The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is frequently employed to determine the element weights in study of regional lightning vulnerability zoning.However,the scholar's individual bias in judgment of option weight during AHP will introduce error to lightning risk assessment model.In order to avoid the potential error brought by AHP,we use principal component analysis instead to establish a new type of lightning disaster vulnerability zoning model,which is then applied to analyze the lightning disaster vulnerability in Hainan province.Five indexes,including thunderstrike density,lightning frequency,economic loss,life vulnerability module,and casualties frequency are chosen to zone Hainan province in lightning vulnerability.