Evaluation of NCEP-CFSv2, ERA5, and CCMP wind datasets against buoy observations over Zhejiang nearshore waters

Numerical models are indispensable tools that allow analysing and predicting the dynamic processes of ocean shelf seas. Selecting the most reliable wind product is crucial for reducing model biases. The five buoy observation stations in the coastal waters of Zhejiang, China, continuously recorded wind field data from 1 June 2018 to 31 May 2019, which provided an opportunity to evaluate the most widely used wind products: the Climate Forecast System Version 2 (CFSv2), Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform (CCMP), and Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) latest reanalysis (ERA5). Our results suggested that in different seasons, regardless of the water region, the wind speeds of the three wind products in autumn and winter were relatively closer to the observations than those during spring and summer because of higher wind speeds. Statistical analysis indicated that wind products performed better over the open waters than nearshore waters. In nearshore, wind products performed worse over the region with more complex topography than relatively simple surrounding terrain. Overall, the ERA5 wind field slightly outperformed the other wind products. Although preliminary, our work is indispensable to ensure high model performance. • The most widely used wind field products were evaluated against observations. • Wind products perform better over open waters than those over nearshore waters. • The Medium-Range Weather Forecasts latest reanalysis is closer to the observations. • Three wind products perform better in autumn and winter than in spring and summer.