Plain English Meaning

A reliable belt of winds in the tropics north of the equator that blow from the northeast. They exist because air moves from higher-pressure areas near 30° N down toward the equator, and the Earth's rotation bends that flow so it arrives from the northeast.

Full Definition

Steady surface winds that blow from the northeast toward the southwest in the tropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, roughly between the equator and 30° N. They result from air flowing from the subtropical high-pressure belt toward the equatorial low, deflected to the right by the Coriolis force.

Context Anchor

Seen in weather and wind-circulation discussions, especially when explaining how Earth’s rotation changes .