Euroclydon (or in ) is a cyclonic tempestuous northeast wind which blows in the Mediterranean, mostly in autumn and winter. It is the modern Gregalia (Gregale) or Levanter. The name "Euroclydon" comes from two classical roots:
the , from (, meaning 'east wind') either: an Ancient Greek word: or , meaning 'north wind'); or , referring to a surging wave (from the verb meaning 'to billow') or the ()
Although the Greek word is translated "northeaster" in many English Bibles, Euroclydon is not to be confused with the term "nor'easter", a type of extratropical cyclone affecting Atlantic coastal regions of the United States and Canada.
Notable references In chapter 27 in the Book of Acts 27:14 it may specifically refer to the name of the Gregale wind from the Adriatic Gulf, which wrecked the apostle Paul's ship on the coast of Malta on his way to Rome."But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon." (King James Version) However, later versions, such as the Revised Version, render the Greek word as Euraquilo. It is referenced in the second chapter of Moby-Dick. Euroclydon is also the name of an anthem by William Billings Referenced in "The Roman Centurion's Song" by Rudyard Kipling: "Here where our stiff-necked British oaks confront Euroclydon!" Referenced in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Midnight Mass for the Dying Year". Referenced in Dorothy L. Sayers' novel The Nine Tailors where after a rainstorm, the Rector uses the phrase from Acts 27:14
References
Sources Wiktionary article on Euroclydon Moby Dick Chapter 2