By Matt Rosenberg. Near the equator, from about 5Â° north and 5Â° south, the northeast trade winds and southeast trade winds converge in a low pressure zone known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone or ITCZ. Solar heating in the region forces air to rise through convection which results in a plethora of precipitation.he location of the ITCZ can vary as much as 40Â° to 45Â° of latitude north or south of the equator based on the pattern of land and ocean. In Africa, the ITCZ is located just south of the Sahel at about 10Â°, dumping rain on the region to the south of the desert.