Performance of the Priestley-Taylor equation in the semiarid climate of North China

In summary, care should be taken when applying the Priestley-Taylor equation in the semiarid climate in north China. Temporally, it can be used in July and August and at daily time scale in these two months, but unsatisfactorily in other months and at yearly time scale. Spatially, except locations with wind speed higher than 2.61 and 2.36 m s−1 as Jinan in July and August, it is applicable in other locations in these two months. With the widespread use of this equation in crop simulation modeling, the possible modification to the coefficient α in the region deserves further investigation.