The temporal evolution and spatial distribution of the frequency of extreme maximum temperature (EMT) days as well as mean maximum temperature (MMT) during the EMT days in East China have been analyzed by using daily maximum surface air temperature from 1960 to 2005, the western Pacific subtropical high intensity and area index, the equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature and the number of landfall typhoons. The results show that the EMT days and the MMT during the EMT days have large temporal variation and regional difference. In the past 45 years, the EMT days show more-less-more interdecadal variability and the MMT during the EMT days has a higher-lower-higher interdecadal variability. There are more EMT days in the south-central and southwest parts of East China, and less ones in the east coastland area and the north part. The MMT during the EMT days is relatively higher in the most parts of Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces in the middle and west parts of East China. In addition, the EMT days and the MMT during the EMT days show different types of jump change and different jump change time in different areas. In East China, particularly, in its southern part, the EMT days are positively correlated with the western Pacific subtropical high intensity and area index, the Niño 4 SST in the last half part of previous year, and the number of landfall typhoons in China. Urbanization also increases the frequency of EMT days.