HIGH WATERS AND FLOODS BETWEEN AUGUST 20 AND 23, 2005

Abstract

August 2005 was for the most part a wet month and watercourses throughout the month were greater than normal in August. August rainfall amounts were above average almost everywhere in the country. Extremely strong short downpours and, at the same time, longer periods of abundant rainfall caused numerous landslides and floods. The worst was between August 20 and 23, with more than 100 mm of rainfall. Because of local strong downpours, run–off streams and small watercourses quickly grew, the waterflows of which exceeded the 50–year average of large watercourses. Of larger rivers, only the Krka rose to the level of annual floods, but because of abundant rain in Austria, the Mura rose and covered the flood area within the highwater embankments. In Gornja Radgona on 22 August, the highest flow to date in the period of observation since 1946 was measured, around 1380 m3/s. The measured flows of other rivers did not exceed values of normal high waters.