Taiwan Weather Guide: How’s the Weather in Every Month?

A collage of four images showing the weather in Taiwan in winter (Nick Kembel standing with snow), spring (cherry blossoms), summer (a boy running on a beach) and fall (some yellow maple leaves)

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If you’re planning a trip to Taiwan, you most likely have questions about the weather. You probably want to avoid extreme heat, typhoons – and, if possible, rain.

However, Taiwan’s weather is famously unpredictable, localized, and quickly changing. The forecast is often wrong even just one day before.

Entire months are hard to predict too, especially with changing weather patterns in recent years. Months that are supposed to be fairly dry have been quite wet, and vice versa.

Still, “How is the weather in Taiwan in X month” is one of the most common questions in my Taiwan Travel Planning group, so I thought I should make a whole post to answer it.

Due to Taiwan’s location (spanning the subtropics and tropics), there’s a big difference in weather between the north and south, as well as low and high elevations. In this article, I’ll share weather data for Taipei (north), Kaohsiung (south) and Alishan (high elevation).

I also have guides for each month of the year, and these are my personal favorite best months to visit Taiwan.

Taipei Weather and Rain by the Month

A sea of pink lotus flowers in front of a Chinese looking red building
A fine day in Taipei

Let’s talk about Taipei city first. And let’s start with the numbers:

TaipeiAverage HighAverage LowDays with rainRain (mm)
January19°13°887
February20°14°1093
March22°16°12152
April26°19°13115
May29°22°16230
June32°25°16340
July34°26°12237
August33°26°14311
September31°24°13276
October27°22°9201
November24°19°961
December21°15°882

I compiled the above table from a combination of weather data websites and the Taiwan Weather Bureau, which is the most reliable weather source for Taiwan. I calculated averages based on the last 10 years of data.

Here are some things to note when you look at the table:

  • Even in the “driest” months, it still rains sometimes. Some years it could rain a lot in these months, and some years not at all. The numbers in the chart are just averages.
  • Late spring (May and June) has a lot of rain due to the Plum Monsoon. This usually starts sometime in May and lasts 2-3 weeks.
  • July to October is the typhoon season, hence the high volume of rain. Typhoons can have a major impact on travel.
  • Summer (June to September) is also the sunniest season. It’s actually very hot and sunny most of the time, but when it does rain, it rains very hard. The volumes of rain in these months are therefore deceptive.
  • The record high temperature in Taipei is 39.7°C while the record low temperature is 3.2°C. It has even snowed in Taipei, but 1000 meters above the city in Yangmingshan National Park.
  • Because Taiwan is so humid, the “feels like” is quite a bit colder (for lower temperatures) and hotter (for higher temperatures. So 10°C might feel like 0°C and 34°C might feel like 44°C.

What Should I Wear?

This is a super common question in my Facebook group, but it’s extremely hard to answer because I find it varies enormously depending on where you come from.

As a person from a very cold city in Canada, I wear shorts and T-shirt almost all year in Taipei. I only put on warmer clothing for some cold nights in winter, scooter rides in the rain in winter, or for going to any high mountain place.

However, local people in Taiwan and visitors from tropical countries like Singapore or the Philippines will likely need full winter clothing if visiting in winter. The weather varies a lot by day and by region of Taiwan (see the next two sections), so bringing layers is often key.

Kaohsiung Weather and Rain by the Month

A bottle and pint of beer on the table in a beach bar
Tropical weather in Kaohsiung

The weather in Kaohsiung, the largest city in southern Taiwan, is quite different than Taipei.

Kaohsiung lies below the Tropic of Cancer, so it is more tropical, with a smaller difference between winter and summer temperatures.

KaohsiungAverage HighAverage LowDays with rainRain (mm)
January24°15°224
February24°16°315
March26°19°324
April29°22°563
May30°24°10200
June32°26°12364
July32°26°14366
August32°26°15627
September31°25°10278
October30°23°4109
November27°20°234
December25°17°210

Compared to Taipei, you should note the following about Kaohsiung:

  • Kaohsiung is warmer than Taipei in winter, but in summer, Taipei is actually slightly hotter because it sits in a bowl that traps heat, and doesn’t have a breeze from the sea like Kaohsiung.
  • Kaohsiung gets less rain than Taipei in fall, winter, and spring.
  • For the above reasons, I would argue that Kaohsiung has better weather (overall) than Taipei.
  • The very high volume of rainfall for August (627 mm) doesn’t mean it’s always raining in August in Kaohsiung. It just means that a few very large typhoons have struck Kaohsiung in August in the last 10 years, pushing the average figure up.
  • For example, in August of 2018, Kaohsiung received 1600 mm of rain due to several large storms that month. (for comparison’s sake, my hometown in Canada only gets 500 mm of precipitation in a WHOLE YEAR!)
  • The record high temperature for Kaohsiung is 40°C and the record low temperature is 3°C.

