Page 91 - Design of Solar Thermal Power Plants

80 2. THE SOLAR RESOURCE AND METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS

2.5.7.4 Typhoons and Thunderstorms
Hainan is a region with many tropical storms and typhoons. Most
tropical storms and typhoons that affect Hainan occur on the surface of

the western Pacific (5 e20 N). There are plenty of tropical storms and
typhoons, typically 8e9 times a year but as high as 11 times a year. The
season is long, starting in May with tropical storms and typhoons that
reach their highest levels during the AugusteOctober period. About 75%
of tropical storms and typhoons land on coastal areas of the
WenchangeQionghaieWanning region; no landing records have been
found in the western coastal region. Windstorms are more severe on the
northeastern coast. Typhoon rain plays a crucial role in annual precipi-
tation, and for most areas in Hainan it accounts for 31%e36% of total
annual rainfall and 44%e45% in the west and south. Hainan is the region
with the most frequent thunderstorm activity; there are 60e85 thunder-
storm days in the southern coast and over 100 days for the other areas.
Thunderstorm often occur daily after midday. The thunderstorm period is
from March to October each year.

2.5.8 The Solar Resource in Harbin
With coordinates of 45 45 Nand 126 46 E, Harbin is north of North-

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east China and south of Heilongjiang Province. It is adjacent to the
branch hill of the Zhangguangcai Mountains to the southeast and the
Xiao Hinggan Mountains to the north; the Songhua River passes through
the middle of Harbin. With an elevation of 143 m and total area of
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56,579 km (7086 km of urban area), Harbin governs eight districts and
ten counties (cities). Compared with other provincial capitals in China,
Harbin has the highest latitude as well as the lowest winter temperature.
Harbin City is controlled by a continental polar air mass through the
winter and influenced mainly by a subtropical marine air mass during
summer; spring and autumn are seasons exhibiting winter and summer
wind alternation. According to China’s division of climate zones, Harbin
City has a midtemperate continental monsoon climate. Influenced by
the geographic environment, marine and territorial air masses, and
monsoon alternation, the seasonal climate of the entire city varies
significantly [14].
2.5.8.1 Basic Climatic Characteristics of Harbin
Harbin City has four climatic characteristics. The first is a cold dry
winter with low precipitation: winter (NovembereMarch) in Harbin lasts
more than 5 months with cold dry weather. The period with a mean
temperature below 10 C starts October 3 and ends April 30, lasting for

210 days. The coldest month is January with a mean temperature