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6.13 January 1995 
Meteorological situation 
On 1 January, a high pressure ridge over the British Isles extended northeastwards across 
the Norwegian Sea and North Sea, and later over northern Scandinavia, while a large 
stationary depression (971 hPa at 00 UTC on 1 January) over central Scandinavia and the 
adjoining areas was filling. Its southern edge touched the western coasts of the southern 
Baltic Sea (Fig. 6.13.1). Strong offshore winds of 7-9 Bft set in on 1 January and continued 
until midnight, when they decreased and slowly veered N-NE, becoming stronger again 
around 03-06 UTC on 2 January. In the central part of the coast, the prevailing alongshore 
wind direction with a slight (westerly) onshore trend continued until the afternoon of 2 
January. 
The atmospheric pressure over Scandinavia grew steadily as the depression moved 
eastwards, and a N-NE air flow established itself over the whole Baltic Sea in the afternoon 
of 2 January. The fetch of the gale-force northerly winds now extended along the whole 
longitudinal axis of the Baltic Sea. 
In the early hours of 3 January, the wind developed into a northeasterly storm of 9-10 Bft 
which first hit the central part of the southern Baltic coast (around midnight) and later (03-06 
UTC) the western part. At about 09-12 UTC the storm decreased to a strong, and later 
moderate, wind of 7-5 Bft. 
Fig. 6.13.1. Route of the depression centre from 00 UTC on 1 January to 06 UTC on 3 
January 1995, pressure pattern and wind field over the Baltic Sea on 3 January, 06 UTC 
Hydrological response of the sea level 
On 1 January, slightly falling water levels were observed in the western part of the coast 
caused by moderate to strong offshore winds, which calmed towards midnight. The 
compensating rise of sea level began immediately, accelerated in the early hours of 2 
January by the impact of a northerly gale. This first phase of the increase lasted about 9 
hours, with levels of 580-600 cm reached around 05 UTC (Fig. 6.13.2.). The mean rate of 
increase was 8 cm/h, with a maximum of 20 cm/h reached between 6 and 7 UTC on 2 
January. 
In the central part of the coast, at the water gauges in Sassnitz, Swinoujscie and Kotobrzeg, 
the set-up began in the early hours of 1 January, and levels continued to rise steadily until