Dali (Erhai) weather in August
August in Dali: hot, soaked, with muggy air — a gamble, with 28 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#12 of 12 months in Dali · #1038 of 1413 destinations to visit in August · comfort 63/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 27°C
- Nights
- 17°C
- Wet days
- 28
- Sun
- 8.1 h
- Humidity
- 87%
- Daylight
- 13 h
Traveller notes on Dali in August
Other months in Dali
Yunnan forum posters generally rate October as a pleasant month for Dali - sunny and warm by day, with a light jacket needed once the sun drops in the evening. Early October can still run a bit cool and cloudy with occasional rain, a holdover from the tail end of the wet season, so several posters suggested mid-to-late October both for milder weather and to skip the crowds and high prices of China's National Day holiday week. Overall it's considered comfortable layering weather rather than either extreme.
Forum posters describe April across Yunnan (Dali included) as one of the better months overall, though genuinely cold mornings and evenings persist alongside comfortable daytime warmth - temperature swings of roughly 8-18C within a single day are commonly cited, with winter-weight layers, gloves and a cap recommended for early/late hours even as daytime sportswear or a light jacket suffices. Posters name June through September as the region's rainy season, meaning April sits comfortably in the drier part of the year, with early May and late September named as similarly favorable low-rain windows. Posters note Yunnan's elevation varies significantly city to city, so conditions can shift meaningfully even within the same itinerary depending on altitude.
Add your own note from Dali's card on the map.
Dali climate normals — August
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Dali in August
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusySummer break in China, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Dali's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherDali's weather peaks March–May, best around April.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Dali in August
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Yunnan rainy season
1 Jun – 30 Sep · usuallyMonsoonMost of the year's rain arrives in these four months, usually as a heavy late-afternoon build over Cangshan rather than all-day drizzle. Mornings are often clear enough to walk the Jade Belt path.
- Festival
Torch Festival
15 Jul – 20 Aug · usuallyLights & fireBai and Yi villages around Erhai raise a pine torch in the square on the twenty-fourth of the sixth lunar month and carry smaller ones through the fields after dark. Usually late July or August. Source ↗
- Season
Wet season
MonsoonRisk28 rainy days and about 290 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.
from the climate normals
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Dali — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Dali?
Dali in August — FAQ
- Is August a good time to visit Dali?
- August in Dali: hot, soaked, with muggy air — a gamble, with 28 rainy days. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Dali on SeasonMap's comfort score (63/100).
- What is the weather like in Dali in August?
- In August, Dali averages a daily high of 26.5°C and a low of 16.5°C, with about 289.9 mm of rain over roughly 27.8 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Dali in August?
- Dali has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 52 in August.
Within 300 km: Lijiang's Naxi Torch Festival around 15 Jul – 20 Aug.