The Azores are expected to enter the new year with showers due to the passage of the Francis depression, according to forecasts by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).

“On December 31 and January 1, the instability associated with the circulation of the Francis depression is expected to cause showers on all islands, especially in the Central and Eastern groups. In the Western group of islands, generally light showers are expected, only in the early hours and morning of December 31,” the IPMA said in a press release. The forecast for today, the last day of the year, points to “periods of very cloudy skies with clear spells” and ‘showers’ on all islands. In the Eastern group (São Miguel and Santa Maria), there are also “conditions favorable to thunderstorms.”

In the western group of islands (Flores and Corvo), “light to calm westerly winds (5-20 km/h) are expected, gradually turning north and becoming fresh to very fresh (30-50 km/h), with gusts up to 70 km/h.”

In the central group (Terceira, Graciosa, Pico, Faial, and São Jorge), forecasts point to “light to calm westerly winds (05/20 km/h), gradually turning north and becoming moderate to fresh (20/40 km/h), with gusts up to 50 km/h.”

In the Eastern group, the end of 2025 will bring “calm to moderate westerly winds (10/30 km/h), turning northwest and becoming moderate to fresh (20/40 km/h), with gusts up to 50 km/h.”

In Santa Cruz das Flores and Horta, temperatures will range between 14 and 18ºC, in Angra do Heroísmo between 12 and 17ºC, and in Ponta Delgada between 13 and 16ºC. As for the sea conditions, in Flores and Corvo, “choppy seas with small waves, becoming rough,” are expected, with “southwest waves of two to three meters, shifting to the northwest” and a temperature of 17ºC. In the Central group, “choppy seas with small waves, becoming rough” are expected, with “waves from the west of two to three meters” and a temperature of 17ºC. In the Eastern group, forecasts point to “small waves, becoming choppy,” with “southwest waves of two to three meters, shifting to the west” and a temperature of 18ºC.

Wet start to 2026

For the first day of 2026, the IPMA again forecasts “periods of very cloudy skies with clear spells” and “showers” across all the islands, with showers expected mainly during the early hours of the morning in the Western group.

In the islands of the Western and Central groups, “fresh to very fresh north wind (30/50 km/h) with gusts up to 70 km/h” is expected.

In São Miguel and Santa Maria, “moderate to fresh northwesterly winds (20/40 km/h) are expected, becoming very fresh to strong (40/65 km/h) with gusts up to 80 km/h.” As for the sea state, “rough to very rough” is expected, with “northwesterly waves of two to three meters, shifting to the north” in the Western group.

In the Central group, it will also be “rough to very rough,” with “waves from the west of two to three meters,” but “turning north and increasing to three to four meters.”

In the Eastern group, “rough seas, becoming very rough to stormy” are expected, with “waves from the west of two to three meters, turning north and increasing to four to five meters.”

In Diário Insular- José Lourenço, director

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.