Owing to tremendous differences in latitude, longitude, and altitude, theclimate of China is extremely diverse. It ranges fromtropical orsubtropical in the far south tosubarctic in the far north, andalpine in the higher elevations of the Tibetan Plateau.Monsoon winds, caused by differences in the heat-absorbing capacity of the continent and the ocean, dominate the climate. During the summer, theEast Asian monsoon carries warm and moist air from the south and delivers the vast majority of the annual precipitation in much of the country. Conversely, theSiberian anticyclone dominates during winter, bringing cold and comparatively dry conditions. The advance and retreat of the monsoons account, in large degree, for the timing of the rainy season throughout the country. Although most of the country lies in the temperate belt, its climatic patterns are complex.

Sanbao Township inXinjiang currently holds the highest recorded temperature in China, at 52.2 °C (126.0 °F) on 16 July 2023.^[1][2]Mohe City,Heilongjiang, holds the record for the lowest temperature in China, at −53.0 °C (−63.4 °F) on 22 January 2023.^[3][4]

The northern extremities of bothHeilongjiang andInner Mongolia have asubarctic climate^[5] with long, severe winters, and short, warm summers.^[6] In contrast, most ofHainan Island and parts of the extreme southern fringes ofYunnan have atropical climate although places likeGuangdong andFujian have a more subtropical climate.^[5] Temperature differences in winter are considerable, but in summer, the variance is considerably less. For example,Mohe County, Heilongjiang, has a 24-hour average temperature in January approaching −30 °C (−22 °F), while the corresponding figure in July exceeds 18 °C (64 °F).^[7] By contrast, most of Hainan, including the city of Haikou, has a January mean over 18 °C (64 °F), while the July mean there is generally around 29 °C (84 °F).^[8]

In summer, temperatures can be very hot and humid, and the cities ofChongqing,Wuhan, andNanjing are sometimes referred to as theThree Furnaces (simplified Chinese:三大火炉;traditional Chinese:三大火爐;pinyin:sān dà huǒlú).^[9] Other cities are also known by this name.^[10] Even so, the hottest temperatures nationwide are recorded in theTurpan Depression, where the climate is much drier and temperatures often exceed 40 °C (104 °F).^[11][12]

Permafrost can be found at high elevations in the Tibetan Plateau and theTian Shan mountains,^[13][14] as well as other mountainous areas in Northern China.^[14]

In the winter, northern winds coming from high-latitude areas are cold and dry, while in summer, southern winds from coastal areas at lower latitudes are warm and moist.^[15]Precipitation is almost always concentrated in the warmer months, though annual totals range from less than 20 millimetres (0.8 in) in northwesternQinghai and theTurpan Depression of Xinjiang, to over 2,000 millimetres (79 in) in areas of southeast China, such asHong Kong andGuangdong.Toksun County, located in theTurpan Depression, has an average rainfall of just 3.9 mm (0.15 in) annually, the lowest precipitation in any area in China.^[16] High pressure cells create cold, dry conditions in theGobi Desert in winter.^[17] Only in some pockets of theDzungaria region ofXinjiang is the conspicuous seasonal variation in precipitation that defines Chinese (and, to a large extent, East Asian) climate absent. TheEast Asian monsoon, which controls the seasonal precipitation, varies from year to year.^[18] It has historically been known as theplum rain.^[19][20] Scientists have used pollen and dust to track its movements.^[21][22]

Typhoons can affect China. In 1975,Typhoon Nina struck China, and may have killed up to 230,000 people as a result of the subsequentBanqiao Dam failure and famines.^[23][24] Other death estimates remain below 100,000.^[25] In 2006,Typhoon Saomai became one of the strongest typhoons to hit China when it made landfall inZhejiang.^[26][27] In 2013,Typhoon Haiyan caused extensive damage in China,^[28] causing economic losses of¥4.58 billion (US$752 million).^[29] That same year,Typhoon Fitow became one of the costliest typhoons to strike China,^[30][31] with several places setting rainfall records.^[32][33] It was the costliest Chinese typhoon on record and caused several billion dollars in damage before it was beaten 10 years later byTyphoon Doksuri.^[34] In 2018,Typhoon Mangkhut caused $1.99 billion in damage within China.^[29] In 2021,Typhoon In-fa caused record-breaking rainfall in parts of China,^[35][36] and over 12,000 temporary shelters had to be set up in Zhejiang.^[37] In 2022,Typhoon Muifa became the strongest typhoon to landfall inShanghai.^[38]

During the wet season, typhoons and heavy rainfall can cause rivers to flood. The1931 China floods are considered to be the worst Chinese natural disaster of all time, with estimates of fatalities ranging widely but going up to as high as four million people.^[39][40] 15% ofwheat andrice crops were destroyed in the Yangtze Valley, leading to famines.^[41] Almost 800,000 inWuhan were left homeless after a dike failure in July 1931.^[42]: 270 The city was flooded under water for nearly three months.^{[42]: 269–270} The city ofNanjing was also severely affected,^[43] and tens of thousands of people died inGaoyou alone.^[44] Other major floods include the1954 Yangtze River Floods, which killed around 30,000 people,^[45] the1998 China floods, which caused significant damage and affected 180 million people,^[45][46] and the2020 China floods, which caused US$32 billion in damage.^[47][48]

Tornadoes occur frequently across China. Over 400 are recorded each year, with some reachingEF3 intensity. On 23 June 2016, aviolent EF4 tornado ripped through the city ofYancheng in Jiangsu, killing 98 people and injuring 846, many of them critically.^[49][50] Tornadoes occur most frequently in the eastern regions of China, but activity is also prevalent in the southern and central regions.^[51]

Annual sunshine duration ranges from less than 1,000 hours in parts ofSichuan andChongqing^[52] to over 3,000 hours in parts of Xinjiang and Qinghai, including Golmud.^[53] Some areas of Tibet, including Lhasa, are also sunny. Seasonal patterns in sunshine vary considerably by region, but overall,the north and the Tibetan Plateau are sunnier than the south of the country. In some cities in southern China, such asHong Kong, spring is the cloudiest season and autumn is the sunniest.^[54]

In 2020, China ranked 120th out of 180 countries in theEnvironmental Performance Index.^[55] The government has taken actions to mitigate environmental issues, but some media has criticized the actions as inadequate.^[56]

A majorenvironmental issue in China is the continuedexpansion of its deserts, particularly the Gobi Desert.^[57][58] Although barrier tree lines planted since the 1970s have reduced the frequency ofsandstorms, prolonged drought and poor agricultural practices have resulted indust storms plaguing northern China each spring, which then spread to other parts of East Asia, including Japan and Korea. China's environmental watchdog,SEPA, stated in 2007 that China is losing 4,000 km² (1,500 sq mi) per year to desertification.^[59] Water quality,erosion, andpollution control have become important issues in China's relations with other countries. Meltingglaciers in the Himalayas could potentially lead towater shortages for hundreds of millions of people.^[60] According to academics, in order to limitclimate change in China to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F), electricity generation fromcoal in China withoutcarbon capture must be phased out by 2045.^[61] Official government statistics about Chinese agricultural productivity are considered unreliable, due to exaggeration of production at subsidiary government levels.^[62][63]

Much of China has a climate very suitable for agriculture and the country has been the world's largest producer ofrice,wheat,tomatoes,eggplant,grapes,watermelon,spinach, and many other crops.^[64]