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China's
climate
China's climate is extremely
diverse. Since the country covers
such a vast geographical area that stretches
across 35 degrees of latitude, China's climate
ranges from being sub-tropical in the south
to sub-arctic in the north. Variations in
land elevation also contribute to the extreme
climatic differences. Despite this, the
country can be separated into approximately
seven climatic zones with the following
characteristics.
|
Region
|
Spring
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Summer
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Fall
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Winter
|
|
North
|
warm,
pleasant, clear skies, little rain
|
20 to
26 C: high humidity
|
similar
to spring, good time to visit
|
-4 to
0 C: cold, dry, windy, periods of
snow
|
|
Northeast
|
~ 6
C: cool & dry
|
pleasant,
unpredictable rainfall
|
6 to
14 C: little rain
|
-20
C: long cold winters, strong northerly
winds
|
|
East
Coast
|
5 to
13 C: little rain
|
24 C:
> 35 C in August: hot & humid
|
12 to
19 C: pleasant
|
~ 0
C: cool & humid
|
|
Southeast
|
13 to
18 C: humid
|
>
30 C: very hot & humid
|
~ 21
C:
|
~ 10
C in Jan & Feb: humid
|
|
Southwest
|
13 to
16 C:
|
19 C:
moderate temperatures at higher
altitudes
|
~ 15
C:
|
mild,
little rain except in Tibet (severe
winters)
|
|
Central
|
cool
& dry
|
warm
& humid
|
~ 10
C:
|
dry,
clear, low temperatures
|
|
Western
Interior
|
moderate
temperatures
|
extreme
heat
|
moderate
temperatures
|
cold
winters
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Northeast China
is known for its hot, dry summers and long,
cold winters. In central China, the summers
are hot and humid, with heavy rainfall during
the late summer months. The climate on the
Yunnan Guizhou High Plateau is generally
mild, with warm summers and cool winters
and very little with little rainfall. Southern
China's climate, around Hong Kong and Guangdong
province, is considered to be sub-tropical.
Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout
the year. Summers are long, hot and humid;
while the winters are short with cooler
temperatures. On the Tibet Qinghai Plateau,
summer is short and moderately warm; while
winters can get very cold at the higher
altitudes.
In general,
the areas north of the Yangtze River have
extremely cold winters but somewhat milder
summers. The central area around the Yangtze
River Valley has long hot summers with heavy
precipitation from monsoons and typhoons.
Monsoons are the winds that bring rain from
the south in the summer and snowstorms from
the north in winter. Monsoons have been
the source of massive flooding along the
Yangtze for years. Typhoons typically hit
the southeast coast between July and September.
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