Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 27:14

"But after no long time there beat down from it a tempestuous wind, which is called Euraquilo:" — Acts 27:14 (ASV)

Arose. Beat violently.

Against it. Against the island of Crete.

A tempestuous wind. Turbulent, violent, strong.

Called Euroclydon. Interpreters have been much perplexed about the meaning of this word, which occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The most probable supposition is that it denotes a wind not blowing steadily from any quarter, but a hurricane, or a wind veering about to different quarters. Such hurricanes are known to abound in the Mediterranean and are now called Levanters, deriving their name from blowing chiefly in the Levant, or eastern part of the Mediterranean.

The name Euroclydon is probably derived from two Greek words, eurov, wind, and kludwn, a wave; so called from its agitating and exciting the waves. It thus answers to the usual effects of a hurricane, or of a wind rapidly changing its compass points.