The Climate of
Taiwan
Skyline of skyscrapers in Taipei City
Climate Map
Climate map of Taiwan
What is the climate of Taiwan like?
Taiwan is an island in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the southeastern coast of mainland China. It consists of an island rather larger than Wales or the state of Vermont, situated between 22° and 25°N. It is mountainous and rugged with the highest peak rising to over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).
The whole island shares the subtropical monsoon climate experienced on the southern Chinese mainland. The warm and humid summer lasts from May until September, the mild winter from December until February. The average lowland temperature in January is 16°C (61°F) in the north and 20°C (68°F) in the south; the average July temperature is 28°C (82°F) in both the north and south. The growing season lasts throughout the year, except at elevations above 1,200 meters (4,000 feet), where frost and snow occasionally occur.
Rainfall in Taiwan is generally heavy, averaging about 2,500 millimeters (100 inches) annually and much more in the mountains. Southwest monsoon winds blow from May through September and northeast monsoon winds from October to March. More rain falls in the period May to September than in the rest of the year. Some of the heaviest falls of rain from July to September are brought by the typhoons of the South China Sea. As they move northwards towards Japan they bring strong winds and heavy rain to the whole island. In winter, disturbed weather with cloud and rain affects the north and east coasts rather more than the south. This can be seen by comparing Taipei, in the north, with Hengchun in the extreme south.
The summer heat is made more oppressive by high humidity so that at low levels some days can be distinctly unpleasant. The winter and spring weather of Taiwan, however, can be very pleasant. The climate is quite sunny for much of the year, with sunshine hours averaging six hours a day in winter to seven or eight in summer. These amounts are much reduced in the cloudy wetter hills.
| Climate data for Taipei (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 19.6 (67.3) | 20.7 (69.3) | 22.9 (73.2) | 26.7 (80.1) | 30.1 (86.2) | 32.9 (91.2) | 35.0 (95.0) | 34.4 (93.9) | 31.6 (88.9) | 27.8 (82.0) | 24.9 (76.8) | 21.1 (70.0) | 27.3 (81.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 16.6 (61.9) | 17.2 (63.0) | 19.0 (66.2) | 22.5 (72.5) | 25.8 (78.4) | 28.3 (82.9) | 30.1 (86.2) | 29.7 (85.5) | 27.8 (82.0) | 24.7 (76.5) | 22.0 (71.6) | 18.2 (64.8) | 23.5 (74.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 14.4 (57.9) | 14.7 (58.5) | 16.2 (61.2) | 19.4 (66.9) | 22.8 (73.0) | 25.3 (77.5) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.6 (79.9) | 25.2 (77.4) | 22.6 (72.7) | 19.8 (67.6) | 16.1 (61.0) | 20.8 (69.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 93.8 (3.69) | 129.4 (5.09) | 157.8 (6.21) | 151.4 (5.96) | 245.2 (9.65) | 354.6 (13.96) | 214.2 (8.43) | 336.5 (13.25) | 336.8 (13.26) | 162.6 (6.40) | 89.3 (3.52) | 96.9 (3.81) | 2,368.5 (93.23) |
| Source: Central Weather Bureau | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Hengchun | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 24.4 (75.9) | 25.5 (77.9) | 27.3 (81.1) | 29.5 (85.1) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.8 (89.2) | 32.1 (89.8) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 29.7 (85.5) | 27.8 (82.0) | 25.1 (77.2) | 29 (84) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 21.1 (70.0) | 21.7 (71.1) | 23.3 (73.9) | 25.4 (77.7) | 27.3 (81.1) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.3 (82.9) | 27.8 (82.0) | 26.5 (79.7) | 24.7 (76.5) | 22.2 (72.0) | 25.5 (77.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 18.6 (65.5) | 19 (66) | 20.5 (68.9) | 22.6 (72.7) | 24.5 (76.1) | 25.8 (78.4) | 26 (79) | 25.6 (78.1) | 25.1 (77.2) | 24.1 (75.4) | 22.5 (72.5) | 20 (68) | 22.9 (73.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 21.8 (0.86) | 23.2 (0.91) | 16 (0.6) | 35.2 (1.39) | 146.6 (5.77) | 350.7 (13.81) | 391.3 (15.41) | 533.4 (21.00) | 320.3 (12.61) | 125.3 (4.93) | 58.3 (2.30) | 29 (1.1) | 2,051.1 (80.69) |
| Source: Central Weather Bureau | |||||||||||||
References
- E. A. Pearce, Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
- Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
- Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press
The Climate of
Taiwan
In summary:
Taiwan enjoys an oceanic, subtropical monsoon climate. The warm and humid summer lasts from May until September, the mild winter from December until February. The average lowland temperature in January is 16°C (61°F) in the north and 20°C (68°F) in the south; the average July temperature is 28°C (82°F) in both the north and south.
The average rainfall is 2500 mm (100 in), ranging from 1250 mm (50 in) at the middle of the western coast to 6350 mm (250 in) and more on exposed mountain slopes. Southwest monsoon winds blow from May through September and northeast monsoon winds from October to March. Only the extreme southwest has a distinct dry season. Typhoons occur between June and October.