Consider the following statements about the ‘Roaring Forties’: I. They blow uninterrupted in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. II. They blow with great strength and constancy. III. Their direction is generally from North - West to East in the Southern Hemisphere. IV. Overcast skies, rain and raw weather are generally associated with them. Which of these statements are correct ?

Statement I is incorrect: the term “Roaring Forties” denotes the strongly developed southern-hemisphere westerlies (roughly 40°–65°S); northern-hemisphere westerlies are more irregular due to landmass obstruction [1]. Statement II is correct: these southern westerlies are notably strong and persistent because of the vast oceanic expanse [3]. Statement III is essentially correct: the Roaring Forties have a dominant west-to-east motion — in the Southern Hemisphere they blow from northwest toward southeast, hence an eastward component is characteristic [1]. Statement IV is also correct: these westerlies commonly produce damp, cloudy, stormy conditions with overcast skies and rain [2].

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 23: Pressure Systems and Wind System > The Westerlies > p. 319
2. [3] https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/roaring-forties.html
3. [2] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 14: Climate > Pressure and Planetary Winds > p. 140