Located to the west of the estuary of Pearl River (Zhujiang), between mainland China and the Southern China Sea, just south of the tropic of cancer, Macau has a tropical monsoon climate influenced greatly by oceans. The cold Northeast Monsoon from China's mainland and the Southeast and Southwest Monsoons from the ocean dominate this region by turns and therefore Macau's climate has the features of both continent and ocean climates.

The average annual temperature in Macau is about 22C and there are about 100 days with high temperature over 30C. Therefore Macau features a long summer period. The cold days with the average temperature under 10C is less than 30 days and the average temperature of the lowest month is still above three centigrade, which means there's no extreme coldness in Macau.

January to February is the coldest period in Macau when the cold air from Siberia going down via the northern continent and arriving at the peninsular. Sometimes the temperature plummets to 10C below zero. Woolen clothes and overcoats are necessary to keep warm for travelers wanting to spend this period in the city.

Macau's spring is from March to April when the southeast winds bring warm and humidity to area. Despite of a few periods of fog and rain, the days filled with pleasant sunshine are typically accompanied with mild nighttime temperatures. Travelers should be sure to pack sweatshirts and light jackets.

Beginning in May, Macau's summer season usually lasts through September. The extreme high temperatures and heavy humidity bring many rainstorms, thunderstorms and even disastrous waterspouts. The months from July to September might be filled with frequent cyclones. Travelers should attempt to avoid the typhoon season and stay at home when storms and cyclones come. T-shirt and light cottons are suitable for the hot and humid days and raingear is an additional must.

After the hard summer, the intense southwest winds disappear and the winds from the northern continent bring this region a mild autumn with cool days between later September and October. This, typically, is the most comfortable time of year for traveling. For the spring and autumn periods, sweaters and jackets are a good idea for heading out after hours.

Starting in November, temperatures gradually drop, as the cold period begins again.

Typhoons
During the storm season (especially July through September), Macau Observatory (Direccao dos Servicos Meteorologicos e Geofisicos) issues typhoon warnings an average of six times a year. You can check current forecasts and historical weather information on the website of Service of Macau Meteorological Bureau at http://www.smg.gov.mo/e_index.php.

Detailed information about the Average, Maximun and Minimum Temperatures and the rainfall in Macau.

Average Data Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
Rain (in) 0.8/0.9 1.5/1.6 2.3/2.4 5.6/5.7 8.4/8.5 9.3/9.4

Rain (mm) 20/25 40/45 60/65 140/145 210/215 235/240

Average Data July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rain (in) 8.5/8.6 10.0/10.1 <0.1 2.9/3.0 1.0/1.1 0.8/0.9

Rain (mm) 215/220 250/255 <5 70/75 25/30 20/25