16 
Table 3.4. Number of hours in which water levels reached or exceeded 560 cm or 580 cm 
in the seasons of 1976-2000 
Seasons 
Wismar 
Warnemünde 
Sassnitz 
Swinoujscie 
Kotobrzeg 
>560 
>580 
>560 
>580 
>560 
>580 
>560 
>580 
>560 
>580 
1975/76 
126 
39 
116 
35 
98 
11 
178 
36 
279 
54 
1976/77 
50 
8 
39 
5 
16 
2 
57 
16 
22 
9 
1977/78 
79 
15 
62 
11 
65 
12 
81 
22 
150 
28 
1978/79 
243 
155 
215 
110 
106 
43 
56 
0 
126 
43 
1979/80 
30 
19 
27 
17 
28 
1 
35 
0 
23 
0 
1980/81 
127 
44 
148 
26 
133 
2 
206 
9 
226 
22 
1981/82 
163 
62 
183 
52 
198 
20 
349 
81 
361 
89 
1982/83 
136 
56 
140 
57 
244 
74 
262 
73 
347 
91 
1983/84 
145 
65 
129 
60 
155 
51 
149 
61 
277 
56 
1984/85 
63 
28 
48 
17 
16 
0 
39 
6 
23 
1 
1985/86 
73 
7 
48 
0 
34 
0 
45 
9 
64 
9 
1986/87 
258 
130 
225 
102 
177 
62 
177 
57 
156 
35 
1987/88 
154 
54 
90 
19 
24 
1 
23 
0 
32 
0 
1988/89 
204 
76 
142 
56 
86 
28 
151 
60 
188 
79 
1989/90 
231 
103 
184 
70 
127 
20 
232 
57 
286 
84 
1990/91 
141 
19 
57 
13 
24 
5 
22 
7 
21 
5 
1991/92 
142 
57 
94 
36 
129 
27 
112 
28 
196 
59 
1992/93 
94 
33 
79 
29 
71 
15 
219 
45 
206 
61 
1993/94 
97 
31 
54 
19 
50 
0 
53 
0 
45 
0 
1994/95 
138 
70 
109 
51 
84 
28 
168 
52 
193 
61 
1995/96 
200 
94 
155 
69 
81 
29 
128 
45 
105 
47 
1996/97 
97 
32 
77 
16 
36 
9 
56 
13 
60 
22 
1997/98 
144 
54 
124 
42 
59 
3 
112 
12 
166 
18 
1998/99 
66 
5 
39 
0 
15 
0 
39 
2 
150 
19 
1999/00 
168 
61 
159 
44 
81 
17 
183 
33 
258 
42 
The maximum annual (seasonal) totals were recorded in the eastern part in 1981/82: they 
reached 361 hours at Kotobrzeg, 349 hours at Swinoujscie above or equal to the 560 cm. In 
the western part of the coast, the maximum annual totals were reached in the 1986/87 
season: the number of hours with levels exceeding 560 cm was as high as 258 in Wismar, 
and 225 in Warnemünde. At Sassnitz, the longest duration of sea levels above or equal to 
560 cm was recorded in the season of 1982/83 (244 hours). 
In the western part of the coast, annual maxima of the total number of hours with levels 
exceeding 580 cm were observed during the 1978/79 season (at Wismar 155 hours and at 
Warnemünde 110 hours). 1982/83 was the most dangerous season at Sassnitz (74 hours 
with sea levels equal to or above 580 cm) and at Kolobrzeg (91 hours with sea levels equal 
to or above 580 cm). 
Only in 4 out of the 25 seasons studied were no hours recorded in which the value of 580 cm 
was exceeded. 
The last 10 years of the past century were rather similar regarding the length of the periods 
during which defined surge levels were exceeded, both in successive seasons and at 
particular water gauges, although in the central part of the coast the periods with water levels 
above the 560 cm level were somewhat longer than in the western part of the southern Baltic 
Sea coast.