Prevailing winds are winds that blow predominantly from a single general direction over a particular point on the
Earth's surface. The
dominant winds are the trends in direction of wind with the highest speed over a particular point on the Earth's surface. A region's prevailing and dominant winds are often affected by global patterns of movement in the
Earth's atmosphere. In general, easterly flow occurs at low and medium latitudes globally. In the mid-latitudes, westerly winds are the rule and their strength is largely determined by the
polar cyclone. In areas where winds tend to be light, the
sea breeze/land breeze cycle is the most important to the prevailing wind; in areas which have variable terrain,
mountain and valley breezes dominate the wind pattern. Highly elevated surfaces can induce a
thermal low, which then augments the environmental wind flow.