Which of the following statements conccming temperature is/are correct ? I. In winter season isotherms in Northern Hemisphere are more or less circular on continents 2. Isotherms arc parallel to latitude in Southern Hemisphere in oceans 3. Minimum temperature during winter is recorded in Northern Canada Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The correct answer is Option 1 (1 and 2 only). This is explained by the fundamental principles of climatology regarding land-water contrast and latitudinal temperature distribution.

• Statement 1 is correct: In the Northern Hemisphere during winter, continents cool much faster than oceans. This creates high-pressure cells over landmasses (like the Siberian High), causing isotherms to bend sharply and form closed or more or less circular patterns over large continents as they reflect localized intense cooling.
• Statement 2 is correct: The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by vast, continuous stretches of water. Due to the absence of large landmasses to disrupt air flow and thermal distribution, isotherms follow a nearly straight path, remaining parallel to the latitudes.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: While Northern Canada is cold, the lowest temperatures (absolute minimum) in the Northern Hemisphere are traditionally recorded in Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon (Siberia, Russia), not Canada, due to extreme continentality.