Alishan Weather and Rain by the Month

Close up of railway tracks with frost on the boards
Frost on the train tracks at Alishan

If you are planning to visit Alishan or any other high mountain areas on your trip in Taiwan, then you need to prepare for a totally different kind of weather.

The higher you go, the coldest it gets. Since Alishan is the most popular mountain resort, I’ve chosen it for my third table.

AlishanAverage HighAverage LowDays with rainRain (mm)
January11°624
February12°615
March14°624
April16°963
May17°10°18200
June18°12°19364
July19°12°18366
August19°12°20627
September18°11°12278
October17°10109
November16°634
December13°310

Compared to Taipei and Kaohsiung, I would make the following observations:

  • Alishan is noticeably (10 to 15 degrees) colder than Taipei and Kaohsiung.
  • If you search Alishan temperatures online, you will find a huge discrepancy between them. That’s because Alishan township is large, with elevations ranging from 900 meters to 2663 meters.
  • If you see much warmer temperatures in the forecast for Alishan online or on weather apps, that’s because they were measured at Dabang village (a major village in the township), which is one of the lowest, at 900 meters.  
  • The temperatures in my table are from 2400 meters, the same elevation as the sunrise viewpoint in Alishan, which is the place you are most likely to feel the coldest when visiting.
  • The tourist village in Alishan National Forest Recreation Area sits at 2200 meters, so its temperatures will be similar to the above table, or perhaps slightly warmer, due to the 200-meter difference.
  • For comparison, here are some more elevations: Yangmingshan (1000 meters), Shizhuo (1300 meters), Taipingshan (1950 meters), Hehuanshan sunrise viewpoint (3150 meters), Yushan peak (3952 meters). Expect those to be a little warmer or colder than Alishan, depending on how much lower or higher they are.
  • The highest recorded temperature at Alishan’s tourist village area is 25°C, while the lowest is -11°C.
  • Snow is rare at Alishan, but it has happened.
  • Just like I mentioned for Kaohsiung, the high rain volumes in summer are due to a few big typhoons pushing the averages up. In summer, it’s actually pleasantly warm and sunny most of the time.

Weather by the Season

Now I will make some generalizations about each season in Taiwan.

Winter (Dec to Feb)

Classic view of the three ridges of Hehuan Mountain but with some snow on them and in the foreground
Snow at Hehuanshan

Winter is the most popular season for tourism in Taiwan, due to Christmas and New Year’s Eve events, mild weather, cherry blossoms and other flower viewing (such as Zhongshe Flower Market), fruit picking, and hot springs.

December is a transitional or “wild card” month, jumping from warm to cold days. January and February are the coldest months of the year – you’ll feel that the most in Taipei and the north.

In the south of Taiwan, it never really gets that cold. It’s still possible to snorkel with sea turtles on Xiaoliuqiu or hit the beach in Kenting (minus the crowds!) in winter. But Kenting and most other offshore islands can get very windy in winter.

At Alishan or other high mountain places, temperatures can drop to near freezing and snow is even possible at Hehuanshan, Taipingshan, or the peaks of high mountains like Yushan.

The earliest you may see snow is late December, but usually not till January and February, but generally speaking, you’ll need some luck, planning, and effort to actually see snow in Taiwan.

Read more in my guide to winter in Taiwan.

Spring (Mar to May)

Cherry blossoms in the foreground with a circular temple in the background
Cherry blossoms at Tianyuan Temple in spring

In spring, the weather warms up in Taipei and the north but isn’t too hot yet. In the south of Taiwan, it can already be very hot in spring.

In the high mountains, temperatures also rise, but there could still be snow on the peak of Yushan or other high mountains in March. By April, it’s all gone.

