Most severe negative surges on the southern Baltic Sea coast 
31 
November 1956 
Wismar —•—Warnemünde Sassnitz Swinoujscie — —Kotobrzeg ——MSL 
Fig. 5.1. b Variations of sea level decrease during the storm of 25-26 November 1956 
5.2. January 1960 
Meteorological situation 
On 17 January, as a blocking anticyclone lay over 
Russia, an active depression over Scotland 
moved southeast, reaching northern Denmark in 
the evening of that day. 
On 18 January, the southern parts of the Baltic 
Sea came under the influence of gale-force 
southerly winds of 7 Bft, which decreased tem 
porarily to about 6 Bft in the course of the day, 
backing slightly in the eastern part of the Baltic. 
In the night from 18 to 19 January, the depres 
sion over Denmark deepened and moved north 
east toward southern Sweden. On the southern 
coast of the Baltic Sea, prevailing southerly and 
southwesterly offshore winds reached 8-9 Bft in 
the western part of the coast. 
On 19 January, the depression continued track 
ing northeast, filling slowly. In the early morning 
of that day, atmospheric fronts associated with 
the depression crossed the southern coasts, with 
more severe weather observed in the western 
part of the coast. Shortly past noon, after the 
cold front had crossed the coast, winds backed 
west to northwest and decreased to 6-5 Bft and 
less, becoming light and variable. 
Hydrological response of sea level 
Low sea levels along the southern coast of the 
Baltic Sea lasted for several days. Around mid 
night of 17/18 January, they oscillated between 
425 and 455 cm. An offshore southerly storm 
over the westernmost part of the coast increased 
temporarily to 8-9 Bft, causing water levels in the 
area to fall slightly in the early hours of 18 January: 
to about 415 cm in Wismar, and about 418 cm in 
Warnemünde. 
The next spell of stormy offshore winds on 
19 January lowered sea levels along the whole 
southern coast: in Wismar, the minimum was as 
low as 379 cm, in Warnemünde 398 cm, in Sass 
nitz 414 cm. Swinoujscie recorded 416 cm, and 
Kotobrzeg 425 cm. When the wind changed to 
onshore westerly, later northwesterly directions, 
sea levels rose to about 500 cm in the late hours 
of 19 January.