The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) issued orange and yellow warnings for the nine islands of the Azores, starting on Sunday, due to sea agitation and wind, following a cold frontal surface.
According to a statement from the IPMA Azores Meteorological Forecasting and Surveillance Center, “the approach and passage of a cold frontal surface, associated with a depression with a frontal system to the northwest of the archipelago, with moderate to strong activity, will cause a significant increase in wind intensity and sea agitation, starting next Sunday”.
Forecasts point to wind from the southwest, turning northwest, with gusts that could reach 90 km/h [quilómetros por hora] on the islands of the Western group (Flores and Corvo), 80 km/h on the islands of the Central group (Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, Graciosa and Faial) and 75 km/h on the islands of the Eastern group (São Miguel and Santa Maria).
As for maritime agitation, according to IPMA, “waves are expected from the northwest, with a significant height that should reach seven to eight meters on the islands of the Western group, six to seven meters on the islands of the Central group and six meters on the islands of the Eastern group”.
Due to the forecasts, IPMA issued an orange warning of maritime unrest for the Western group and yellow for this and the other groups of Azorean islands.
The orange warning, due to maritime unrest, is in force on the islands of Flores and Corvo from 00:00 to 18:00 on Monday.
These two Azorean islands will still be under yellow warning, due to sea disturbances, from 6:00 pm on Sunday to 00:00 on Monday and from 6:00 pm on Monday to 9:00 pm and, due to the wind (southwest direction, turning northwest), between 3:00 pm on Sunday and 6:00 am on Monday.
The islands in the Central group are under yellow warning, due to maritime unrest, from 00:00 to 21:00 on Monday, and those in the Eastern group from 18:00 to 21:00.
The orange warning is issued by IPMA whenever there is a meteorological situation of moderate to high risk.
The yellow warning, the least serious on a scale of three, is issued whenever there is a risk situation for certain activities depending on the weather situation.
