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✅Geographical and Meteorological Determinism of the Azores Islands

Throughout the various historical contexts experienced by the Azores archipelago since the 15th century, which have been briefly outlined here, battles and skirmishes, acts of privateering and piracy, as well as shipwrecks and maritime disasters have occurred. However, these events have always been influenced, to a greater or lesser extent, by maritime meteorology—especially by winds and Atlantic storms.

Due to the uneven distribution of continents and oceans, differences in atmospheric pressure and temperature arise. As a result, the general circulation of the atmosphere—that is, the movement of air masses in the Northern Hemisphere—occurs around centers of high atmospheric pressure, where the wind blows in a clockwise direction.

The Azores archipelago is located within the subtropical zone of anticyclones in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning that its meteorological conditions are determined by the Azores High and its shifting positions throughout the year. Consequently, the local weather is influenced by maritime or continental polar air masses originating from Greenland, Scandinavia, or central Europe, as well as by maritime or continental tropical air masses from the Atlantic or North Africa.

Each of these conditions results in significantly different meteorological phenomena, including variations in atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, cloud cover, precipitation, and wind. More simply put, this leads to varying levels of rainfall, frequent strong or cyclonic winds, rough seas, and, at times, stormy or tempestuous waters.

Accounts of the Azorean Climate

Journalist Raúl Brandão, who visited the Azores in 1924, published a remarkable book three years later titled The Unknown Islands – Notes and Landscapes, in which he describes some of the meteorological characteristics of the archipelago:

"Six months of winter, six months of bad weather," say the sailors of this mysterious ocean, which perhaps hides Atlantis. [...]

When this sea becomes enraged, waves as tall as mountains shatter furiously against the massive cliffs, echoing in the caves and rumbling with a terrifying roar.

On Corvo Island, they reach the village and the cemetery, located dozens of meters above sea level, waking the dead. The small island trembles, shaken to its foundations. From above, the men, frozen in fear, watch the ships sink into the foamy abyss, powerless to help. Less than three years ago, two steamships vanished in the depths, calling for help in vain—the wireless telegraph was not working, and still does not work today.

Similarly, Commander Sarmento Rodrigues, who commanded the destroyer Lima in the waters of the Azores during 1942–1943, wrote an insightful passage in Anchorages of the Azores Islands:

Meteorologically, the islands occupy the central Atlantic plateau of atmospheric pressures. Yet, the weather is not necessarily mild during the good season—that is, when high pressures, though "permanent," do indeed exist, and the Azores High is actually over the Azores. The exposed position of the islands, without the protection of an extensive continental landmass, does not allow for frequent meteorological tranquility. Here, no matter where it comes from, the wind always comes from the sea. And as they say, "at sea, there is always wind"...

But the worst are the storms. Truthfully, there are very few times of the year without them. One could say that only in July and August do they rarely occur. However, every now and then, a tropical cyclone unexpectedly appears, no less violent than the others. For this reason, one must always remain vigilant—both in summer and especially in winter, even during that delightful (when it wants to be!) and deceiving month of December, when sometimes the days are calmer and the air purer than in the serene summer days.

Conclusion

The meteorology of the Azores is, therefore, a crucial variable when analyzing episodes of its maritime history. Weather conditions—wind, sea state, visibility, and rainfall—have often been the primary causes of shipwrecks and maritime disasters in the waters surrounding the archipelago.

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