Azores Situation Report Wednesday 10th January 2024
IPMA issues orange warning for Eastern and Central groups of the Azores due to the Hipolito depression
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) placed the Eastern and Central groups of the Azores under an orange warning and issued a yellow warning for the entire archipelago due to the formation of the Hipolito depression.
According to a statement from IPMA, the Hipolito depression, with an associated frontal system, will be, at 06:00 on Thursday, “centered around 300 km southwest (SW) of Faial, with pressure at its center 980 hPa”.
“The Hipolito depression is expected to cause a significant increase in wind intensity, with gusts of around 110 km/h in the Central and Eastern Groups, and up to 100 km/h in the Western Group”, says the IPMA.
According to the source, the forecast indicates that the depression will also cause “an increase in maritime agitation, with waves that can reach a significant height of seven meters throughout the archipelago”.
“Associated with this meteorological situation, precipitation is expected to occur, at times heavy, which may be accompanied by thunderstorms”, he adds.
The IPMA states that the influence of this depression “should begin to be felt from the early hours of January 10th (Wednesday) and will continue, at least, until the weekend”.
Due to the approach of a cold frontal surface and the subsequent formation of the Hipolito depression, the IPMA issued an orange warning, due to the wind (southeast direction), for the islands of the Eastern (São Miguel and Santa Maria) and Central (Faial, Pico, Graciosa, São Jorge and Terceira) between 5pm on Wednesday and 7am on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the islands of the Eastern group are also under yellow warning for wind (south direction, turning to the southeast) between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm.
The same warning will be in force due to maritime unrest (waves from the west, passing south), from 11 am on Wednesday to 8 am on Thursday and due to precipitation “sometimes heavy, which may be accompanied by thunderstorms”, between 8 pm on Wednesday and 11 a.m. Thursday.
On the islands of the Central group, the yellow warning, due to sometimes heavy precipitation, is valid between 11pm on Tuesday and 11pm on Thursday and for wind (direction of the southern quadrant) between 11am and 5pm on Wednesday. fair.
A yellow warning was also issued for the same islands due to sea unrest (waves from the southern quadrant), between 5pm local time on Wednesday and 7am on Thursday.
Finally, the IPMA placed the two islands in the Western group of the Azores (Flores and Corvo) on yellow warning, due to sea agitation (waves from the west, temporarily passing northwest, until 11pm on Tuesday), due to wind (direction of south, rotating southwest, between 11:00 local time and 8:00 pm on Tuesday) and due to sometimes heavy precipitation (between 2:00 pm local time and 8:00 pm on Tuesday).
“Ocean Azores Photographer of the Year” photography competition
The Ocean Azores Foundation and Azores Getaways will promote the “Ocean Azores Photographer of the Year” photography competition, which will choose the best photograph of the ocean taken in the seas of the Azores.
The winner, who will be announced on February 3rd, will receive a prize worth 2,500 euros and the winning photographs will be displayed in the arrival hall at João Paulo II Airport, in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel.
The competition, with four distinct categories (above water, underwater, marine trash/impact and ocean tourism), is open to all photographers who submit to the organization, by the end of January 24th, photographs taken in the Region Autonomous Region of the Azores.