
The middle latitudes (also called the mid-latitudes, sometimes midlatitudes, or moderate latitudes) are a spatial region on
Earth located between the
Tropic of Cancer (
latitudes 23°26'22") to the
Arctic Circle (66°33'39"), and
Tropic of Capricorn (-23°26'22") to the
Antarctic Circle (-66°33'39"). They include Earth's
subtropical and
temperate zones, which lie between the two
tropics and the
polar circles.
Weather fronts and
extratropical cyclones are usually found in this area, as well as occasional
tropical cyclones or
subtropical cyclones, which have traveled from their areas of formation closer to the
Equator.
The prevailing winds in the middle latitudes are often very strong. These parts of the world also see a wide variety of fast-changing weather as cold
air masses from the poles and warm air masses from the tropics constantly push up and down over them against each other, sometimes alternating within hours of each other, especially in the
roaring forties (latitudes between 40° and 50° in both hemispheres).
There are five types of mid-latitude climates:
mediterranean,
humid subtropical,
marine west coast,
humid continental and
subarctic.
See also
*
Temperate climate
*
Geographical zone
*
Polar circle
*
Subarctic climate
*
Subtropics
*
Tropics
References
{{Geographical coordinates
Circles of latitude