3 
CONTENTS 
PREFACE 4 
1. GENERAL DESCRIPION OF STORM SURGES 5 
1.1 Brief review of scientific contributions 5 
1.2 Definition of a storm surge 5 
1.3 Western and central parts of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea 8 
1.4 Meteorological conditions accompanying high sea levels in 
1951-1999 9 
2. LONG-TERM VARIATION OF STORM SURGE OCCURRENCE 9 
2.1 Gumbel probabilities 9 
2.2 Long - term variation of storm surges 10 
2.3 Monthly frequency distribution of storm surges 11 
3. FEATURES OF STORM SURGES 12 
3.1 Maximum sea levels 12 
3.2 Daily reference sea level value 14 
3.3 Duration of storm surges at Swinoujscie 15 
3.4 Warning and alarm levels 15 
4. PERIODICAL SEA LEVEL OSCILLATIONS 18 
5. TYPES OF ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE PATTERN AND WIND FIELD 
INCLUDING STORM SURGES 20 
5.1 Northerly air flow over Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea 20 
5.2 Stormy low pressure centre moving across the Baltic Sea 21 
5.3 Storms from the eastern sector 22 
5.4 Conclusions 23 
6. THE MOST DANGEROUS STORM SURGES IN 1976-2000 24 
6.1 January 1976 24 
6.2 December 1976 26 
6.3 January 1978 28 
6.4 January 1983 29 
6.5 February 1983 32 
6.6 November 1983 34 
6.7 October 1986 36 
6.8 January 1987 38 
6.9 November 1988 42 
6.10 December 1989 45 
6.11 January 1992 45 
6.12 February 1993 47 
6.13 January 1995 50 
6.14 April 1995 51 
6.15 November 1995 53 
6.16 April 1997 55 
6.17 January 2000 60 
CONCLUSIONS 64 
REFERENCES 65 
FIGURE INDEX 69 
TABLE INDEX 72 
ACRONYMS 73 
AUTHORS 74