China and Hong Kong Weather
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Most of the Beijing tours are outdoor, therefore, please take good notes on Beijing weather before packing your suitcase.
The four seasons are very clear in Beijing with a temperate spring, rainy summer, clear autumn, and a cold, snowy winter.
Beijing is very sandy, especially in spring. Sandstorms might occur. It’s good to have a mask inside your bag.
Summer is hot and humid and can go beyond 40ºC, though weather report never exceeds 38ºC (because factory workers don’t have to work in that temperature). However, if you go outdoor, you can feel the heat.
Lakes begin to freeze by late October. I was able to ski on the lake inside Peking University by Christmas. Beijing weather in winter is extremely cold and dry. You can wash your cloths in the hotel at late night and find them all dry the next morning. Please make sure to bring
rich moisturizers for your skin.
Visiting Beijing in winter has to take extra care in the way you wear. Whenever I go to Beijing on business, I just need a shirt and a thick coat. Because Beijing has indoor heating everywhere, I had no chance to get cold. However if you are a tourist and spend most of your time outdoor, you need to be well prepared. I would suggest wearing in layers so you can shed some clothing with indoor heaters on.
Beijing weather information: dial 12121 when in Beijing, press '6' for English.
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Xian is located at the southern part of the Loess Plateau of China. Weather is generally dry and sandy. You might notice local kids suffering from fractured red faces. Therefore, please have lots of drinking water when doing your sightseeing. Also you would need very rich moisturizers and a mask in your bag.
While the average temperature for the year is 13ºC, Xian is quite pleasant to be visited year round. Take for granted that daily temperature difference is high with a historical figure of 28.1ºC. Always keep a warm jacket with you.
The coldest month is January. It might go below 0ºC however with little snow.
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Guilin rains A LOT! I can’t emphasis more that you should avoid the rainy season (April, May and June) if you want to get the most out of a Guilin trip. The average rainfall for the year is 192.6 cm per month. When Guilin rains, it floods as well. Airport might be closed and it could destroy your Guilin trip completely.
If you plan to climb the peaks around Guilin and Yangshuo, it could be dangerous after a downpour. Likewise when visiting caves. You might not be able to get on a Li River cruise because of the tide. Even if you can get on one, the Li River won’t be beautiful after flooding. Do pay attention to local weather reports and keep the weather in mind when planning your Guilin activities.
In summer, Guilin is very hot and humid. The average temperature in July is 28.3ºC. Winter can be quite cool.
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Comparing with Beijing, Hong Kong weather is never too extreme. In summer, it seldom goes beyond 33ºC, and in winter, it seldom goes below 10ºC.
Hong Kong weather is very hot and humid in summer. However Hong Kong is fitted with air conditioning everywhere. Once you are indoor, you are fine. As Hong Kong weather is never too severe in winter, we don’t have heaters on. You don’t have to deal with the huge temperature difference between indoor and outdoor, as if you were in Beijing.
English Hong Kong weather information: dial 18501 when in Hong Kong. Expect some advertising to begin with.
Hong Kong Weather - Typhoons
One important thing you need to know about Hong Kong weather is typhoon. Typhoons occur between May and October every year. When signal number 8 is up, offices close and transportation services stop. Flights may be disrupted or cancelled. You are advised not to venture outdoors.
Typhoon signals are ranked 1, 3, 8, 9 and 10. While 9 and 10 denote a direct hit, it rarely happens. Our last number 10 was in 1999 and the previous one was in 1983. But there is generally a couple of number 8’s annually.
Nevertheless, please have an umbrella with you while visiting Hong Kong in summer. It protects you from sun and rain. Winter is relatively dry, but never as dry as Beijing and Xian are.
Hong Kong Weather - Rainstorms Warning
Another typical feature of Hong Kong weather is rain. Hong Kong rains quite a lot in summer. However it never rains as much as Guilin does. We have four levels of rainstorm warnings: thunderstorm, amber, red and black. Black rainstorm warning is somewhat like typhoon signal number 8. Most people don’t have to work when a ‘black rain’ is up. As a tourist, you are advised not to leave your hotel.
Anna’s Notes
Anna lives in Hong Kong and advises that Hong Kong is safe to be visited in summer. Though Hong Kong rains a lot, flooding and landslide rarely happens nowadays. Hong Kong weather is hot and humid in summer while Beijing is hot and dry. Be prepared to put up with the heat, or choose to visit in autumn.
China Weather Guide
The China Weather Guide provides current weather information and short-term forecasts of main cities in China
