Editing Middle latitudes

{{Short description|Spatial region on Earth}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2019}}
[[File:World map temperate.svg|thumb|right|300px|World map with the middle latitudes highlighted in red]]
[[File:Extratropical formation areas.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Extratropical cyclone]] formation areas]]

The '''middle latitudes''', also called the '''mid-latitudes''' (sometimes spelled '''midlatitudes''') or '''moderate latitudes''', are spatial regions on either [[Hemispheres of Earth|hemisphere]] of [[Earth]], located between the [[Tropic of Cancer]] ([[latitude]] {{circle of latitude|tropical}}) and the [[Arctic Circle]] ({{circle of latitude|polar}}) in the [[northern hemisphere]] and between the [[Tropic of Capricorn]] (-{{circle of latitude|tropical}}) and the [[Antarctic Circle]] (-{{circle of latitude|polar}}) in the [[southern hemisphere]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Weather & Climate Change: Climates around the world |url=http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/weatherandclimatechange/climate/worldclimates/temperate.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414115206/http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/weatherandclimatechange/climate/worldclimates/temperate.asp |archive-date=14 April 2016 |website=[[Education Scotland]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Service |first=NOAA's National Weather |title=Glossary - NOAA's National Weather Service |url=https://w1.weather.gov/glossary/index.php?word=Middle+Latitudes |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=w1.weather.gov |language=EN-US}}</ref> They include Earth's [[subtropics|subtropical]] and [[temperate climate|temperate]] zones, which lie between the two [[tropics]] and the [[polar circle]]s. [[Weather front]]s and [[extratropical cyclone]]s are usually found in this area, as well as occasional [[tropical cyclones]] or [[subtropical cyclone]]s, which have traveled from their areas of formation closer to the [[Equator]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.climateprediction.net/climate-science/glossary/mid-latitudes/|title=Mid-latitudes {{!}} climateprediction.net|website=www.climateprediction.net|access-date=2019-10-22|archive-date=2019-10-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022202029/https://www.climateprediction.net/climate-science/glossary/mid-latitudes/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

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 mass]]es 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|roaring forties]] (latitudes between 40° and 50° in both hemispheres){{citation needed|date=March 2022}}, even though the winds on the northern hemisphere are not as strong as in the southern hemisphere, due to the large landmasses of North America, Europe and Asia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US Department of Commerce |first=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=What are the Roaring Forties? |url=https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/roaring-forties.html |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=oceanservice.noaa.gov |language=EN-US}}</ref>

There are six types of mid-latitude climates consisting of: [[Mediterranean climate|mediterranean]], [[Desert climate|desert]], [[humid subtropical]], [[oceanic climate|oceanic]], [[humid continental]] and [[Subarctic climate|subarctic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://geography.name/midlatitude-climates-group-ii/|title=Midlatitude Climates (Group II)|website=geography.name|access-date=2019-10-22}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Temperate climate]]
* [[Geographical zone]]
* [[Polar circle]]
* [[Subarctic climate]]
* [[Subtropics]]
* [[Tropics]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Geographical coordinates}}

[[Category:Circles of latitude]]