Sometime in May, the Plum Monsoon brings rain every day. This could start as soon as early May, but in some years it doesn’t start until mid- or even late-May. It usually lasts 2-3 weeks.

April is the start of the best season for visiting the beaches of Kenting and the offshore islands (before they get too hot and crowded in summer).

Read more in my guide to spring in Taiwan.

Summer (June to Aug)

Looking up the coast along a deserted beach, with some houses on the hill backing it
A beach in Kenting

After the plum rains subside (usually the first week of June), they are replaced with summer weather.

Summer weather is extremely hot and humid every day in both Taipei and Kaohsiung. It’s the sunniest season, with more hours of direct sunshine than any other time of year.

However, typhoon season (July to October) brings (on average) 5-6 major storms per year, when an extremely high volume of rain falls for 1 or 2 days and this can disrupt travel plans.

Besides typhoons, there are sometimes short but heavy downpours in the late afternoon in summer. These are so short that they don’t have any impact on travel plans.

Alishan and other high mountain places provide nice escapes from the heat. The offshore islands are extremely hot and busy due to summer crowds of locals.

In summer, you will get an extra 3 hours or so of sunlight time per day in Taiwan compared to winter.

Read more in my guide to summer in Taiwan.

Fall (Sept to Nov)

Silvergrass in the foreground and a stream of hikers on a trail in the background
Silvergrass on Caoling Historic Trail

September is still very much summer weather in Taiwan, with high sunlight, heat, humidity, and chance of typhoons or late afternoon showers.

In October and November, the temperatures finally cool down. These autumn months tend to be quite dry, but the occasional late-season typhoon pushes the average rainfall figures up. And there are always exceptions, for example, October 2024 was an unusually rainy month.

By November, you will probably start needing a light jacket in Taipei, especially at night. In Alishan and high mountain places, it will already be getting quite cold in November, but there’s no snow yet.

Fall foliage starts in October in some places, but the best months to see it are November and December.

Read more in my guide to fall in Taiwan.

Weather by the Month

Now I’ll cover the weather in every month of the year in Taiwan, starting with the most popular month for tourism in Taiwan.

December

A young girl reaching out and grabbing a strawberry in a strawberry
The start of strawberry season

As I mentioned above, I call December the “wild card” month for weather. It is a transitional month between fall and winter.

Some days in December can be surprisingly warm, even in Taipei, such as 27 or 28°C. It can feel almost like summer. But one funny thing is that locals dress for the season, not for the actual temperature, so I’ve seen locals still wearing winter jackets and hats on those days.

Then, some days in December really feel like winter has started, especially towards the end of the month. You’ll want a thick sweater, jacket, and even winter hat for watching those NYE fireworks!

Meanwhile, in the far south of Taiwan, you could still be swimming in the sea on nicer days in December. The high mountains will be very cold, but late December is the earliest I’ve heard of snowfall happening.

December marks the start of strawberry picking season and excellent flower viewing in many locations. It also still has fall foliage in some locations.

Read my more in my guide to December in Taiwan.

January

An outdoor hot spring facility with blue shallow pool and some raised individual tubs
Time for hot springs

January is the coldest month of the year in Taiwan. Taipei can feel truly chilly, with humidity and lack of indoor heating in many places making it feel even colder than the temperatures indicate.

It hardly rains in January, but if it does, that feels especially miserable. Hot springs are the perfect remedy.

In the far south, you could still be wearing shorts and a T-shirt. But if you’re going to Alishan or any high mountains, you need to dress for near freezing weather. It’s possible to see snow at Hehuanshan, Taipingshan, or Yushan and other high peaks.

Cherry blossoms first start appearing in a few locations towards the end of the month. See my cherry blossom forecast for the exact times.

Read more in my guide to January in Taiwan.

February

Close up of a cluster of cherry blossoms on a tree with blue sky in background
The cherry blossom month

February weather is almost exactly the same as January’s.

February is the best month for seeing cherry blossoms in Taiwan, with some of the best locations (Yangmingshan, Sun Moon Lake, Cingjing Farm, Wuling Farm, and others) peaking during this month.

However, the Lunar New Year holiday usually falls during this month, and that can have a much larger impact on your trip than the weather will.

Read more in my guide to February in Taiwan.

