How Azores Anticyclone Makes Tandem Flights In Tenerife Feasible
- Kangaroo Tandem
- Jan 8, 2020
- 2 min read

Meteorological phenomena is a major contributing factor for paragliding flights in Tenerife. Azores anticyclones frequently occur in the North Atlantic Sea, found between subtropical and mild areas of the planet. These anticyclones are commonly known as the Bermuda high, Azores high, or Bermuda-Azores high.
Here we have described the effect of Azores anticyclone on tandem paragliding flights in Tenerife.
Azores Anticyclone Creates Favorable Flight Conditions
The conditions emerging in the North Atlantic Ocean predominantly impact the Canary Islands. For a major part of the year, the effects of the anticyclone can be felt on the island. However, it slightly depreciates during the winter and becomes inconsistent as it moves from north to south, depending on the Atlantic depression.
The onset of the winter season marks the arrival of anticyclone on the islands or in areas close to them. It causes the trade wind regime to decrease and disappear. This situation favors flight conditions in Gran Canaria on the leeward side or in higher areas. The shift of the Azores anticyclone throughout the year directly impacts the intensity of trade winds. The distance between the center of the anticyclone and the Canary Islands is inversely proportional to the intensity of trade winds. When the distance is short, pressure gradient increases, thus the intensity also increases considerably.
Usually in winter, the center of the anticyclone moves to the north and away from the Canary Islands, thus the islands are left out of high-pressure areas. As a result, trade winds get weakened due to a wind regime from East to Southeast, thus reducing cloudiness and dragging suspended dust particles from the Sahara. This is due to the fact that the air mass is less humid because of the African influence and the short distance traveled in contact with the sea.
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Anticyclone oscillation is another aspect that influences wind in the area. The fluctuations in the difference of atmospheric pressure at sea level between the Icelandic Low and the Azores High give rise to a phenomenon that is known as North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Due to this phenomenon, the winds are intermittent in direction and intensity. Summer season witnesses the movement of anticyclone to the northwest of the Canary Islands, in the Azores, thus intensifying the trade winds and giving rise to the sea of clouds.
When the anticyclone withdraws, so does the daily inversion layer, enabling flights at higher altitudes. Hence, cross country flights are possible during this period. The Azores anticyclone determines the wind direction in the Islands by creating a constant northern airflow following the course of the isobars.
Azores anticyclone creates the ideal flight conditions on the island due to which tandem paragliding flights are popular. Tenerife has several take-off sites for paragliding that take full advantage of the weather conditions so that the tourists leave the island with a bucket full of memories.
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