China weather

China weather: rainfall

The rain in china follows a similar pattern year on year with the majority of rainfall occurring in the summer months of May through to September. The least rainfall occurs in the dry and desolate northern and north-western regions. Rainfall gradually increases the further southeast one travels. This phenomenon is due to the influence of the summer monsoons.

In summer the Chinese mainland sees the approach of the southeast monsoon from the Pacific Ocean and the southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean. These monsoons are responsible for the majority of rainfall in the region first hitting the southern provinces and then travelling slowly northwards. From April the rainy monsoon weather will affect the southern provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. The monsoon rains move northwards affecting more of southern and central China until June / July when the weather finally begins to subside in the south. This heralds the approach of rainy weather into the northern provinces, continuing until the wet weather gradually fades from the north, generally during the month of September.

Travel in China is possible year-round as long as you are adequately prepared for the prevailing conditions. The most popular time to visit China is generally during the spring months (March to May) or the autumn months of September and October. Due to the vast size and varied landscape of the country conditions change from region to region.

China weather: temperature

To explain weather conditions effectively the country has to be divided into a number of climatic regions:

North China Weather

Winter in the north of China runs from December to March and nightly temperatures in Beijing may fall to -10°C (14°F) or lower. Daytime weather is typically dry and overcast and may reach the dizzying heights of 10°C (50°F) in March.

May to August is summer in Beijing with daytime temperatures ranging from 20-30°C (68-91°F). This period also constitutes the rainy season for the region.

Spring and autumn are the most popular times to visit north China.

Central China Weather

The Yangtze River runs through central China dividing north and south. The river valley has a long, hot and humid summer season from April to October, 20-30°C (68-91°F). This has given rise to the nickname ‘The Three Furnaces’ referring to the three cities; Chongqing, Nanning and Wuhan situated on the river.

Winter runs from December to March with nightly temperatures falling on average to 5°C (41°F) and rising to 10°C (50°F) in the day.

Spring and autumn are the best times to visit central China thereby taking advantage of temperate weather and lower rainfall.

South China weather

In the south of China the summer months fall between the months of June and September bringing seasonal typhoons. Summer temperatures range from 25-30°C (77-86°F).

Winter in the south of China is short bringing reduced temperatures of 15-20°C (59-68°F).

Once again spring and autumn are popular times to visit this region though the weather may still be quite wet.

Tibetan plateau weather

Tibetan weather is unique due to its equally unusual geographical characteristics. The climate in Tibet is generally dry throughout the year.

Because of high altitude the air is thin with low levels of oxygen (68% oxygen in Lhasa compared with sea level). The thin air means that the levels of solar radiation are intense yet the air does not retain much heat. This provides for a strange phenomenon where the temperature is significantly cooler in the shade than in direct sunlight. In summer months the temperature may rise to 25°C (77°C) during the day, falling to just under 10°C (50°F) during the night.

The best time to visit Tibet is from April through to November whilst temperatures remain cool. In the winter months temperatures plummet and rainy weather may trigger rock falls making travel difficult.

Northwest China weather

The desert regions of northwest China experience very little rain and consequently the air is very dry. During the summer months the temperature can reach 40°C (104°F).

In winter the region shares the harsh conditions typical of the rest of northern China with temperatures falling as low as -10°C (14°F).

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