<P> A high - pressure area, high or anticyclone is a region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is greater than its surrounding environment . </P> <P> Winds within high - pressure areas flow outward from the higher pressure areas near their centers towards the lower pressure areas further from their centers . Gravity adds to the forces causing this general movement, because the higher pressure compresses the column of air near the center of the area into greater density--and so greater weight compared to lower pressure, lower density, and lower weight of the air outside the center . </P>

When do you have a high pressure zone