Weather data analysis and design implications for different climatic zones in China

Measured long-term hourly and daily weather data for five cities in China, namely Harbin, Beijing, Shanghai, Kuming and Hong Kong were gathered and analysed. These cities were selected to represent the five main architectural climates—severe cold, cold, hot summer and cold winter, mild, and hot summer and warm winter. Statistical techniques and graphical methods were used to study the long-term weather characteristics of these five climatic zones. Three common climatic variables, namely temperature (dry-bulb and wet-bulb), solar radiation (global, direct and diffuse) and wind conditions (wind speed and wind direction), were investigated. The frequency of occurrence and cumulative frequency distributions were determined and presented, and implications for building and building services designs were discussed.