Taiwan is an island nation in the Pacific, which means it has a subtropical climate. And like all islands with subtropical climates in the Pacific, Taiwan gets its fair share of annual typhoons.
So when is the typhoon season in Taiwan? The typhoon season in Taiwan usually arrives around June and lasts until October, with July through September being the period most prone to storms. Though uncommon, the typhoon season can start as early as May and can occasionally last until November.
The Taiwanese people have been dealing with typhoons since the nation was founded in 1912. These typhoons will occasionally affect the whole nation, but usually only affect one portion of the island at a time. In this article, we will discuss what a typical typhoon season looks like in this island nation.
RECOMMENDED: Best Time to Visit Taiwan
Table of Contents
What are typhoons?
Typhoons are large storm systems that move in a spiral and travel from sea to land, bringing violent winds and torrential rain along with them.
These storms are called hurricanes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. In the region known as the Northwestern Pacific Basic (between the longitudes of 180 and 100 degrees, in the northern hemisphere), these storms are known as typhoons. Elsewhere, they are also known as tropical cyclones.
Most typhoons are hundreds of miles in diameter and have winds that reach upwards of 120 miles per hour.
Based on the resulting sustained wind speeds, storm systems in the western Pacific are classified into six categories by RSMC Tokyo:
- Violent Typhoons with sustained wind speeds of 194 km/h (120 mph) or more
- Very Strong Typhoons with sustained wind speeds between 157 km/h (97 mph) and 193 km/h (119 mph)
- Typhoons with sustained wind speeds between 118 km/h (73 mph) and 156 km/h (96 mph)
- Severe Tropical Storms with sustained wind speeds between 89 km/h (55 mph) and 117 km/h (72 mph)
- Tropical Storms with sustained wind speeds between 62 km/h (38 mph) and 88 km/h (54 mph)
- Tropical Depressions with sustained wind speeds between 61 km/h (37 mph) or less
How are typhoons formed?
Typhoons aren’t a mystery; there’s some exact science that explains why they form.
When warm ocean water evaporates, and the resulting vapor rises, cold air quickly takes the place of the warm air below. This creates pressure between the top and the bottom, and this pressure results in fast-moving winds. These winds move in a circular direction, and a typhoon is formed.
Typhoons only form at latitudes greater than 5 degrees north and 5 degrees south of the earth’s equator. The reason behind this is a certain force that arises from the earth’s rotation, called the Coriolis force, which is zero at the equator.
This force, paired up with the low pressure at the center of the typhoon, gives it its spiral nature. It also causes typhoons in the northern hemisphere to rotate anti-clockwise and those in the south to rotate clockwise.
What are typhoons like in Taiwan?
According to a study examining a 20-year period spanning the 1980s and 1990s, Taiwan is hit by an average of 3.7 typhoons per year. And Taiwan’s own Central Weather Bureau backs this up, stating that, on average, between three and four typhoons hit Taiwan each year.
So, what happens when a typhoon “hits” Taiwan?
Well, landfall technically occurs when the eye of the typhoon moves directly overland, leaving large amounts of damages in its path. And owing to the rugged, mountainous topography of the island nation, Taiwan’s typhoons also bring extreme amounts of rainfall.
The wettest typhoon ever to be recorded, the infamous Typhoon Morakot of 2009, caused a staggering 3,060 mm (120 inches) of rainfall in the mountainous township of Alishan. The storm caused widespread damage, resulting in over 700 deaths and many landslides in the mountainous regions of the country.
Despite the widespread destruction of Morakot, most typhoons will only affect a certain region of the island.
For instance, if you’re in the northern part of Taiwan and the southern coast gets hit by a medium-sized typhoon, you may not feel the effect.
The big typhoons, however, can and have affected the entire country. And remember, the typhoon season starts as early as May and can last till November. That means for at least half of the year, people in Taiwan have to live in fear of a major typhoon.
As mentioned above, the Taiwanese people have been dealing with typhoons since the country’s inception more than a century ago. While the occasional larger storms can cause widespread damage, Taiwan’s infrastructure is well adapted to handle the lower-intensity typhoons.
What is the best time of the year to visit Taiwan?
The typhoon season in Taiwan generally falls between June and October. But this doesn’t mean that people hide inside and away from the weather; life goes on as usual. And since all typhoons originate on the ocean, far away from the coast, the technology we have can help us issue warnings and do our best to prepare beforehand.
Typhoons aren’t the only factor you need to consider when choosing the best time of year to visit Taiwan. Taiwan’s monsoon season patterns shift depending on the time of year and what part of Taiwan you’re in.
Note: Monsoons are separate from typhoons. While both bring large amounts of rain, a monsoon is not a single storm like a typhoon is. It’s a seasonal shift in winds that causes a significant increase or decrease in rainfall.
If you go to Taiwan during the winter months (October to March), the monsoon patterns cause a rainy season in the northern part of the country and a dry season in the southern portion. If you go during their summer (May to September), the pattern reverses, and you’ll get dry weather up north and rainy weather in the south.
So if you’re looking to avoid both the typhoon season and the monsoon seasons, the ideal time to go to Taiwan is in March or April.
During this time, you can expect little rainfall and cool but pleasant weather. The average monthly rainfall amount is 170 mm (6.6 inches), and the average temperature fluctuates between 22°C (71°F) and 25°C (77°F). You’ll also get to experience Taiwan’s flowers in bloom, which is a beautiful sight to behold.
Can I still go to Taiwan in the typhoon season?
Yes, you can certainly go to Taiwan during the typhoon season.
In fact, the peak tourist season in Taipei (Taiwan’s capital city) falls in the typhoon season, between May and September. Even though you can expect a lot of rainfall during this time, there are occasional clearances that make for delightful days in and around the city.
If you do plan to visit Taiwan during the typhoon season, be prepared for average temperatures to soar to more than 30°C (86°F) during the months of June, July, and August. The humidity is also pretty high (up to 75%) – though Taiwan’s humidity is actually at its lowest during the peak of summer.
If you’re okay with all of this, all you have to do is steer clear of the potential storms. If you’re going to travel during these months, it is always wise to keep up with the weather updates, as an imminent typhoon could seriously hamper your travel plans.
A large number of Tourists also flock to Taiwan during the Chinese New Year, which is at around the end of January. The temperatures around this time can go as low as 10°C (50°F) on average, with some high mountainous regions even experiencing a little snow.
Conclusion
Typhoons are subtropical storm systems that affect island nations like Taiwan. They bring violent winds which can cause a lot of damage in infrastructure and human lives. Taiwan’s typhoon season generally lasts between June and October.
Most typhoons are relatively harmless. The infrastructure in countries like Taiwan that regularly see these storms have been designed to withstand most of them. But occasionally, there are big typhoons that cause a lot of damage anyway. Since Taiwan is also a mountainous country, the rain that most typhoons bring can add to the damage as they can result in floods and mudslides.
If you’re looking to avoid extreme weather, try to travel to Taiwan in March or April. The temperature is cool and pleasant, and you won’t have to worry about the monsoon seasons causing excess rainfall.
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