| It is better to observe the atmosphere before observing geography and climate, and this is why meteorologists often first examine geography. Temperature is determined by latitude, and places north of the equator are colder if they are at the higher latitude. However, areas that are closer to the sea are different from those to the land, and the same difference is with those in mountains and planes. Kinmen islands are sea regions and are at the same latitude as Amoy and Tong-an; the latter two, however, are closer to inland and have milder climate and weaker wind, whereas Kinmen is at the sea without mountains at the sides but with mountains in the center. The rainfall is not even, and the wind is quite strong, showing that mountains regions have more rain and coastal regions have more wind. Due to the latitude, geography, and monsoon, Kinmen has rather distinct four seasons, although with a longer summer and shorter winter.
Located at E.118.12 ~ 16 and N.24.24~28, Lieyu is at the coastal region and is one of the 12 islands of Kinmen. Located at the north of Tropic of Cancer, Lieyu is an island in the southeast coast of Fuchien and faces Taiwan Strait at the east and China at the west. With the south China Sea to the southwest, Lieyu has a subtropical climate and is affected by the monsoon. During summer, the wind from Asia is warmer and less dense; it blows from the land to the sea from southwest to the South Sea (covering China and Taiwan). On the other hand, due to the effect of subtropical high pressure in the Pacific Ocean, from which the southwest monsoon blows. What happens in winter is the opposite; it is colder in the Asian continent than the ocean, on which high pressure develops. The cold air closer to the ground blows from the land to the sea, resulting in northeast monsoon in winter. Typhoons are also very common between summer and autumn.
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