March

A red and white Alishan Forest Railway train drives under some blooming cherry blossom trees, with a path and wooden railing on the left side
Late-season cherry blossoms at Alishan

In Taipei, winter weather sometimes persists into the first week or two of March. But by mid-March, things finally start warming up. It rains a little more (on average) than the four months before it, but I still wouldn’t consider it a very rainy month.

In the south of Taiwan, it’s already quite warm or even hot by March. At Alishan, it’s still quite cold at sunrise time, while snow can remain on high mountain peaks like Yushan in March.

March is the second-best month for cherry blossom viewing in Taiwan. Tianyuan Temple in Taipei, Tai’an Police Station in Tainan, and Shizhuo/Alishan region have cherry blossoms in March. It’s extremely hard to get train tickets and a hotel at Alishan at this time.

I personally wouldn’t start visiting most offshore islands quite yet. It could still be too windy and chilly.

March is the tail end of strawberry picking season.

Read more in my guide to March in Taiwan.

April

A sea of white calla lilies with a swing in the middle of them and stone path on the right
Calla lilies and foggy weather in Yangmingshan National Park

In April, spring weather has truly arrived. Taipei is warm but not too hot yet, and there isn’t too much rain. This makes it an excellent month for those who prefer mid-range weather and lack of crowds.

In the south of Taiwan, I’ve personally experienced days that were just as hot as summer in April. The beaches of Kenting National Park are famous packed during the 4-day long weekend at the start of April, when there is a free music festival on the beach.

At Alishan, it is sometimes still possible to see cherry blossoms in the first week of April, but it depends on the year. Either way, Alishan remains extremely busy the whole month.

April is the start of the best season for visiting the offshore islands, before they get too hot and crowded in summer. It’s also the best time for seeing calla lilies in Yangmingshan National Park.

While you can probably wear summer clothing most of the time in April, you’ll still need warmer clothing for Alishan or other high mountain places.

Read more in my guide to April in Taiwan.

May

Nick Kembel wearing black shades and posting in front of a sea of hydrangea flowers and hills behind
Hydrangeas and cloudy skies

The weather continues to warm up in May in Taipei, but it is rarely too hot for comfort.

However, the biggest thing to be aware of this month is the Plum Monsoon. This usually starts in the north of Taiwan sometime in May (mid-May is the most common, but I’ve seen it start in early-May and also in late-May) and then moves to the south of Taiwan.

Once it starts, it will rain non-stop for many days, usually lasting for 2-3 weeks. I’ve experienced Mays in Taiwan where I didn’t see the sun for the whole month. When it’s not raining, it’s usually a totally cloudy sky. Here are some things to do on rainy days.

The offshore islands are great to visit in this month. However, fog is common around Matsu and Kinmen and can cause flight cancellations.

On the plus side, this is one of the least crowded months to visit Taiwan and you can see beautiful hydrangeas at Zhuzihu in Yangmingshan National Park.

Read more in my guide to May in Taiwan.

June

Close up of the head of a dragon boat in Taiwan
Hot and muggy weather around Dragon Boat Festival

May’s plum rains sometimes last into the start of June. As soon as they are finished, summer begins. This means you can expect extremely hot and humid weather almost every day in June.

Dragon Boat Festival (usually in early June) is usually the first weekend of the year where it feels really effing hot, with temperatures in the north and south of Taiwan being pretty much the same.

In my temperature and rain tables above, you probably noticed that June has quite a high volume of rain, even though typhoons haven’t started yet.

This is due to the combination of the Plum Rains at the start of the month, followed by the late afternoon showers which are typical in summer in Taiwan. These showers are usually very short but heavy – they won’t affect your travel plans. Heat is the bigger concern!

Escape the heat at Alishan or other high mountain places. It’s also a great month for the offshore islands, just before the summer crowded hit, but cover yourself because it’s going to be very hot.

Read more in my guide to June in Taiwan.

July

Two Taiwanese girls playing in the water on a beach, holding up a can of beer each as they pose for the camera, with a temple on the shore behind them
July is for being in the water

July is the hottest and sunniest month of the year in Taiwan. Expect extremely hot, sunny, and humid weather most of the time, from north to south. It feels like an oven. Plan for some indoor activities and rests in the midday.

Taipei is sometimes even hotter than Kaohsiung – the city sits in a bowl that tends to trap heat and humidity. It can feel quite oppressive.

