Taklamakan Desert Temperature Extremes

The Taklamakan Desert in northwest China (Xinjiang) has a harsh continental climate with extreme seasonal swings.

• Annual Average: 11–17°C (52–63°F)
• Summer (Jun–Aug): Highs up to 40°C (104°F), sometimes higher.
• Winter (Dec–Feb): Lows down to –10°C (14°F) or colder.

Daily temperature variations can exceed 30°C (54°F). Precipitation is extremely low (<50 mm/year), mostly in summer. The desert's name, from Uyghur, means "place of no return" or "you enter and cannot leave," reflecting its lethal combination of heat, cold, and waterlessness.