Climate of Taiwan

Climate of Taiwan

Taiwan is a de facto independent state in the East China Sea. Most countries do not recognize Taiwan as an independent country, but consider it a renegade province of China. The failure to recognize Taiwan’s independence appears to be largely based on economic and political interests and a good relationship with China. If you look objectively at Taiwan, you will see that, in addition to its own currency, this country also has its own culture, which has similarities with Chinese culture, but also certainly the necessary differences. Taiwan is mainly seen as a friendly and pleasant holiday destination.

A lot of incorrect information is written about the climate of Taiwan. Some sources believe that the whole country has a tropical climate, while others write that the whole country has a subtropical climate. The truth lies in the middle: Taiwan has several tropical and humid subtropical climates, with the highest peaks even boasting the cooler tundra climate.

From a climatological point of view, Taiwan is a fascinating destination, where the location is very decisive for the weather and climate. The mountains located centrally on the island of Taiwan ensure that the western side of the country is less affected by the monsoon, while the north and east are considerably more gloomy and wetter. On the south side of Taiwan, because of the higher temperatures, there are mainly tropical climates: the tropical savanna climate (Aw) in the southwest, the tropical monsoon climate (Am) in the central south and the tropical rainforest climate (Af) in the southeastern coastal strip..

Temperatures

The location at the height of the Tropic of Cancer ensures that there are especially high temperatures in Taiwan. In the summer months it is tropically warm in almost all of Taiwan. Only in the central part of the country do you notice that temperatures can be lower at higher altitudes. In winter it is very mild in Taiwan. Think of maxima along the coastal areas, especially around or just above 20 degrees. Frost is rare directly on the coast. Inland, it can certainly get night frost in the mountains in winter.

Precipitation

Taiwan is a lot wetter than the Netherlands. There is quite a bit of rain throughout the country, for example, the capital Taipei has to deal with more than two thousand millimeters of rain per year, which falls mainly in the summer months. Whoever visits this city knows that it can rain almost every day and should not forget an umbrella in his luggage. Many luxury hotels provide free (loan) umbrellas to their guests. The driest place in Taiwan can expect about 900 millimeters of rain per year, which is already more than what we measure in the Netherlands on average. The wettest places can even get up to 5000 millimeters per year, which amounts to almost 1.5 centimeters of precipitation on average per day(!).

Cyclones

Taiwan is fairly prone to tropical cyclones. In the Netherlands we often call such severe depressions hurricanes. From May, cyclones can hit Taiwan. Hurricane season officially lasts until December. The greatest chance that you will have to deal with such severe weather in Taiwan is in the months of July, August and September. On average, Taiwan is hit by a hurricane once every few years. It is mainly the eastern side of the island that can experience the most severe weather. The mountains cause most hurricanes to weaken over land into tropical storms before reaching western parts of Taiwan.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month
January 17℃ 11℃ 3 16
February 18℃ 11℃ 3 16
March 20℃ 13℃ 3 16
April 24℃ 17℃ 4 17
May 27℃ 20℃ 4 20
June 30℃ 22℃ 6 20
July 32℃ 24℃ 8 17
August 32℃ 24℃ 7 19
September 30℃ 22℃ 6 17
October 26℃ 19℃ 5 15
November 23℃ 17℃ 4 15
December 19℃ 13℃ 3 15

Best time to visit Taiwan

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Taiwan? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. Taiwan is a destination located in the East China Sea. The location around the Tropic of Cancer means that you have a mix of tropical and subtropical climates on the island of Taiwan. The south is mainly tropical and the rest of the island has several warm and temperate C-climates. Characteristic for Taiwan are the fairly large amounts of rain that you have to deal with and the fairly limited amounts of sunshine for a destination that is located in such a topographical location.

Best months

The best time to travel to Taiwan is from November to March. This is the driest period in much of Taiwan. On the east coast, it is better to wait until December, because November can still be quite wet. During the winter period there is not only less precipitation, it is also the most gloomy period of the year. Relatively speaking it is still not that bad, but in absolute terms an amount of 3 to 4 hours of average sunshine per day is disappointing. If you want a bright blue sky, you have to count on a bit of luck. Temperatures are moderate in the winter season. The maximums along the coasts are around 16 to 24 degrees Celsius and the minimums are between 10 and 18 degrees. It can be a lot cooler in the centrally located mountain areas. As soon as you get above two thousand meters there is a good chance of frost and snow.

Wet hot summers

Summers are wet and seriously hot in Taiwan. In the period from June to September, large parts of the country have to deal with tropical temperatures that are around or above thirty degrees. During the night it hardly cools down. The high relative humidity makes it feel clammy. With precipitation amounts that locally can reach well above 400 millimeters per month, it is downright wet in Taiwan. In the event that a tropical cyclone hits Taiwan, which sometimes happens three times a year, a lot of rain can fall in a short time. Sometimes more than a thousand millimeters in a few days. Hurricanes are likely from July to early October. Sometimes a tropical cyclone can occur before or after the usual season.

Taiwan