The Climate of China
2 min readChina is a country with diverse climates. From the south to the north, the country is divided into tropical, subtropical, temperate and frigid climate zones. The climate in China varies greatly. For instance, Hainan Island in the south has long, hot summers and no winters, while the winter temperature drops to below 30℃ in Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces in the northeastern part of China.
Most of China lies in the North Temperate Zone, characterized by a warm climate and distinctive seasons,a climate well suited for habitation. Most parts of China are subject to strong monsoon climate. From September to April the following year, the dry and cold winter monsoons blow from Siberia and the Mongolian Plateau, resulting in cold and dry winters and
great differences between the temperatures of north and south China. From April to September, warm and humid summer monsoons blow from the seas in the east and south, resulting in overall high temperatures and plentiful rainfall, and little temperature difference between north and south China.
Precipitation gradually declines from the southeastern to the northwestern inland area, and the average annual precipitation varies greatly from place to place and from season to season. The average annual precipitation in China is 648 mm, or 19% less than the world average 800 mm on land. The annual precipitation in the southeastern coastal areas and parts of the southwestern areas is more than 2,000 mm, but that in the northwestern China is usually less than 200 mm, and 50 mm in the Tarim and Turpan basins in Xinjiang and Chaidamu Basin in Qinghai, etc., even less than 25 mm at centers of those basins.
