Taiwan Weather and Climate

General & Geographical Location

According to abbreviationfinder, the island of Taiwan is located in the western Pacific between Japan and the Philippines off the southeast coast of China, from which it is separated by the Taiwan Strait.

With a total area of ​​around 36,179 square kilometers, Taiwan is 394 kilometers long and 144 kilometers wide at its widest point. A well-known nickname is Formosa (from Portuguese: Ilha Formosa), which means “beautiful island”.

Taiwan’s main feature is its 270 kilometers long central mountain range with more than 200 peaks above 3,000 meters. At 3,952 meters, Mount Jade is the highest peak in East Asia. Promontories from the central mountains lead to plateaus and coastal plains in the west and south. The east coast is relatively steep and mountains over 1,000 meters high dominate the island in the north.

The capital of the island state with around 23.5 million inhabitants is Taipei in the northern part of the country. The political and international legal status of Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, remains controversial. The People’s Republic of China uncompromisingly sees Taiwan as an inseparable part of its own territory.

Climate in Taiwan

The weather on the island of Taiwan is different in the north and south. While the south enjoys a tropical, oceanic climate, the north is semi-tropical and even reaches snowfalls in mountain heights. Summer (May to September) is usually hot and humid with temperatures between 27 ° C and 35 ° C. The humidity is particularly high during this time.

Winter (December to February) is usually short and mild. The temperatures hardly drop below 5 ° C. Higher mountain peaks are covered in white, thick snow and are great ski slopes for athletes. Precipitation depends on the season, the location and the altitude. The average rainfall is around 2134 mm per year.

When is the best time to visit Taiwan?

The winter months are characterized by the northwest monsoon, which brings with it a rainy season, especially in northern Taiwan. The summer months June to August, however, are very humid due to the southeast monsoon, especially in the southern part of the island. Now, especially from the afternoon onwards, there are sometimes heavy showers. Travel to Taiwan is still possible all year round.

Most pleasant, however, are the intermediate months with low humidity and more pleasant conditions across the island. We therefore recommend March to mid-May and mid-September to November as the best travel time for Taiwan. These travel times are especially perfect for round trips and extensive exploration.

Optimal travel time for the regions

In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Taiwan).

Place	Best travel time
Taipei	March, April, October and November
Tainan	March, April, September, October and November

Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Taipei (Taiwan)

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daytime temperature	19 ° C	19 ° C	22 ° C	26 ° C	29 ° C	32 ° C	34 ° C	33 ° C	31 ° C	28 ° C	24 ° C	21 ° C
Night temperature	13 ° C	13 ° C	15 ° C	19 ° C	22 ° C	24 ° C	26 ° C	26 ° C	24 ° C	22 ° C	18 ° C	15 ° C
Water temperature	19 ° C	19 ° C	20 ° C	23 ° C	25 ° C	27 ° C	28 ° C	28 ° C	27 ° C	25 ° C	22 ° C	21 ° C
Precipitation in mm	91	139	174	164	224	298	242	281	255	119	73	74
Rainy days	10	12	13	11	12	13	11	11	10	9	9	10
Hours of sunshine	3	3	3	3	3	4	6	6	6	4	3	3
Sunrise	6:40	6:30	6:05	5:30	5:10	5:05	5:15	5:25	5:40	5:50	6:10	6:30
Sunset	17:25	17:45	18:00	18:15	18:30	18:45	18:45	18:30	18:00	17:25	17:05	17:05

Temperatures

The annual average temperature in Taipei is 22.5 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is July (29.2 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 15.6 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Taipei is 28 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 17 ° C. Bathing is then possible to a limited extent. All except January, February and March have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.

Precipitation

The annual precipitation is 2134 mm on 131 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of May, June, July, August and September are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, about 1300 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. You cannot expect snow in any month in Taipei.

Sunshine

As our climate table shows, August is the sunniest month with an average of 6.3 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year, the sun shines 4 hours a day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.

Cities nearby

The following major towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Taoyuan, Taoyuan, Zhongli, Keelung and Sanxia.

Sights and attractions

Taiwan has a variety of exciting sights to offer, some of them right in the capital. If you want to learn about the culture of Taipei and Taiwan, a visit to the Sun Yat Sen Memorial should be your first choice. The memorial is beautiful inside, but outside of the museum you can also find plenty of places where dance groups meet and practice their dance moves. There are also many temples in Taipei, the Longshan Temple is the best known and most visited among them. The temple was built in 1738 and is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful temples in the world. People come to the temple to pray to Buddha, Taoist and Matsu deities. The temple has some intricate details on its walls both inside and out. It is a treat for the eyes and the mind.

The Taipei 101 Building is the city’s most famous tourist attraction. At 508 meters high, it was the tallest building in the world for a long time. The building has the fastest elevator in the world. At the top of the building there is a huge wind monitor that balances the building in the event of earthquakes and typhoons. The National Palace Museum with the largest Chinese art collection in the world is also not to be missed. Jiufen is a small old town near Taipei. You can visit the city as a day trip and explore the markets and restaurants. The old buildings and the landscape are breathtaking. If you have the time, stay there for the night and you will experience the best of the nightlife in this quaint and quiet city.

Another of the largest memorial sites in Taipei is the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. This is one of the most popular places in Taipei. The memorial consists of a National Concert Hall and a National Theater, and there are two spacious gardens where visitors can sit and relax. The monument was erected in honor of the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party and Taiwan. There is a changing of the guard ceremony at the memorial, which is also very entertaining.