Lincang City - Geography and Climate

Geography and Climate

Lincang covers latitude 23° 05′－25° 02′ N and longitude 98° 40′－100° 33′ E, thus straddling the Tropic of Cancer in the southern part of its administrative area, or prefecture. It is situated on the middle to lower reaches of the Mekong, known as the Lancang in China, and the Salween, or the Nu. Bordering prefectures are Pu'er to the southeast, and Baoshan and Dali to the northwest. It also borders Burma's Shan State. Elevations within the prefecture range from 450 to 3,504 metres (1,480 to 11,496 ft).

Located at an altitude of above 1,450 m (4,760 ft) and within 30 arc minutes to the north of the Tropic of Cancer, Lincang has a mild subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb), falling just short of a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), with muddled distinction between the seasons and daytime temperatures remaining warm year-round. Highs peak in May before the core of the rainy season and reach a minimum in December; however, the warmest and coolest months are June and January, respectively at 21.6 °C (70.9 °F) and 11.2 °C (52.2 °F); the annual mean is 17.53 °C (63.6 °F). June thru September accounts for nearly 70% of the annual rainfall of 1,160 mm (46 in) and during this time, some rainfall occurs on most days, pushing relative humidity above 80% and there is a marked reduction in sunshine. There are 2,105 hours of bright sunshine annually.