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6.6 November 1983 
Meteorological situation 
On 26 November 1983, the Baltic Sea was under the influence of a low-pressure trough, with 
a moderate to strong southwesterly air flow. Later on this day, at about 18 UTC, a new and 
very active disturbance (971 hPa) appeared to the west of Ireland (at about 52 e N, 20 e W) and, 
deepening, travelled rapidly east. Within a few hours it covered the distance to the British 
Isles, crossed them and reached the southern North Sea at about midnight. Here it nearly 
stopped, probably blocked by a high pressure ridge over Scandinavia, before continuing 
slowly east-northeast. The depression continued to deepen, with 954 hPa recorded at noon 
on 27 November, as it reached the continent near the estuary of the river Weser. It now 
travelled across land along the southern coasts of the North and Baltic Seas (Fig. 6.6.1.), 
reaching south-western Bielorussia on 29 November, with 984 hPa measured in its centre. 
Afterwards its influence on the wind field over the Baltic Sea ceased. 
In consequence of this pressure pattern, NE - E winds set in over the northern Baltic Sea on 
27 November. In the central areas, the winds backed SE and later E, while southeasterly 
directions prevailed over the western Baltic until the evening, when the entire area was 
affected by the increasing northeasterly gale. Early on 28 November, an E - NE storm of 8 
Bft developed over the whole Baltic Sea (Fig. 6.6.1.), backing N and reaching 9 Bft. In the 
afternoon of this day, the winds decreased gradually to 6-5 Bft in the western Baltic areas, 
and 7-6 Bft in the northern Baltic Sea.