Climate - Macau

Index:

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• Introduction
• Temperature and rainfall
• Sunshine
• Sea temperature
• Typhoons
• Best Time
• What to pack

Introduction

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The climate of Macau is subtropical, with very mild winters and hot, rainy, and muggy summers.
The city, a special administrative region of China, overlooks the South China Sea, and is located at 22 degrees north latitude, in the metropolitan area of the Pearl River Delta, which includes cities such as Guangzhou (Canton), Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Winter, from December to February, is very mild, with highs around 18/20 °C (65/68 °F). The sun, which shines roughly half the time in December, gradually becomes less frequent, and there are more and more days with cloudy skies, fog and drizzle. There may also be windy days. Some days can be pleasantly warm, in fact, the temperature can reach and exceed 25 °C (77 °F) even in the middle of winter.
In other circumstances, there can be very cool days, during which the temperature can drop to around 10/15 °C (50/59 °F) during the day, and the wind can increase the feeling of cold.
Occasionally, it can even get cold, with lows around 5 °C (41 °F) and highs around 10 °C (50 °F). In January 2016, there was a day with a minimum of 2 °C (35.5 °F) and a maximum of 7 °C (44.5 °F).

Spring, from March to May, is very mild or pleasantly warm, but the sky is almost always cloudy, in addition, it can be foggy in March and April. In March, the cold wind can still blow, and highs can remain around 13/15 °C (55/59 °F), especially in the first half of the month. Starting from mid-March, with the increase in temperature, the first thunderstorms occur. Already in May, the weather is hot and sultry, with highs around 29 °C (84 °F), even though it's not as hot as in the summer months; moreover, the rains become significant.



The long summer, from June to September, is hot, humid, and rainy, with heavy showers or thunderstorms, although the sun shines on average for a few hours per day. Daytime temperatures are around 31/32 °C (88/90 °F), and the heat is felt because of moisture coming from the sea. Luckily, there is widespread use of air conditioning; moreover, in the afternoon, the breeze blows from the sea. Usually, the weather remains hot and muggy even at night: lows rarely drop below 25 °C (77 °F), but they can also remain around 28/29 °C (82/84 °F). On sunny days, the temperature can reach 35 °C (95 °F). In recent decades, the record is 37.4 °C (99.3 °F), set in July 2005.
In July, there is often a pause, a period of good weather lasting a week or two.
The probability of typhoons is highest in this season. Typhoons bring heavy rains and strong winds for a few days, with the risk of flooding and storm surges.

In the short autumn, in October and November, the rains become rare and generally not abundant, and the sun is a bit more frequent than in the other seasons. In the first part of October, the weather can still be hot and muggy, but it gradually becomes more pleasant; in this month, however, and sometimes even in the first half of November, tropical cyclones can still arrive. In November, the temperature is generally pleasant, with highs around 25 °C (77 °F), but cool and windy days gradually become more likely, and sometimes, in the second part of the month, it can get a bit cold.

Temperature and rainfall

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Here are the average temperatures.

Rainfall in Macau is abundant, in fact, it is around 2,000 millimeters (81 inches) per year. The rainiest period is from May to August, when the rainfall exceeds 280 mm (11 in) per month, while the least rainy period is from November to February, when it drops below 50 mm (2 in) per month. Here is the average precipitation.

Sunshine

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Macau gets 1,750 hours of sunshine per year. So, the amount of sunshine is not great, and it's scarce from February to April, when the sky is often overcast. In the rainy season, the sun shines paradoxically more often, since the rains occur in the form of downpours or thunderstorms, which do not last long, and make room for the sun after a while, except when typhoons hit the area. In autumn, the amount of sunshine remains acceptable or improves slightly, however, cloudy days are possible in this season as well. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Sea temperature

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The sea in Macau is warm enough to swim in from April to November, and becomes definitely warm from May to October. In midwinter, the South China Sea is very cool: it drops to 20 °C (68 °F) in January and February.

Typhoons

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As mentioned earlier, Macau can be hit by typhoons, the tropical cyclones of Southeast Asia. Typically, typhoons occur in this area from June to early November, but they have sometimes affected this area outside of this period, as happened in April 2008 with Typhoon Neoguri (or Ambo) and in May 2006 with Typhoon Chanchu (or Caloy).

Best Time

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It's not easy to find the best time to visit Macau. Winter can be a good period, although the sky is often cloudy in the second part; moreover, it can be windy, and sometimes, though rarely, it can be a little cold. Spring is pleasantly warm, but it's still cloudy, and when the sun becomes a little more frequent, the rains begin as well, then, starting from May, the air becomes muggy and there is some risk (though still low) of typhoons. In theory, autumn is the best season, but in October, a typhoon can still affect this area, while in November, there can be the first cool and windy days, and sometimes at the end of the month, it can already be a little cold. All in all, the best times are from mid-March to mid-April and from mid-October to late November.

What to pack

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In winter: bring spring/autumn clothes, a sweatshirt or sweater, a jacket, a raincoat or umbrella, and a hat for colder days.
In summer: bring tropics-friendly, lightweight clothing, a light sweatshirt for air-conditioned places, and a light raincoat or umbrella.

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