Climate and Average Weather in China

China faces a wide range of climates. Therefore, you cannot actually speak about the climate of China, but more of the climates in China. The country is also known for the extreme weather conditions that can occur. Floods, hurricanes (typhoons), sandstorms, heavy hail, extreme heat and serious frosts all take place in this huge country.

Less than half of China has a China climate. This is a temperate climate with wet summers and dry winters. The wettest month in summer has at least ten times as much precipitation on average as the driest month in winter.

While the east can suffer from heavy rainfall during summer, at the same time in the west there can be prolonged drought. In terms of temperature, there can also be great differences within China at the same time. Huge differences are possible in both winter and summer. For example, the desert climate in the north causes considerable cold in the winter months December - March (to minimums around -30° C / -22 °F), while in summer it easily gets as much as 30 to 40 degrees (86 - 104 °F) above zero.

The western part of China is a combination of mountains and deserts. Here you will find the Himalayan Mountains, with the highest peaks in the world in a rugged landscape with a large number of rivers. This area mainly has high-mountain climates, but at the lower elevations also a steppe and desert climate.

Autumn is normally the most comfortable season of the year (September to early October) to visit China. During that period, temperatures are reasonable throughout the country with 10 till 22 degrees Celsius (50-72 degrees Fahrenheit) and a limited amount of rain. Spring from May till June is also a good period and roughly has the same average temperatures as autumn.

Summer (from June to the end of August) can be extremely hot with temperatures well above 30 degrees Celsius (86° F). This is also the rainy season in China (depending on the location).

Interested in more detailed Weather and Climate information?
Please select the city below you wish to travel to, or the one closest to your destination. Each selected city will show you the following graphs:
1. Average minimum and maximum temperatures over the year
2. Average monthly precipitation over the year (rainfall, snow etc)
3. Average monthly hours of sunshine over the year
On certain pages we also offer other historical weather data like humidity, wind speed and water temperature.

Popular places in China

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Regions in China