Westerlies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Westerlies or the Prevailing Westerlies are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. The winds are predominantly from the southwest in the Northern Hemisphere and from the northwest in the Southern Hemisphere. Together with the trade winds, the westerlies enabled a round-trip trade route for early European sailing ships. Vessels returning to Europe from South and Central America, the West Indies, or the Southern Atlantic Seaboard of North America generally sailed North, turning Eastward at the Carolinas to cross the Atlantic.
The westerlies can be particularly strong , especially in the southern hemisphere, where there is less land in the middle latitudes to cause friction and slow the winds down. The strongest westerly winds in the middle latitudes can come in the Roaring Forties, between 40 and 50 degrees latitude.
See also
es:Vientos del oeste ko:편서풍 hi:पछुआ पवनें it:Correnti occidentali ja:偏西風 no:Vestavindsbeltet nn:Vestavindsbeltet simple:Wind#Planetary_wind_belts zh:西風帶
