As northeasterly monsoon winds blow across the peaks of the Central Mountain Range, over 3,000 meters high and descend the southern slopes to the Tawu Mountains of the Hengchun Peninsula, the fall in elevation causes strong air currents to flow downwards, giving rise to the powerful winds.
這是因為冬天東北季風盛行，沿著中央山脈三千多公尺的高山由北向南流動，愈往南山脈高度愈低，到了恆春半島大武山區附近高度已降為 1,000 至 400 公尺以下，形成強大氣流向下衝的坡風，就是所謂的「落山風」。