Analysis of 200 mbar zonal wind for the period 1958–1997

The value of the analyses of the 200 mbar zonal winds is proposed as a particularly effective tool to assess variability and trends in atmospheric circulation. Using the thermal wind relation, the 200 mbar zonal wind results from the vertically integrated north‐south temperature gradient between the Earth's surface and 200 mbar. We found a tendency for the 200 mbar winds to become somewhat stronger at higher latitudes since 1958.