Taiwan Weather & Climate


The Tropic of Cancer runs straight through the middle of Taiwan, dividing it into tropical and subtropical climate zones. Generally, Taiwan weather is warm all the year round. There is no severe cold in winter, but the weather in summer is brutally hot and of high humidity.  

The annual average temperature of the northern part is around 21.7ºC  while is around 24.1ºC in the southern part. The coldest months are from January to March with the lowest temperature to about 10ºC . In some rare cases, there will be frost or snow on the high mountains. The hottest months are from June to August with the highest temperature up to around 38ºC . The average temperature of the rest months is around 25ºC .

Taiwan is of a humid climate. The northern part, middle mountain area and western plain are abundant with rainfalls in different periods. July to September is the typhoon season. The months with the most rainy days are in plum rain season in May and June while thundershower mostly came in the afternoons in summer.

Best Time to Visit Taiwan
September to November is the best time to travel to Taiwan. The climate is cool with less rainfall and the risk of dangerous weather like typhoon is low. March to April is also a good choice for traveling, when music festivals will be held for music fans to cheer together.

Peak Season from July to August: Although it’s not the best time to travel to Taiwan due to the occasional typhoons and torrid weather, it’s indeed the period with more tourists. It’s because it is the local summer vacation, so the travel peak forms as students are free from their study and parents accompany them for tours. Besides, the two months are also the time of summer vacation in the mainland of China, thus a large number of visitors from the mainland rush to Taiwan. In addition, public holidays and international exhibitions in Taiwan will also bring peaks to local tourism industry.  If you plan to go to Taiwan in the period, pay close attention to local weather forecast to avoid typhoons. And book a room in advance, as most homestays have only a few rooms. The prices of transports, accommodation, and more would go up as well.

Slack Season from December to March: The time from December to March draw less people so that it becomes Taiwan low season on tourism. It is also the cheapest time to visit Taiwan, for almost everything, including air tickets, hotel prices and even the admission tickets of attractions, are on discounts. If you plan a budget tour to Taiwan, this period is considerably the best.

Times to Avoid Travel:  The typhoon days should be avoid on your Taiwan tours, as you can do nothing but stay indoors. Typhoons with storms prevail during Jun to Sept approximately in Taiwan. For the exact days, you need to see the local weather forecast ahead of time.


Taiwan in the Four Seasons

The summer and winter are the major seasons in Taiwan climatically, as the spring and autumn are shorter relatively. Some say there are only the hot season from April to November and cool season from December to March. But most people still think there are four seasons, out of which the autumn is the best season to visit Taiwan.

In Spring: March to May
There are light rains frequently, and the weather is quite changeable. Bring rain gears and warm clothes just in case of temperature drops. It’s also the best time to visit Taiwan for cherry blossoms.
Average temperature: 22 – 25ºC
Clothes: blouse, hoodies, thin long sleeves, thin jackets, jeans

Recommended tour destinations: The best places to see spring landscapes in Taiwan include Sun Moon Lake, Yehliu Geopark in New Taipei, Ali Mountain, Yushan National Park, Mt. Yangming, etc. You can enjoy the cherry blossoms on Ali Mountain, which is the most popular site for the oriental cherry flowers on the island. Taipei National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, Fengjia Night Market in Taichung and more cultural and historical sites on the island are also good places to go in spring. If travel there in April, do not miss the Spring Wave Music Festival held in Kenting.

In Summer: June to September
It’s the hottest period as well as the peak time of typhoons. You need to pay attention to the weather forecast so as to avoid the typhoon and rainy days. Meanwhile, you have to protect yourselves from the strong sunlight.
Average temperature: 25 – 31ºC
Clothes: T-shirts, shorts, skirts, sandals, sunhats & sunglasses

Recommended tour destinations: For the temperature on mountains would be much lower than that in the cities in Taiwan, Ali Mountain, Sun Moon Lake, Kaomei Wetland, Taroko Gorge, Yushan National Park, Mount Yangming and more mountainious places are popular to escape from agonizing heat, as well as to see the groups of glowworms at night. In summer, it’s the best time of year to visit Taiwan for beach activities, and the top beaches there are those in Kenting and Penghu Islands. Seven Star Lake by sea in Hualien is also a sought after place where the beaches are covered by cobbles.

In Autumn: October to November – Best Time to Visit Taiwan
It is the best time to travel to Taiwan, for the typhoon season comes to the end, the temperature decreases to be pleasant, and it’s sunny the most of the time.
Average temperature: 19 – 26ºC 
Clothes: T-shirts, jeans, thin coat, long-sleeve shirts

Recommended tour destinations: In addition to the historical attractions like Taipei National Palace Museum, you may climb up to Ali Mountain for the sea of clouds and the gorgeous sunset glows, see the sunrise at Cingjing Farm in Nantou, stroll on Tamshui Old Street and see the evening glows at Tamshui Fisherman’s Wharf. Around Mid-Autumn Festival, famous Sun Moon Lake becomes more popular to enjoy the moon scenery. To the late Oct or early Nov, you could see the ceremonies at Confucius Temple in Tainan if you like the traditional Chinese culture. In late autumn, autumn leaves, like red maples and yellow gingkoes, are the most beautiful sceneries on mountains and in forests.

In Winter: December to February
It’s not the best, but a good time to visit Taiwan, for the hot springs and carnivals to celebrate New Year and traditional festivals. There is never snow unless you go up to the top of high mountains. Even there are few rains, it’s still humid.
Average temperature: 13 – 20ºC 
Clothes: thin overcoats, knitwear, jackets, jeans

Recommended tour destinations: Taiwan is a popular winter resort, especially the south part, and Kenting is the best known place that you can see overwintering birds and enjoy hot spring at the same time. Talking about enjoying hot spring in winter, Beitou and Jiaoxi are the best sites to go. Winter is also the best period to go to Taiwan for snow fun, on Yushan National Park and Ali Mountain. You can also ski on Hehuan Mountain, which is the best ski resort among the few in Taiwan. On Mount Yangming and at Shilin Official Residence in Taipei, you may see the prettiest wintersweet blossoms of this island.


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