Sunspot groups at high latitude

Data of sunspot groups at high latitude (greater than or equal to 35 degree s), from the year 1874 to the present (2000 January), are collected to show their evolutional behaviour and to investigate features of the yearly numb er of sunspot groups at high latitude. Subsequently, an evolutional pattern of sunspot group number at high latitude is given in this paper. Results o btained show that the number of sunspot groups of a solar cycle at high lat itude rises to a maximum value about 1 yr earlier than the time of the maxi mum of sunspot relative numbers of the solar cycle, and then falls to zero more rapidly. The results also show that, at the moment, solar activity des cribed by the sunspot relative numbers has not yet reached its minimum, In general, sunspot groups at high latitude have not appeared on the solar dis c during the last 3 yr of a Wolf solar cycle. The asymmetry of the high lat itude sunspot group number of a Wolf solar cycle can reflect the asymmetry of solar activity in the Wolf solar cycle, and it is suggested that one cou ld further use the high latitude sunspot group number during the rising tim e of a Wolf solar cycle, maximum year included, to judge the asymmetry of s olar activity over the whole solar cycle.