Climate of Lesser Three Gorges

Lesser Three Gorges – Brief Introduction

Lesser Three Gorges is the generic name of Longmen Gorge, Bawu Gorge and Dicui Gorge which are in the downstream of Daning River. It started from Wushan County in the south side and ended in Dachang Ancient Town in the south side, extending 60 kilometers. Started from Qutang Gorge to Wu Gorge, you will come into the 25 kilometers' wide valley of Daning River. Daning River, which is the largest anabranch of Yangtze River, originated from Dabashan Mountain. "Lesser Three Gorges" is the marrow of Daning River landscape. So it was praised as "the top 40th tourist resort of China" in 1991.

Lesser Three Gorges – Climate

Lesser Three Gorges located in warm and humid subtropical climate region. The climate was obviously affected by the gorge terrain. Among which, Wu gorge is long and deep, showed the typical gorge climate characteristics which is the representative of Three Gorge climate. In the gorge, the annual average temperature is 18℃, the average temperature of January (The coldest time) is 7.1℃ and the average temperature of June(the hottest time) is 29.3℃. The annual average rainfall is between 1000mm – 1400mm, and focus in June and August. The weather is warm in winter and hot in summer, rainfall is plentiful and the four seasons is obvious which is similar to Sichuan Basin and Yangtze River Downstream Plain. But, as the valley very deep, the duration of sunshine is very short. In winter, only the two or three hours in the noon can see the sun, and the duration of sunshine in summer only five or six hours. The winds in the gorge are strong, and blow in the same direction, almost are east wind or west wind blow along the gorge. For the terrain of gorge is closed, moisture get together, so it is easy formed cloud and rain. In summer, there is a flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder, then heavily rain fall down. So it is one of the rainstorm centers in China. In autumn, the weather almost is sunny, clouds are pale and a light breeze is blowing. In winter, there often rains and lasts several days. When the season changes from spring to summer, the weather is changeable. "Cloud in the morning and rain in the evening" is another special scene.

The river court of Lesser Three Gorges is very narrow, water flow rate is large, and water level disparity is large. In flood period, the flow rate reached 40000 to 50000 cubic meters per second. In low water period, flow rate is 3000 cubic meters per second. The gap of highest water level and lowest water level can reached 50 meters. In flood period, water level quickly increases, and can increase more than 10 meters in a day. The slope of riverbed is large, average every 5 meters will decrease 1 meter, and water flows quickly; and the flow rate often change. The average flow rate in low water period is 4 kilometers per hour and 11 kilometers per hour in flood period. In summer high water period, surging river flow out from the twisty gorges and flow far away. In low water seasons, water wanders among the mountains, which makes the river court of Three Gorges looks so difficult.