Consider the following statements: 1. The winds which blow between 3

Consider the following statements:

  • 1. The winds which blow between 30° N and 60° S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies.
  • 2. 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?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2015
The correct option is B.
Statement 1 is incorrect. Westerlies are prevailing winds that blow from west to east in the mid-latitudes, approximately between 30° and 60° latitude in *each* hemisphere (30°N to 60°N and 30°S to 60°S). The statement describes a range from 30°N to 60°S as a single band, which is geographically incorrect for the definition of westerlies.
Statement 2 is correct. The winter rains in the North-Western region of India (such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Rajasthan and Delhi) are caused by Western Disturbances. These are extratropical storms originating in the Mediterranean region, moving eastward across Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, driven by the mid-latitude westerlies. These disturbances bring moisture that results in precipitation during the winter months. Thus, the moist air masses causing these rains are part of the westerlies system.
Westerlies are part of the global atmospheric circulation, specifically located between the subtropical high-pressure belt (around 30°) and the subpolar low-pressure belt (around 60°). They are stronger in the Southern Hemisphere due to the absence of large landmasses obstructing the flow. Western Disturbances are significant weather phenomena in North-Western India, crucial for Rabi crops, but they can also cause challenging weather conditions like fog and cold waves.
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