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Being located between Eurasia continent and the western Pacific Ocean, the coastal area of China (hereafter as CAC) is vulnerable to climate change and prone to climate-related disasters. Based on the daily meteorological dataset of 156 stations, variations of consecutive dry days (CDD) and consecutive wet days (CWD) and their relationships with local and remote climate drivers from 1961 to 2017 over CAC were investigated. Results showed that the multi-year averages in CDD and CWD were 22.5–93.7 and 3.4–11.8 days, generally presenting a "high north and low south" and "low north and high south" spatial pattern, respectively. The decadal trend rates in CDD and CWD were − 4.5–2.7 and − 0.7–0.6 days per decade, respectively, both showing universal insignificant change trends over CAC. There was a significant negatively correlation between CDD and precipitation at partial of meteorological stations clustered in Guangxi autonomous region, and a predominantly significant positive relationship between CWD and precipitation over CAC. Both CDD and CWD correlated significantly with Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) in parts of northern coastal areas close to the sea, while a common insignificant linkage was detected between CDD/CWD and large-scale circulation indices such as North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Northern Oscillation Index (NOI), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) over CAC. Results from this paper are anticipated to provide insights into the drought/flood disaster risk mitigation and prevention as well as water resources management in the coastal area of China. • Coastal area of China (CAC) witnessed an obvious north-south difference in consecutive dry days (CDD) and consecutive wet days (CWD). • CDD and CWD varied insignificantly with a - trend rate of − 4.5–2.7 and − 0.7–0.6 days per decade, respectively. • A predominantly significant positive linkage was found between CWD and precipitation over CAC. • CDD and CWD correlated significantly with ENSO in parts of northern coastal areas close to the sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]