Roaring Forties

E244532

The Roaring Forties are strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere between about 40° and 50° latitude, historically notorious among sailors for producing rough seas and fast eastward passages.

All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Roaring Forties canonical 3
the Roaring Forties 2
Southern Ocean wind belt 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf meteorological phenomenon
westerly wind
wind belt
affects southern coasts of Australia
southern coasts of New Zealand
southern coasts of South America
associatedWith frequent storms
large ocean waves
rapid eastward movement of low-pressure systems
rough seas
strong winds
cause Coriolis effect
pressure gradient between subtropical high-pressure belt and subpolar low-pressure belt
climateImpact enhanced precipitation in mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere regions
influence on weather of southern continental margins
climatologicalRole important component of global atmospheric circulation
major driver of Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude weather
energyPotential high potential for offshore wind energy
foundOver South Atlantic Ocean
linked to: South Atlantic

South Indian Ocean
South Pacific Ocean
Southern Ocean
historicallyNotedBy sailors of the Age of Sail
historicallyUsedFor fast eastward sailing passages
influences Southern Ocean wave climate
ocean surface currents in the Southern Hemisphere
storm tracks in mid-latitudes of Southern Hemisphere
locatedIn Southern Hemisphere
modernRelevance important for global shipping routes in the Southern Ocean
important for yacht racing and round-the-world sailing events
nameOrigin nickname given by sailors for the roaring sound of strong winds
navigationSignificance critical consideration for route planning of sailing vessels
notoriousFor hazardous sailing conditions
ship damage and shipwreck risk
partOf Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude westerly wind belt
prevailingWindDirection west-to-east
relatedTo Furious Fifties
linked to: the Furious Fifties

Screaming Sixties
strongerInSeason Southern Hemisphere winter
strongestOver open ocean areas with minimal land interruption
typicalEnvironment remote, sparsely inhabited oceanic regions
typicalLatitudeRange 40°S–50°S
weakenedBy landmasses such as Africa
landmasses such as Australia
landmasses such as South America
windType westerlies

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Furious Fifties follows Roaring Forties
subject linked to: the Furious Fifties
Furious Fifties isSimilarTo Roaring Forties
subject linked to: the Furious Fifties
the Screaming Sixties follows the Roaring Forties
linked to: Roaring Forties
the Screaming Sixties sharesPropertyWith the Roaring Forties
linked to: Roaring Forties
Cape Horn rounding associatedWith Roaring Forties
Patagonian Ice Fields hasClimateInfluenceFrom Southern Westerlies
linked to: Roaring Forties
Brouwer Route region Southern Ocean wind belt
linked to: Roaring Forties