The Azores have an oceanic subtropical climate, climate classification Köppen-Geiger Csa-b to Cfa-b according to location, that is, oscillating between mediterranean, oceanic and subtropical conditions, fairly constant and mild, not cold and rarely really hot. In short, a true island climate with, in peaks, very different weather conditions, even across days. Each of the islands having its own peculiarities, depending on the actual location in relation to the surrounding environment, and also, how the elements may affect it.
“As a result of this mild climate with ever alternating sun and rain and the thick fog that can occur especially on the higher elevations, the natural environment is of crushing beauty, lavish, with exuberant greenery.”
Average daytime temperatures during the year are approximately between 15-25 °C, or 59-77 °F, and seawater temperatures under the influence of the Gulf Stream between 16-22 °C/61-72 °F. The islands overall have relatively high humidity levels. Generally, mid-April to mid-October is considered the best time to stay, when it is just a bit warmer on average. In autumn and winter it rains quite frequently, and between November and March it can be stormy with occasional foothills of hurricanes, and here and there tempestuous, rugged vistas. As a result of this mild climate with ever alternating sun and rain and the thick fog that can occur especially on the higher elevations, the natural environment is of crushing beauty, lavish, with exuberant greenery.
In terms of weather conditions, the Azores are best known for the Azores high, locally called the Anticyclone dos Açores, a subtropical semi-permanent high-pressure zone near the archipelago created by exchange of heat between the polar region and the tropics (the warm Gulf Stream of the Atlantic Ocean). In which the air pressure difference between the Azores high and the depression near Iceland determines the strength of the westerly flow, and thus is of great importance for the relatively mild weather in northwestern Europe (given the latitude).
