China Weather

China climate

China's immense size encompasses nearly every climate zone on Earth, from the tropical south to the subarctic northeast, and from the moisture-rich Pacific coast to the arid deserts of Central Asia. The East Asian monsoon system is the dominant weather driver, bringing warm, moist air from the Pacific and Indian Oceans in summer and cold, dry air from the Siberian interior in winter. This creates dramatic seasonal reversals across much of the country.

The Tibetan Plateau, averaging over 4,500 meters elevation, profoundly influences weather patterns across all of Asia by deflecting and splitting the jet stream. Southern China receives abundant rainfall with frequent typhoons from the Western Pacific between July and November. Northern China is drier, with the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts receiving virtually no precipitation. Dust storms in spring can carry sand and dust eastward across Korea and Japan.

Beijing has hot, humid summers exceeding 30°C and cold, dry winters around -4°C. Shanghai is warmer and more humid, with a longer summer and shorter winter. Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta have a tropical monsoon climate with year-round warmth. Harbin in the northeast is one of the coldest major cities in the world, with winter temperatures regularly below -20°C, while Kunming in Yunnan is known as the "Spring City" for its eternally pleasant climate at 1,900 meters elevation.