The mid-latitudes (roughly 30°-60°) are dominated by the weather systems that form when the Hadley Cell becomes unstable and breaks down into a series of alternating low and high pressure systems. The regions where these systems are concentrated are known as storm tracks. In the Southern Hemisphere, where there is little land, the storm track is fairly continuous around the Earth. However, in the Northern Hemisphere, storm tracks are only seen over the oceans. This is because friction is much greater over the uneven surface of the land, and slows down any winds blowing over it.

The climate in mid-latitudes is highly seasonal, being warmest when the Sun is highest in the sky at the summer solstice. It is also governed by patterns in land and sea. Britain is warmer than most places at a comparable latitude thanks to the energy transported polewards by the North Atlantic current and the westerly winds. It also has a much smaller seasonal cycle than, say, Siberia, because it is surrounded by water which reacts slowly to changes in the incoming solar radiation.