Question map
Consider the following statements relating to cyclone, anti cyclone and trade wind : 1. The wind direction is clockwise in the cyclone of northern hemisphere 2. The planetary wind that blows from north-east to north-west is known as north-east trade wind 3. The wind direction is anti clockwisc in the anticyclone of southern hemisphere 4. Both westerlies and trade winds originate from sub-tropical highs Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect because cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere rotate counter-clockwise due to the Coriolis force deflecting inward-moving air to the right [3]. Statement 2 is incorrect because North-East trade winds blow from the north-east toward the south-west (equatorial low), not north-west [3]. Statement 3 is correct; in the Southern Hemisphere, anticyclones (high-pressure systems) exhibit an anti-clockwise rotation as air spirals outward and is deflected to the left [2]. Statement 4 is correct as both the trade winds (blowing toward the equator) and the westerlies (blowing toward the poles) originate from the Sub-Tropical High Pressure Belts located around 30° latitude in both hemispheres [2]. Therefore, only statements 3 and 4 are accurate.
Sources
- [2] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: Atmospheric Circulation and Weather Systems > General circulation of the atmosphere > p. 79
- [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 23: Pressure Systems and Wind System > Why Tropical Cyclones Do Not Form At The Equator? > p. 310
- [1] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 14: Climate > Pressure and Planetary Winds > p. 139