prevailing winds
Typical atmospheric currents
Prevailing winds are the winds that blow most frequently from a particular direction in a given region.
They result from large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns and vary by latitude—trade winds near the equator, westerlies in temperate zones.
Sailors and pilots account for prevailing winds in route planning: We'll have the prevailing winds at our back on the return trip.
- westerliesWinds from the sunset
- trade windsReliable equatorial air currents
- roaring fortiesTempestuous latitude band
- doldrumsState of inactivity
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
Coriolis effect · breeze · jet stream · horse latitudes · meteorology · global circulation · climate zones · sailing routes · leeward · navigation · fair winds · anticyclones · pressure gradient · easterlies · sailing · shipping lanes · polar vortex · atmosphere
- climateclimate change, climate, weather, global warming, temperature
- windbreeze, gale, gust, gusts, crosswinds
- wind effectstornadoes, hurricanes, sand storms, dust storms, blizzards
- windsbreeze, gust, gusts, gale, squall
- nautical termsahoy, afloat, aye aye, aye-aye, becalmed
- coastal weatherdrizzle, overcast, ocean breeze, cloudy skies, rainfall
prevailing windsdead calm
Complete absence of wind
still air · gusts · wind gusts · calm
prevailing windscountercurrents
Flows opposing dominant direction
crosswinds · headwinds · opposing forces · undercurrents · resistance
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