The eastern boundary current of the South Atlantic subtropical gyre. It transports 20–25 Sv (20–25 × 106 m3s−1) northward along the coast of Namibia with speeds of about 0. 2 m s−1, gradually leaving the coast between 30° and 25°S. As an eastern boundary current, the Benguela Current is associated with strong coastal upwelling that reaches as far north as 18°S. The upwelling is strongest in spring and summer (October–February) when the trade winds are steady; during winter (July–September) it extends northward but becomes intermittent because the trades are interrupted by passing low pressure systems.