Storm Therese Batters the Azores: Flights Grounded, Schools Shut and Hundreds Stranded

Depression Therese swept across the Azores on Thursday, cancelling flights across the archipelago, shutting schools and triggering dozens of emergency calls as gusts topped 110 kilometres per hour and waves climbed to eight metres.

Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores confirmed multiple cancellations throughout the day, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at airports across the islands. According to data from the Vinci airport platform, SATA scrapped its Ponta Delgada-to-Flores and Ponta Delgada-to-Pico routes, while Azores Airlines pulled connections to Madeira and Faro on the mainland. At Lajes Civil Airport on Terceira Island, the inter-island link to Ponta Delgada was also grounded.

Schools and Roads Closed on Pico

The impact went beyond air travel. On Pico island, two schools in the municipality of Madalena — the São Caetano kindergarten and the São Mateus primary school, serving 52 pupils between them — were shut after overnight winds damaged roofing tiles and brought down tree branches. Teaching staff reported that children had been unable to sleep through the night due to the intensity of the storm.

Madalena’s municipal civil protection service closed the access road to the São Caetano school and urged residents to stay indoors to avoid falling debris. The schools are expected to reopen on Friday if conditions improve.

26 Emergency Incidents Across Four Islands

By mid-morning, the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service (SRPCBA) had logged 26 weather-related incidents spanning four islands. Most involved fallen trees, displaced roofing and localised flooding. No injuries were reported.

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) issued orange warnings — indicating moderate-to-high risk — for wind and sea conditions across the Central and Eastern island groups, and a yellow warning for the Western group covering Flores and Corvo. The forecaster predicted sustained wind gusts of 95 km/h in the west and up to 110 km/h further east, accompanied by significant wave heights of eight metres throughout the archipelago.

What Travellers Should Know

Anyone with flights to or between the Azores should check directly with Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores for rebooking options. Ferry services between islands were also suspended due to sea conditions. IPMA expects the storm system to weaken by Friday morning, though residual swell could continue to affect maritime operations into the weekend.

For residents and visitors in the Azores, authorities recommend avoiding coastal areas, securing loose outdoor objects and monitoring official civil protection channels for updates.

The disruption comes at an awkward time: with the Azores emerging as a host venue for the 2026 Dia de Portugal celebrations on Terceira Island in June, the archipelago’s transport resilience is under fresh scrutiny. The ongoing privatisation discussions around Azores Airlines — already a subject of intense political debate — will likely gain another dimension as lawmakers assess the carrier’s capacity to manage weather-related disruption under new ownership structures.