Consider the following statements:The winds which blow between 30°N and 60°S latitudes throughout th

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UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2015 UPSC Prelims Geography paper.

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This UPSC Prelims 2015 Geography question has a medium difficulty level and is marked as an important question.

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Question

Consider the following statements:The winds which blow between 30°N and 60°S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies.The moist air masses that cause winter rains in North-Western region of India are part of westerlies.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: B — 2 onlyStep-by-step Solution:Statement 1 — Westerlies blow between 30°N and 60°S latitudes: This is incorrect. The westerlies are prevailing winds that blow from west to east in the mid-latitudes. They blow between approximately 30° and 60° latitude in both hemispheres — i.e., from 30°N to 60°N in the Northern Hemisphere, and from 30°S to 60°S in the Southern Hemisphere. The statement incorrectly combines the two hemispheres by stating '30°N to 60°S' — which would encompass the entire tropical belt plus the southern mid-latitudes, creating confusion. Westerlies in each hemisphere occupy the mid-latitude zone between the subtropical high pressure (30°) and the subpolar low pressure (60°). ✗Statement 2 — Winter rains in North-Western India are caused by westerlies: This is correct. The winter rains in northwest India (Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir) are caused by Western Disturbances — extratropical cyclonic systems that originate in the Mediterranean Sea and travel eastward embedded in the westerly jet stream. As these Mediterranean weather systems (carrying moisture from the Mediterranean, Caspian Sea, and Black Sea) move along the southern branch of the westerly jet stream, they bring precipitation to northwest India during winter (December to February). These Western Disturbances are indeed part of the westerly wind system. ✓Key Concept: Planetary wind belts: 0°-30° — Trade Winds (from subtropical high to ITCZ); 30°-60° — Westerlies (from subtropical high to subpolar low); 60°-90° — Polar Easterlies (from polar high to subpolar low). Westerlies: blow from west to east; strongest in Southern Hemisphere (Roaring Forties, Furious Fifties); in Northern Hemisphere, distorted by continents; carry Mediterranean cyclones to India as Western Disturbances. Western Disturbances: extratropical cyclones embedded in westerly jet stream; Mediterranean origin; bring winter rainfall/snowfall to northwest India and western Himalayas; crucial for rabi crops (wheat) in Punjab/Haryana; also bring snowfall to J&K/Himachal, filling glaciers and river systems. Annual occurrence: 4-7 active Western Disturbances affect northwest India in a typical winter.

Consider the following statements:The winds which blow between 30°N and 60°S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies.The moist air masses that cause winter rains in North-Western region of India are part of westerlies.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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Consider the following statements:The winds which blow between 30°N and 60°S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies.The moist air masses that cause winter rains in North-Western region of India are part of westerlies.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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