Meizhou Climate

Topography and Landforms

The overall terrain of Meizhou City (梅州市) is characterized by a higher northern elevation gradually descending toward the southern plains, transitioning from the border of Fujian (福建), Guangdong (广东), and Jiangxi (江西) provinces to the basins of Meixian (梅县) and Xingning (兴宁) before rising again and ultimately descending into the Chaoshan Plain (潮汕平原). The landform can be classified into five major categories based on the geological composition: plains (basins), terraces, tablelands, hills, and mountains. These are formed from six types of rocks: granite, volcanic rock, metamorphic rock, sandstone, red rock, and limestone. The mountainous area in Meizhou occupies 24.3% of the total land, while hills and tablelands account for 56.6%. The plains cover 13.7%, and water bodies such as rivers and reservoirs make up 5.4%.

Meizhou is located south of the Wuling Mountain Range (五岭山脉) with its terrain sloping from north to south. The region is primarily composed of three mountain ranges: the Wuyi Mountains (武夷山脉), the Lianhua Mountains (莲花山脉), and the Phoenix Mountains (凤凰山脉). There are over 140 peaks exceeding 1,000 meters in elevation, with Tonggu (铜鼓嶂) in Fengshun County (丰顺县) being the highest at 1,560 meters. Key mountainous areas include Qimu Peak (七目嶂), Tieshan Peak (铁山嶂), as well as the Meizhou, Jiao, and Pingshan regions.

Major basins in Meizhou include the Xingning Basin (兴宁盆地), covering about 400 square kilometers, making it the largest basin in Meizhou; the Meijiang Basin (梅江盆地), approximately 120 square kilometers; the Jiaoling Basin (蕉岭盆地), about 100 square kilometers; and the Tangxing Basin (汤坑盆地), also around 100 square kilometers.

Climate of Meizhou City

Meizhou's climate is influenced by its low latitude, proximity to the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, as well as specific mountainous topography. This results in long summers, short winters, high temperatures, ample sunlight, and concentrated rainfall, typical of a low-latitude climate. Additionally, the area experiences significant temperature variations, stagnant air flows, and susceptibility to droughts and floods, which are characteristics of the mountainous climate. Meizhou is classified as a typical subtropical monsoon climate, acting as a transitional zone between the South Asian subtropical and the Central Asian subtropical climates. The boundary is drawn through Dapu County (大埔县) at Chayang, extending to Meixian District (梅县区) at Songkou, Jiaoling County (蕉岭县) at Jiaocheng, and Pinyuan County (平远县) at Shizheng. The northern areas of Pinyuan, Jiaoling, and northern Meixian fall within the Central Asian subtropical climate zone, while Wuhua (五华), Xingning, Dapu, and southern Pinyuan, Jiaoling, and Meixian are in the South Asian subtropical region.

Hydrology

The main rivers in Meizhou include the Han River (韩江), which is 470 kilometers long (343 kilometers within Meizhou) and has a watershed area of 30,112 square kilometers (14,673 square kilometers in Meizhou). The Meijiang River (梅江) is 307 kilometers long (271 kilometers in Meizhou) with a watershed area of 13,329 square kilometers (10,888 square kilometers in Meizhou). The Ting River (汀江) extends 323 kilometers (55 kilometers in Meizhou) with a watershed area of 11,802 square kilometers (1,333 square kilometers in Meizhou). Additionally, there are rivers such as the Qin River (琴江), Wuhua River (五华河), Ning River (宁江), Cheng River (程江), Shiku River (石窟河), Meitan River (梅潭河), Songyuan River (松源河), Fengliang River (丰良河), Wu Jingfu River (五经富水), and Rong River (榕江北河). Furthermore, the Dong River (东江) flows along the northwest border of Xingning City, extending 24.8 kilometers within Meizhou with a watershed area of 260 square kilometers.