Consider the following statements: 1. Sudden storms and strong winds are the characteristics of equatorial low pressure area. 2. Westerly jet streams are seen in northern hemisphere only. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?

Statement 1 is incorrect because the equatorial low-pressure area, also known as the ITCZ or the doldrums, is characterized by weak prevailing winds and unusually calm weather rather than sudden storms and strong winds [t5]. While it features convective activity and vigorous thunderstorms due to rising air, the surface winds are generally light and variable [t3][t10]. Statement 2 is incorrect because westerly jet streams, including both the polar and subtropical jets, are present in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres [c1][t2]. These powerful eastward-flowing air currents encircle the globe in both hemispheres at heights of 10–15 km, driven by temperature gradients between the tropics and the poles [t3][t4]. In the Southern Hemisphere, the subtropical jet is even more persistent, existing throughout the year, whereas it can be intermittent in the Northern Hemisphere during summer [c4].

Sources

1. [1] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/wind/
2. [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/jet-stream
3. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 27: Jet streams > Upper Tropospheric Westerlies > p. 385
4. [4] https://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~williams/publications/3-s2.0-B9780128215753000153-main.pdf
5. [5] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 27: Jet streams > Subtropical Jet Stream (STJ) > p. 387