Climate Change Chart of Beijing, China

Overview of climate changes

Temperature changes

Monthly mean temperatures were higher in the more recent period by a mean difference of +1.66 °C averaged across calendar months; this is an unweighted average of monthly means, not a day-weighted annual figure, and it does not imply that every month warmed by the same amount. The largest monthly increase was in March, with a difference of +3.36 °C. These are changes in monthly means, not daytime maximum temperatures.

Changes in rainfall

Mean daily rainfall was lower by a difference of -0.72 mm/day averaged across calendar months in the more recent period; this unweighted mean of monthly averages is not an annual total or a day-weighted figure. Monthly differences were not uniform: August had the largest decrease, a difference of -4.64 mm/day, while October recorded the largest increase, a difference of +0.30 mm/day. These values describe mean daily amounts, not monthly rainfall totals.

Changes in sunshine duration

Mean daily sunshine duration had an unweighted mean difference of -0.18 hours/day averaged across calendar months, indicating lower averages in the more recent period; this does not mean every month had less sunshine. The largest monthly decrease occurred in October, with a difference of -0.86 hours/day, whereas August had the largest increase, a difference of +0.74 hours/day. These comparisons concern mean daily hours, rather than total sunshine over a month or year.

Changes in snowfall

Mean daily snowfall differences varied by month even though the unweighted mean difference averaged across calendar months is 0.00 mm/day at the displayed precision. This rounded equality does not establish that snowfall was unchanged in every month. The largest monthly increase was in November, a difference of +1.18 mm/day, while March had the largest decrease, a difference of -0.98 mm/day. These are mean daily amounts, not monthly snowfall totals.