Where is the Bermuda High? Here’s what to know

Author: Charlotte Carl
Published: Updated:
The Bermuda High is weaker than normal this year. It also has shifted slightly. This can shift the tracks of any tropical waves that come off of the African Coast.

The Azores High, also known as the Bermuda High during the summer, is the main semi-permanent high-pressure system that meteorologists track in the Atlantic Ocean. During the summer, the area of high-pressure shifts west and becomes centered over Bermuda. The Bermuda High varies in size and location throughout the summer. Due to its semi-permanence and strength, the high plays a large role in steering hurricanes. 

Right now, meteorologists are not seeing the normal signature of the Bermuda High. In the Atlantic Ocean over Bermuda, the pressure is abnormally low for this time of year. This lower pressure weakens the trade winds which play an important role in global circulation patterns. 

The trade winds over the Atlantic Oceans play an important role in the transport of Saharan dust off the western African coast. This lack of Saharan dust in addition to the lack of evaporative cooling , or the cooling of the water that occurs when it evaporates into the air, have increased the sea surface temperatures over the tropical Atlantic. 

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