Anticyclonic circulation
Also called: Anticyclone · Topic: Atmospheric Pressure, Winds and General Circulation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 9 "Atmospheric Circulation and Weather Systems"; Class 11, Ch 11 "World Climate and Climate Change"
Meaning
Anticyclonic circulation is the flow of wind around a high-pressure centre, called an anticyclone. It turns clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and anticlockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Air comes together (converges) high up, sinks, and then spreads out (diverges) at the surface. Sinking air gets warmer and dries out, so clouds cannot form. This gives clear, dry and settled weather.
Example
Heat waves in India often come with an anticyclone over north-west India. The sinking air keeps the sky clear, and the plains of Rajasthan and Punjab bake under strong sunshine.
Don't confuse with
- Cyclonic circulation: this flows around a low, turns the opposite way, and makes air rise, giving cloud and rain.