- The westerlies are the winds blowing from the sub-tropical high-pressure belts towards the sub-polar low-pressure belts. They blow from southwest to northeast in the northern hemisphere and northwest to southeast in the southern hemisphere. They produce wet spells and variability in the weather.
- The westerlies are best developed between 40° and 65° S latitudes. These latitudes are often called Roaring Forties, Furious Fifties, and Shrieking Sixties – dreaded terms for sailors. The poleward boundary of the westerlies is highly fluctuating.
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