Abstract
AbstractIn this study, we use a k‐mean clustering approach to investigate the weather patterns responsible for extreme wind speed events throughout Mexico using 40 years of the ERA‐5 atmospheric reanalysis. Generally, we find a large geographical split between the weather patterns that generate the strongest winds across the country. The highest wind power production periods therefore occur at different times in different regions across the country. In the South, these are associated with cold surge events, where an anticyclone is present in the Gulf of Mexico resulting in a strong Northerly flow across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. In the North‐East, Easterly trade winds are responsible for the strongest wind events, whereas in the North‐West, it is the proximity of the North Pacific High. However, the weakest winds and lowest power production periods occur at the same times for all stations with the exception of Baja California Sur, meaning that low wind power production may be unavoidable at these times. The El Niño Southern Oscillation is found to influence wind speeds at some locations across Mexico at sub‐seasonal time‐scales. We report that statistically stronger wind speeds are observed during the Summer during El Niño months than during La Niña months for both sites in Chiapas and Oaxaca.
Highlights
The threat of climate change is prompting action across the globe with many countries, including Mexico, investing in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power
The weakest winds and lowest power production periods occur at the same times for all stations with the exception of Baja California Sur, meaning that low wind power production may be unavoidable at these times
Our results show that the strongest winds across most of Mexico are linked to a number of dominant weather patterns, for example, cold surges which can bring storm force winds to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Summary
The threat of climate change is prompting action across the globe with many countries, including Mexico, investing in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. El Progreso is located within the low-lying region between the mountain ranges to the East and West, and the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico to the South and North known as the Isthmus of Tehauntepec, which is considered the region with the highest potential for onshore and offshore wind power production (Lopez-Villalobos et al, 2018). Links between Mexican weather and the global atmospheric phenomena such as the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation (Sutton and Hodson, 2005), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (Pavia et al, 2006), and the North Atlantic Oscillation (Santillán et al, 2012) have been suggested (see the review by Maldonado et al, 2018) To investigate such long term variability patterns, one needs to utilize both observations, discussed and longer-term data sets, such as atmospheric reanalyses.
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