ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews southern hemisphere patterns first before turning to consider the more piecemeal evidence that is forth-coming to promote a better description and understanding of the comparatively complex climatology of the northern hemisphere. Within the observed pattern of the general circulation of the atmosphere, the strongest meridional temperature gradients are found in middle latitudes, concentrated markedly along the so-called polar fronts, separating ex-tropical from ex-polar air streams. Traditionally, the pre-eminent problem in studies of the meteorology of Southern Oceanic regions has been a dire deficiency of meteorological data of any kind. Similar sentiments must be true of much southern hemispheric climatology, since dynamic, synoptic and physical climatology depend so much upon routine meteorological observation and analysis. The most striking and obvious cloud structures portrayed by satellite photographs in middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere are, like those in the southern hemisphere, associated with extratropical cyclones.
