Southeast trade winds
Topic: Atmospheric Pressure, Winds and General Circulation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "Climate"
Meaning
The southeast trade winds are steady surface winds of the Southern Hemisphere. They blow from the subtropical high near 30°S towards the equatorial low. The Coriolis force bends them to the left, so they come from the south-east. In the northern summer, the ITCZ (Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, the belt where the trade winds meet) moves far north over South Asia. The southeast trades then cross the equator, between about 40° and 60°E. In the Northern Hemisphere the Coriolis force bends them to the right, and they become India's south-west monsoon.
Example
In June, these winds cross the equator off East Africa, turn and pick up moisture over the Arabian Sea. They then strike the Kerala coast as the south-west monsoon.
Don't confuse with
- Northeast trade winds: they blow towards the equator in the Northern Hemisphere. Over India they match the dry winter (north-east) monsoon.