The trade winds (also called trades) are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics near the Earth 's equator, equatorward of the subtropical ridge. These winds blow predominantly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere. The trade winds act as the steering flow for tropical cyclones that form over world 's oceans, guiding their path westward. Trade winds also steer African dust westward across the Atlantic Ocean into the Caribbean sea, as well as portions of southeast North America.
what is the prevalent wind flow in the tropics
easterly surface winds