Most severe negative surges on the southern Baltic Sea coast 
33 
Fig. 5.3. a Route of the depression centre from 29 January 18 UTC to 31 January 1961, 
and pressure pattern and wind field over the Baltic Sea on 30 January 1961, 00 UTC 
5.3. January 1961 
Meteorological situation 
A large anticyclone was centred over the Ukraine 
for several days, with ridges extending across 
the Baltic Sea and to Scandinavia. On 27 January, 
the high pressure system moved southeast, and 
westerly airflow became established over the 
Baltic Sea. Winds backed southwest, then south, 
and increased to about 6 Bft. 
Early on 28 January, as a low pressure trough 
approached the area, the slightly offshore directed 
wind increased to 7 Bft. In the afternoon of that 
day, the wind calmed down again to 5-6 Bft, 
veering slightly to onshore directions as the fron 
tal system travelled east. A low-pressure trough 
crossed the Baltic Sea in the morning of 29 Janu 
ary. The wind direction backed again south, now 
blowing in offshore direction, and increased to 
7-8 Bft. A low-pressure centre which was track 
ing from northern Scotland to southern Finland 
slowly crossed the area on 29 and 30 January, 
causing a strong southwesterly air stream over 
the whole southern part of the Baltic Sea on 
30 January. Wind force reached 8-9 Bft. Around 
noon on 30 January, after the cold front had 
passed, the wind veered to westerly directions 
and decreased slowly. 
Hydrological response of sea level 
Steadily blowing light to moderate offshore 
winds, high atmospheric pressure over the sea 
basin, and seasonally diminished runoff led to 
low sea levels along the entire southern Baltic 
coast. Towards the last pentad of January, sea 
levels oscillated around 470 cm. 
On 28 January, the SW-S storm led to gradually 
falling sea levels, from 430 to 410 cm recorded at 
Wismar and Warnemünde. Sea levels at Sassnitz, 
Swinoujscie, and Kotobrzeg oscillated slightly 
below 440 cm. Around noon on 28 January, the 
wind veered to westerly directions and sea levels 
began to rise again, reaching 450-470 cm. 
At about 9 UTC on 29 January, after the stormy 
wind had backed south, sea levels dropped 
rather rapidly, though not to very low values. The 
following minima were recorded: 409 cm in Wis 
mar, 407 cm in Warnemünde, 415 cm in Sassnitz, 
398 cm in Swinoujscie, and 412 cm in Kotobrzeg. 
Around noon on 30 January, the wind veered to 
westerly directions, causing sea levels to rise 
again, with values of about 480 cm reached 
around noon on 31 January. Both of the recorded 
minima were flat and shallow.