Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of main meteorological factors on the mortality of urban residents and provide empirical evidence for the prevention of effects of climate changes. Design/methodology/approach Grey relational analysis (GRA) was used to analyse the interrelationships between meteorological factors and mortality among residents in Chaoyang District, Beijing, during the period between 1998 and 2008. Findings The changes of annual average mortality had a strong grey relation with temperature and relative humidity. The monthly average mortality (MAM) showed a strong grey relation with air pressure and the MAM in Summer season had a strong grey relation with air pressure, relative humidity and wind speed. Originality/value Meteorological factors including temperature, relative humidity, air pressure and wind speed are all related with mortality changes. GRA can well reveal the trend of the curve approximation between meteorological factors and mortality and can quantify the different approximation.