Погода: Гаосюн, апрель

April is the month the Taiwan forum recommends for the south: warm and sunny, and ahead of the heat and humidity that arrive with summer. Two seasonal edges sit either side of it. The winter wind storms Kenting is known for have eased - though our row still carries 31.6 kph, the strongest figure in this stage - and the jellyfish that the south-westerlies push in from about May to July have not started yet. July and August are the peak months and the hottest. The record: 28.6C days that feel like 31C, 23.6C nights, 6.5 precipitation days carrying 29.4mm, 11.2 hours of sun and a 26.1C sea.

Forum posters describe August in Kaohsiung as basically a daily heatwave, with one local citing temperatures around 30-38C, and posters generally naming July and August as Taiwan's hottest months overall, typically 33-36C with high humidity. Posters consistently flag August through October as typhoon season, a real factor to track for any Kaohsiung trip this time of year. Posters describe rain as occurring periodically rather than daily, though June through August sees the heaviest rainfall totals of the year. Posters are direct that August isn't the ideal weather month, but note millions of visitors still come to Taiwan every summer regardless. Posters generally rate August as hot, humid and typhoon-watchful, but still genuinely travel-friendly for Kaohsiung.

Forum posters describe Kaohsiung in February as warm and dry enough that jackets weren't needed day or night on at least one recent visit, consistent with the broader pattern posters give for southern Taiwan generally - mild winters, typically 15-20C, not the rainy season though a stray shower is always possible. The one scheduling wrinkle worth planning around: Chinese New Year (early-to-mid February) brings sold-out public transport and higher accommodation rates, but posters call it worth the hassle for the festive atmosphere, which they say isn't matched at any other time of year.