Subtropical climate with very hot summers and a rainy period during the summer months. Most rain occurs in the afternoon. Winds can reach gale force and typhoons are not unknown. The best season is autumn (October to December), when days are sunny and warm and the humidity low.

Macau is situated on a tiny peninsula at the mouth of the Pearl River. Two bridges of 2.5km (1.5 miles) and 4.5km (2.8 miles) respectively link it to its nearest island, Taipa, which in turn is joined to the island of Côloane by a 2.2 km- (1.3 mile-) long causeway. At the extreme northern end of the peninsula, on a narrow isthmus, is the imposing gateway (Portas do Cerco, or Border Gate), which leads to the Zhuhai and Zhongshan areas of the People’s Republic of China. Some 60km (37.5 miles) to the east-northeast, across the mouth of the river, is Hong Kong.