Is the longitudinal distribution of solar ares nonuniform ?

Two methods of searching for periodicity in weighted time point series are applied to earlier major solar are data during three decades (1956{1985). The results of this analysis are tested against new solar are data during the four years 1989{1993. Active longitudes rotating with a constant synodic period of 22: d 069 0: d 012 could explain the complete data set over both hemispheres. The nonuniform distribution of the are activity with this period displays two active longitudes separated by 180 , but also shows other detailed features. No signiicant periodicity is detected on the southern solar hemisphere, whereas active zones rotating with a constant synodic period of 26: d 722 0: d 015 are present in the earlier and new data on the northern hemisphere. The main peculiarity is that two highly signiicant periodicities (22: d 07/26: d 72) are detected in the same data. The phenomena detected are interpreted as a signature of a long{lived nonaxisymmetric component of the solar magnetic eld below the visible surface.