| either of two areas in the ocean between 40° and 50° N or S latitude, noted for high winds and rough seas. |
roaring forties
areas between latitudes 40 and 50 south in the Southern Hemisphere, where the prevailing winds blow persistently from the west. The roaring forties have strong, often gale-force, winds throughout the year. They were named by the sailors who first entered these latitudes.
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