Although July is officially the start of typhoon season, I’ve experienced many July’s without a single typhoon. This is why July’s average rainfall is actually lower than June and August. You’ll still get those late afternoon short downpours, but that’s often it. Sometimes, I wish it would rain even more.

If you are unlucky enough to face a typhoon in July, you may be forced to stay in for a day or two and cancel any plans to coastal or high mountain areas.

Alishan and high mountain places are great escapes, but they may be a little busier than usual due to summer holidays.

The same thing goes for the offshore islands – this is when most locals visit them, so they tend to be packed, despite the crazy hot weather. Be careful with the sun – I’ve got some of my worst sunburns while riding a scooter around the offshore islands on summer days.

Some great ways to beat the heat in July include beaches (but you may need to use an umbrella or stay in the water most of the time), river tracing, surfing, waterparks, or snorkeling/scuba diving. See my list of the best adventure activities in Taiwan. You may also want to plan more indoor activities.

Read more in my guide to July in Taiwan.

August

Two taiwanese mailboxes (one red, one green) tilting to the left side, inside an airport
An August typhoon caused the famous tilted mailboxes in Taiwan.

August weather is virtually the same as July weather in Taiwan – just one degree lower on average – so everything I said for July also applies here.

In my tables above, you may have noticed that August has a higher average rainfall than any other month of the year in Taiwan.

This does not mean that it’s raining all the time in August. Just like July, August is actually sunny and very hot most of the time.

However, several very large typhoons have struck Taiwan in December in the last 10 years. For example, Alishan has had five Augusts in the last 10 years with around 1000 mm (give or take) of rain due to a few major storms. These push the average figure way up.

Read more in my guide to August in Taiwan.

September

Thousands of people swimming across a lake, with a dock leading out onto the lake and balloons in the sky
The Sun Moon Lake Mass Swim in September

In some countries, September is a fall month, but in Taiwan, it still feels very much like summer.

The temperatures in Taipei and Kaohsiung only drop by 1 or 2 degrees, so it still feels very hot and humid. On the plus side, it’s one of the slowest months for tourism, so the crowds are relatively low.

September is still peak typhoon season, with a very real chance that a typhoon could disrupt your travel plans for a day or two.

Alishan remains a lovely getaway, with the weather already starting to get quite cool at sunrise time. The offshore islands are great to visit at this time, and it’s still hot enough for beaches, even in the north.

Read more in my guide to September in Taiwan.

October

An LGBT protest in Taipei, with people carrying a Taiwan flag with rainbow colors and old city gate in background
Taipei Pride parade in October

October is the start of fall weather in Taiwan. The temperatures are pleasantly warm in Taipei and the north, and could still be hot in the south. It’s rare that I feel too hot or too cold during this month.

Typhoons can still strike Taiwan during October. What’s worse, late-season typhoons tend to be big ones. Although less common than in August and September, there are still enough of them to push the average rainfall figure up for this month.

Besides a possible typhoon, which you’d have to be quite unlucky to face (such as the very large one in late October 2024), October is otherwise usually a very pleasant month in Taiwan in terms of weather. It’s often my favorite.

October is the end of the visiting season for most offshore islands. At this time, the strong winter winds begin, so few locals visit them again until spring. Many hotels and amenities even close for the winter. One exception is Xiaoliuqiu, which is warm and shielded from the wind throughout the year.

You’ll need to pack warm clothing for Alishan or other high mountain places, where the temperatures typically drop into the single digits.

Read more in my guide to October in Taiwan.

November

Yellow maple leaves with some palm trees in the background
Fall foliage in November

November is a usually a gorgeous fall month in Taiwan. Temperatures in Taipei are still warm in the daytime, but you’ll probably need pants, a sweater, and/or a jacket for evenings.

In the south of Taiwan, you’ll probably still be wearing shorts and t-shirt if you come from a colder climate like I do. But for Alishan and the high mountains, it’s going to be very cold.

Typhoons are extremely rare in November, but there have been a few freak cases.

I don’t suggest visiting any offshore islands in November, except for Xiaoliuqiu. Beaches in Kenting are crowd-free and lovely on finer days, but check the wind forecast before you go.

November is the best month to see silvergrass (Yangmingshan National Park and Caoling Historic Trail) and fall foliage (Sun Link Sea, Aowanda, Taipingshan, and Wuling Farm).  

Read more in my guide to November in Taiwan.

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