China

China's climate fluctuates considerably throughout the year, from brutal cold in the winter to intolerable heat in the summer. The Yangtze River stands as China's official north-south dividing line. Given the country's vastness and diversity of scenery, there is no single period of year when the weather in China is optimum. Naturally, the hottest regions in winter are in the south and southwest, including Banna in Yunnan, Hainan Island, and Sichuan. Summer temperatures are coldest in the far north.

China's climate is characterized by dry spells and rainy monsoons, resulting in significant temperature changes between winter and summer. Northern winds from high latitude places are chilly and dry in winter; southern breezes from lower latitude sea areas are warm and wet in summer. Climates vary considerably throughout regions due to the country's wide and complicated geography. In the southeast of the Nanling Alps, rainfall is abundant and temperatures are consistently high throughout the year. There are four different seasons in the Huaihe and Yangtze river basins in central China.

Summer in northeast China is brief yet sunny, whereas winter is lengthy and very cold. Precipitation is scarce in northwest China, where winters are very cold and summers are scorching. In southwest China's low latitudes, the terrain is raised to a great height and has distinctive vertical seasonal zones.

Coldest temperature: - 58 °C