Typhoons, weather and holidays in Taiwan: what closes and what to do

If a typhoon is forecast, move mountain and east coast days until after it passes, and check your city’s typhoon-day decision the evening before. Train tickets cancelled by a typhoon are refunded without a fee.

When are you going?

• March to May: changeable, with drizzle. The plum rains run through May and June.
• June to September: hot and humid, and typhoon season, peaking in August. Keep mountain and east coast days flexible. Air-raid drills stop traffic for 30 minutes in each region in July or August; in 2026 they ran 7 to 13 August (what to do).
• October and November: stable and comfortable. Typhoons are less common, but October ones do happen.
• December to February: short and mild, but cold fronts bring chilly, wet days to the north and east. Lunar New Year, 4 to 10 February 2027, shuts many small businesses; plan for it.

Sources: Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab); Central Weather Administration (opens in a new tab); CWA typhoon guide (opens in a new tab), which counts 3 to 4 typhoons a year.

If a typhoon is coming

1. Track it on the CWA English typhoon page (opens in a new tab). A sea warning comes about 24 hours before gale-force winds reach Taiwan’s waters, and a land warning about 18 hours before they reach land.1CWA warning guide (opens in a new tab)cwa.gov.tw
2. Check for a typhoon day on the government’s typhoon-day page (opens in a new tab), usually posted between 19:00 and 22:00 the evening before. Each city or county decides; offices and schools close, and many shops and attractions do too.
3. Stock up on water and food at a convenience store.
4. Stay out of the mountains. National parks close trails: Taroko shuts its mountain trails as soon as a sea warning is issued.2Taroko National Park (opens in a new tab)taroko.gov.tw
5. Refund cancelled tickets, as below.

If your train or flight is cancelled

• High-speed rail: no fee, at any station, up to a year after the travel date. Services may slow or stop, with free-seating trains replacing reserved ones.3THSR (opens in a new tab)thsrc.com.tw
• Taiwan Railway: no fee at a station while a typhoon warning is in force. Express trains can be cancelled.4Taiwan Railway (opens in a new tab)railway.gov.tw
• Domestic flights: refund or change without a fee.5Civil Aviation Administration (opens in a new tab)caa.gov.tw
• Taipei Metro keeps running underground; elevated sections stop in high winds.6Taipei Metro (opens in a new tab)metro.taipei

If an air-raid siren sounds

Taiwan holds air-raid drills, the Urban Resilience exercises, region by region in summer: 15 to 18 July in 2025,7Taipei Times, July 2025 (opens in a new tab)taipeitimes.com and 7 to 13 August in 2026. Each region’s drill lasts 30 minutes; Taipei’s was on 13 August 2026, 14:30 to 15:00.8Ministry of National Defense (opens in a new tab)adma.mnd.gov.tw The 2027 dates aren’t announced yet.

• Get off the street. Go indoors, to a basement or a designated air-raid shelter, and follow police instructions.9Immigration Agency, July 2026 (opens in a new tab)news.immigration.gov.twFocus Taiwan, August 2026 (opens in a new tab)focustaiwan.tw
• In a car, taxi or bus: police direct vehicles to the roadside, and drivers and passengers go to shelters in nearby buildings.10Focus Taiwan, August 2026 (opens in a new tab)focustaiwan.tw
• Ignoring the drill can bring a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.11Ministry of National Defense (opens in a new tab)adma.mnd.gov.tw
• Screenshot nearby shelters beforehand from the police shelter map (opens in a new tab). In 2026 the central and northern drills slowed mobile data; calls and texts still worked.12Immigration Agency, July 2026 (opens in a new tab)news.immigration.gov.tw
• Flying on drill day? For its 2026 drill, Taoyuan airport suspended airport buses, taxis and rental cars, but the Airport MRT kept running. Arrive early, with boarding documents downloaded or printed and a physical card or cash.13Focus Taiwan, August 2026 (opens in a new tab)focustaiwan.tw

If you’re travelling over Lunar New Year

• Lunar New Year’s Eve is 5 February 2027, and New Year’s Day is 6 February.
• Book high-speed rail on 5 January 2027, when tickets for 2 to 11 February open.14THSR (opens in a new tab)thsrc.com.tw
• Sold out? Ride high-speed rail non-reserved: tickets are sold on the day.15THSR (opens in a new tab)en.thsrc.com.tw
• Expect small shops and restaurants to close for the first days. Convenience stores stay open 24 hours.16Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
• Don’t plan museums on New Year’s Eve or Day. The National Taiwan Museum (opens in a new tab) and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (opens in a new tab), among others, close.

If you’re in Taipei on a Monday

Go up Taipei 101 (open 10:00 to 21:00) or visit Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (09:00 to 18:00). The National Palace Museum, Taipei Fine Arts Museum and National Taiwan Museum close on Mondays; the Palace Museum opens on some holiday Mondays.

Sources: National Palace Museum (opens in a new tab); Taipei Fine Arts Museum (opens in a new tab); National Taiwan Museum (opens in a new tab); Taipei 101 (opens in a new tab); Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (opens in a new tab).

Public holidays in 2027

All from the 2027 government calendar (opens in a new tab).