The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CLIMATES
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More clues leading to the result CLIMATES
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Prevailing conditions" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case prevailing conditions = climates.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CLIMATES mean?
CLIMATES noun- An area of the earth's surface between two parallels of latitude.
- A region of the Earth.
- The long-term manifestations of weather and other atmospheric conditions in a given area or country, now usually represented by the statistical summary of its weather conditions during a period long enough to ensure that representative values are obtained (generally 30 years).
- The context in general of a particular political, moral etc. situation.