Climate of China

Each region has dominant weather events. During the summer, the East Asian monsoon carries warm and moist air from the south and delivers the vast majority of the annual precipitation in much of the country. Conversely, the Siberian anticyclone dominates during winter, bringing cold and comparatively dry conditions. The advance and retreat of the monsoons account, in large degree, for the timing of the rainy season throughout the country.

Access to weather is very geographically separated, with significant more rain in the South and South East, and drier regions on the interior of the country. These extremes are being amplified by multiple environmental issues. For example, agricultural and land use policies during the middle of the 20th century accelerated desertification in the Gobi Desert. Other environmental issues, such as climate change and pollution, are effecting large parts of the country, significantly altering landscapes and their climate.

Conditions

Temperature

The northern extremities of both Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia have a subarctic climate with long, severe winters, and short, warm summers. In contrast, most of Hainan Island and parts of the extreme southern fringes of Yunnan have a tropical climate although places like Guangdong and Fujian have a more subtropical climate. Temperature differences in winter are considerable, but in summer, the variance is considerably less. For example, Mohe County, Heilongjiang, has a 24-hour average temperature in January approaching −30 °C (−22 °F), while the corresponding figure in July exceeds 18 °C (64 °F). By contrast, most of Hainan, including the city of Haikou, has a January mean over 18 °C (64 °F), while the July mean there is generally around 29 °C (84 °F).

Sanbao Township in Xinjiang currently holds the highest recorded temperature in China, at 52.2 °C (126.0 °F) on 16 July 2023. Mohe City, Heilongjiang, holds the record for the lowest temperature in China, at −53.0 °C (−63.4 °F) on 22 January 2023.

In summer, temperatures can be very hot and humid, and the cities of Chongqing, Wuhan, and Nanjing are sometimes referred to as the Three Furnaces (simplified Chinese: 三大火炉; traditional Chinese: 三大火爐; pinyin: sān dà huǒlú). Other cities are also known by this name. Even so, the hottest temperatures nationwide are recorded in the Turpan Depression, where the climate is much drier and temperatures often exceed 40 °C (104 °F).

Permafrost can be found at high elevations in the Tibetan Plateau and the Tian Shan mountains, as well as other mountainous areas in Northern China.

Precipitation

In the winter, northern winds coming from high-latitude areas are cold and dry, while in summer, southern winds from coastal areas at lower latitudes are warm and moist. Precipitation is almost always concentrated in the warmer months, though annual totals range from less than 20 millimetres (0.8 in) in northwestern Qinghai and the Turpan Depression of Xinjiang, to over 2,000 millimetres (79 in) in areas of southeast China, such as Hong Kong and Guangdong. Toksun County, located in the Turpan Depression, has an average rainfall of just 3.9 mm (0.15 in) annually, the lowest precipitation in any area in China. High pressure cells create cold, dry conditions in the Gobi Desert in winter. Only in some pockets of the Dzungaria region of Xinjiang is the conspicuous seasonal variation in precipitation that defines Chinese (and, to a large extent, East Asian) climate absent. The East Asian monsoon, which controls the seasonal precipitation, varies from year to year. It has historically been known as the plum rain. Scientists have used pollen and dust to track its movements.

Typhoons and flooding

Typhoons can affect China. In 1975, Typhoon Nina struck China, and may have killed up to 230,000 people as a result of the subsequent Banqiao Dam failure and famines. Other death estimates remain below 100,000. In 2006, Typhoon Saomai became one of the strongest typhoons to hit China when it made landfall in Zhejiang. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan caused extensive damage in China, causing economic losses of ¥4.58 billion (US$752 million). That same year, Typhoon Fitow became one of the costliest typhoons to strike China, with several places setting rainfall records. It was the costliest Chinese typhoon on record and caused several billion dollars in damage before it was beaten 10 years later by Typhoon Doksuri. In 2018, Typhoon Mangkhut caused $1.99 billion in damage within China. In 2021, Typhoon In-fa caused record-breaking rainfall in parts of China, and over 12,000 temporary shelters had to be set up in Zhejiang. In 2022, Typhoon Muifa became the strongest typhoon to landfall in Shanghai.

During the wet season, typhoons and heavy rainfall can cause rivers to flood. The 1931 China floods are considered to be the worst Chinese natural disaster of all time, with estimates of fatalities ranging widely but going up to as high as four million people. 15% of wheat and rice crops were destroyed in the Yangtze Valley, leading to famines. Almost 800,000 in Wuhan were left homeless after a dike failure in July 1931. The city was flooded under water for nearly three months. The city of Nanjing was also severely affected, and tens of thousands of people died in Gaoyou alone. Other major floods include the 1954 Yangtze River Floods, which killed around 30,000 people, the 1998 China floods, which caused significant damage and affected 180 million people, and the 2020 China floods, which caused US$32 billion in damage.

Tornadoes

Tornadoes occur frequently across China. Over 400 are recorded each year, with some reaching EF3 intensity. On 23 June 2016, a violent EF4 tornado ripped through the city of Yancheng in Jiangsu, killing 98 people and injuring 846, many of them critically. Tornadoes occur most frequently in the eastern regions of China, but activity is also prevalent in the southern and central regions.

Sunshine

Annual sunshine duration ranges from less than 1,000 hours in parts of Sichuan and Chongqing to over 3,000 hours in parts of Xinjiang and Qinghai, including Golmud. Some areas of Tibet, including Lhasa, are also sunny. Seasonal patterns in sunshine vary considerably by region, but overall, the north and the Tibetan Plateau are sunnier than the south of the country. In some cities in southern China, such as Hong Kong, spring is the cloudiest season and autumn is the sunniest.