Mean annual totals of precipitation during the period 1991–2015 with respect to cyclonic situations in Slovakia

Abstract

Atmospheric precipitation during cyclonic situations was analyzed using weather types classification. Based on data from the period 1991 to 2015, the observed cyclonic situations were analyzed in terms of their frequency of days with a given weather type. Cyclonic situations with airflow direction from the west and northwest, north and northeast, east and southeast, and south and southwest were analyzed. We identified a declining number of days that can be classified as cyclonic situations. The distributions of the mean annual precipitation totals for these cyclonic situations have been investigated. The highest mean annual precipitation totals occurred during the west cyclonic, northeast cyclonic, and east cyclonic weather types. The lowest mean annual precipitation totals were identified during the southwest cyclonic (with fronts moving from north to northeast) and north cyclonic weather types. The percentage of the individual cyclonic weather types and supertypes in the mean annual precipitation total was calculated. The directional supertype west + northwest with the west cyclonic type occurred with the highest percentage, although variations may arise due to windward and leeward effects.