33 
Fig. 6.5.2. Route of the depression from 1 February, 00 UTC to 2 February 1983, 12 UTC; 
pressure pattern and wind field on 2 February 1983, 12 UTC 
Hydrological response of the sea level 
Due to intensive westerly air flow over the North and Baltic Seas in the last days of January, 
1983 (Fig. 6.5.1.), the prevailing westerly winds, which often reached gale force, caused 
relatively high water levels on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, e.g. in the late morning 
hours of 1 February, when the mean sea level was exceeded by 30-70 cm. 
About noon on 1 February, under the impact of the SW-W storm over the western Baltic Sea, 
which reached hurricane force at times, water levels in the area began to fall rapidly. In 
Wismar, for example, the water level dropped 136 cm in 10 hours. The minimum level, 
recorded at 21 UTC, was as low as 419 cm. The minimum in Warnemünde, one hour later, 
was 455 cm. Other water gauges recorded much flatter minima because farther east the 
southwesterly storm did not develop fully, being overtaken by the northwesterly air flow 
following the southbound front line. 
When the NW storm struck the waters of the western Baltic in the late hours of 1 February, 
sea levels began to rise rapidly, but with an irregular pattern. For example, initial oscillations 
of the sea level at Wismar were followed by a rapid rise of sea level by 131 cm within 6 
hours. The largest hourly increment was 47 cm/h, recorded between 09 and 10 UTC, while 
the total increase during this surge was 1.4-1.6 m. The maximum values were reached 
between 15 and 16 UTC: 613 cm in Wismar, 608 cm in Warnemünde, and 619 cm in 
Sassnitz. Two hours later, Swinoujscie recorded 599 cm, and Kotobrzeg 627 cm. The 
culmination phase was shorter: about 4-5 hours. 
The high water levels (exceeding 560 cm) of this surge lasted for about 16-22 hours and 
were followed by another gradual decrease to the warning level values. As successive 
troughs of low pressure, accompanied by rather intensive westerly to northwesterly air flow, 
moved across the Baltic Sea, sea levels in this area remained high until 5 February. Relative 
to the reference level indicator (568 cm on 2 February), this surge lasted from 14 hours in 
Wismar to 33 hours in Kotobrzeg.