Explanation:

• The trade winds are those blowing from the sub-trop-ical high-pressure areas towards the equatorial lowpressure belt. Therefore, these are confined to a region between 30° N and 30° S throughout the earth's surface. They flow as the north-eastern trades in the northern hemisphere and the south-eastern trades in the southern hemisphere. Hence statement 1 is not correct. • Trade winds are descending and stable in areas of their origin (sub-tropical high-pressure belt), and as they reach the equator, they become humid and warmer after picking up moisture on their way. The trade winds from two hemispheres meet near the equator, and due to convergence, they rise and cause heavy rainfall. Hence statement 2 is not correct. • Trade winds are generally very predictable. They have been instrumental in the history of exploration, communication, and trade. Ships relied on trade winds to establish quick, reliable routes across the vast Atlantic and, later, Pacific Oceans. Even today, shipping depends on trade winds and the ocean currents they drive. • Trade winds that form over land (called continental trade winds) are warmer and drier than those that form over the ocean (maritime trade winds). The relationship between continental and maritime trade winds can be violent. • Most tropical storms, including hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons, develop as trade winds. Differences in air pressure over the ocean cause these storms to develop. As the dense, moist winds of the storm encounter the drier winds of the coast, the storm can increase in intensity. • Strong trade winds are associated with a lack of precipitation, while weak trade winds carry rainfall far inland. The most famous rain pattern in the world, the Southeast Asian monsoon, is a seasonal, moisture-laden trade wind. Hence statement 3 is not correct and statement 4 is correct.