28 
surge in relation to the reference level indicator (490 cm on 24 December) ranged from 50 
hours in Wismar to 66 hours in Kotobrzeg. 
6.3 January 1978 
Meteorological situation 
On 2 January, a large depression with its centre over the Norwegian Sea extended nearly 
across the whole Europe. At the edges of this depression, a secondary low pressure centre 
with 994 hPa began to form on 3 January, at 00 UTC, east of Scotland and soon started 
travelling southeastward. Within one day, this secondary low covered the area extending 
from the North Sea across Denmark and southern Sweden to the southeastern Baltic Sea, 
with its pressure now 12 hPa lower. Behind the depression, a ridge of high pressure spread 
from the British Isles across the North Sea and Scandinavia. 
On 3 January, due to the path of the storm centre which produced a cyclonic wind system in 
the depression, strong westerly, southwesterly and partly southeasterly gale-force winds of 
7-8 Bft developed over the western and central coastal zone and lasted until the early 
afternoon of 3 January. As the depression moved east and the cold front, progressing 
southward, crossed the coast, the southwesterly storm veered sharply northwest and north, 
reaching 7-9 Bft on average, with gusts of 10 Bft. The depression reached the coast of 
southwestern Lithuania in the morning of 4 January. Its path soon veered and, at about noon 
on 4 January, the centre began filling as it continued tracking northeast. However, due to the 
steep pressure gradient over the Baltic Sea, the storm did not decrease until the early hours 
of 5 January. 
Fig. 6.3.1. Route of the stormy depression from 3 January 1978, 00 UTC, to 5 January 1978, 
00 UTC; pressure pattern and wind field over the Baltic Sea on 4 January, 18 UTC 
Hydrological response of the sea level 
Strong offshore winds on 3 January forced the water away from the shores, causing sea 
levels to fall considerably below their mean levels (436 cm in Wismar, 16 UTC, and 453 cm 
in Warnemünde, 14 UTC; only slightly below 500 cm in the central part of the coast, between 
08 and 17 UTC). When winds veered onshore, developing into a NW to N storm, a long 
persistent surge began on the southern coasts of the Baltic Sea. The sea level rise was rapid 
in its initial phase, with a maximum rate of 61 cm/h in Wismar, 43 cm/h in Warnemünde, and 
24 cm/h in Swinoujscie. Then, for about 12 hours, water levels rose more slowly and