Where does the term 'in the doldrums' come from?
The phrase means to feel sad or be in low spirits. It also means not to be in a state of progress, growth or improvement.
The doldrums is an area around the Earth centred slightly north of the equator in the Indian and western Pacific oceans, the African and Central American west coasts.
The large amount of solar radia tion that the area receives causes intense heating of the land and ocean. The heating results in the rising of warm, moist air, low air pressure, cloudiness, high humidity, variable winds and various forms of severe weather conditions such as thunderstorms and squalls. Hurricanes originate in the region.
In the past, sailing ships feared the doldrums because the lack of wind there meant the ships would get stuck.
Sailing vessels would not be able to move and would be trapped in the area for days or weeks.
What is an El Nino?