36 
Fig. 6.6.2. Sea level changes during the storm surge of November 1983 
6.7 October 1986 
Meteorological situation 
On 19 October, a light to moderate SW - SE air flow prevailed in the Baltic Sea region until, 
in the afternoon of 20 October, an active low-pressure centre approached from Ireland, which 
crossed the southern North Sea and, still deepening, arrived over the southwestern Baltic 
Sea at about 21 UTC. The pressure in the centre was 973 hPa. 
Before the approaching storm centre, which tracked east following a route close to the 
coastline, the winds backed SE - E, and NE farther offshore, growing in force to 7 Bft. In a 
narrow zone of a very steep pressure gradient in the rear of the low, behind the occluded 
front, a northerly to northwesterly storm reaching 8-9 Bft in some places struck the western 
coast at 21 UTC on 20 October. The onshore storm spread gradually eastwards, while the 
pressure gradient over the western Baltic Sea weakened (Fig. 6.7.1.). At 12 UTC, the low 
pressure centre (982 hPa) crossed the Lithuanian coastline and moved east, so that between 
12 and 15 UTC only the coasts of the Gulf of Gdansk still felt the impact of the northwesterly 
storm.