeji 0.2°C, Nara 0.8°C, Tokyo 1.2°C, Osaka 3.0°C, Fukuoka 3.9°C (all JMA, 1991–2020)
- 14-17°C: Taipei 14.2°C (CWA, 1991–2020), Hong Kong 14.6°C (WMO/Hong Kong Observatory, 1991–2020), Hanoi 14.6°C (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020), Okinawa (Naha) 14.9°C, Ishigaki 16.7°C (both JMA, 1991–2020)
- 19-21°C: Da Nang 19.7°C (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020)
- 22°C and above: Bangkok 23.4°C (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Ho Chi Minh City 23.4°C (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020), Kuala Lumpur 23.8°C (MetMalaysia via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Manila 23.9°C (PAGASA via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Bali (Denpasar) 24.1°C (WMO/BMKG, 1961–1990), Guam 24.1°C (NOAA NCEI, 1991–2020), Singapore 24.3°C (WMO/MSS, 1991–2020), Phuket 25.0°C (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020)
Winter rain: January rainfall
Warm in January does not always mean dry. Singapore and Bali have January lows around 24°C but also a lot of January rain. Our Singapore guide says the November to January monsoon brings frequent showers, and our Bali guide says the heaviest rain comes around December to February.
By contrast, our Bangkok guide describes November to February, and our Ho Chi Minh City guide December to April, as the dry season.
- Under 30 mm: Ho Chi Minh City 12 mm (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020), Manila 19.4 mm (PAGASA via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Bangkok 23.6 mm (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Hanoi 28 mm (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020)
- 30-100 mm: Hong Kong 33.2 mm (WMO/Hong Kong Observatory, 1991–2020), Himeji 36.9 mm, Osaka 47 mm (both JMA, 1991–2020), Phuket 49.9 mm (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Nara 52.4 mm, Tokyo 59.7 mm, Fukuoka 74.4 mm (all JMA, 1991–2020), Da Nang 83 mm (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020), Taipei 90.5 mm (CWA, 1991–2020)
- 100 mm and above: Okinawa (Naha) 101.6 mm, Sapporo 108.4 mm, Ishigaki 135 mm (all JMA, 1991–2020), Guam 135.6 mm (NOAA NCEI, 1991–2020), Singapore 221.6 mm (WMO/MSS, 1991–2020), Kuala Lumpur 226.7 mm (MetMalaysia via WMO normals, 1991–2020), Bali (Denpasar) 345 mm (WMO/BMKG, 1961–1990)
Quick picks
If you choose by normals alone, it comes down to this. Remember that sources and periods differ, so the comparison is rough, and check the forecast before you go.
- Less hot in summer: Sapporo, July-August highs 25.4/26.4°C (JMA, 1991–2020)
- Less rain in summer: Bali (Denpasar), July-August rainfall 55/25 mm (WMO/BMKG, 1961–1990)
- Less cold in winter: Phuket, January low 25.0°C (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020); Singapore 24.3°C (WMO/MSS, 1991–2020); Bali (Denpasar) 24.1°C (WMO/BMKG, 1961–1990); Guam 24.1°C (NOAA NCEI, 1991–2020)
- Warm and dry in winter: Bangkok, January low 23.4°C and 23.6 mm rain (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020); Ho Chi Minh City 23.4°C and 12 mm (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020)
- Least cold in Japan in winter: Ishigaki, January low 16.7°C (JMA, 1991–2020)
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FAQ
Is Japan cooler than Southeast Asia in summer?
It depends on the city. Sapporo's August high of 26.4°C (JMA, 1991–2020) is low, but Osaka's 33.7°C (JMA, 1991–2020) is above Bangkok's 33.3°C (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020) and Singapore's 31.4°C (WMO/MSS, 1991–2020). The sources differ, so this is a rough comparison.
Where is warmest in January?
By average January low: Phuket 25.0°C (TMD via WMO normals, 1991–2020), then Singapore 24.3°C (WMO/MSS, 1991–2020), Bali (Denpasar) 24.1°C (WMO/BMKG, 1961–1990) and Guam 24.1°C (NOAA NCEI, 1991–2020). Singapore, Bali and Guam all get more than 100 mm of rain in January.
Where do these numbers come from?
From normals published by the Japan Meteorological Agency, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA), NOAA NCEI, the WMO World Weather Information Service (supplied by national weather services) and the WMO normals collection (national weather service submissions, NOAA NCEI). Bali uses 1961–1990, an older period.
Do normals tell me this year's weather?
No. Normals are averages over many years. Use them to choose a city, and check the forecast before you go.
Related reading
ⓘ Photo credits
- Hanoi street in heavy rain · Christophe95 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Inner moat of Osaka Castle · Joli Rumi / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Odori Park, Sapporo · Nkns / CC BY-SA 3.0