A comparison of the annual courses of the index of variability of circulation types: the example of the Hess-Brezowsky classification

Abstract

Research on the variability of weather conditions over the year has been carried out for many decades. Barry and Chorley (1992, p. 193) wrote that “many calendars of singularities have been compiled, [...] but the early ones [...] did not prove very reliable”. These authors emphasized that investigations by Lamb for the British Isles and by Flohn and Hess for Central Europe were very successful. Lamb (1950) spoke appreciatively about investigations made by “a number of German workers” in the field of the concept of singularities. He quoted publications by Schmauss, Flohn, Baur and Hess. The Grosswetterlagen (GWL) conception was raised for several decades of the 20th century by Baur and afterwards was modified by Hess and Brezowsky (1952). Descriptions of this classification can be found both in articles (e.g. Gerstengarbe, Werner 1993, 1999, 2005) and in books (e.g. Barry, Perry 1973, A N N A L E S U N I V E R S I TAT I S M A R I A E C U R I E S K £ O D OW S K A L U B L I N – P O L O N I A VOL. LXV, 2 SECTIO B 2010 DOI: 10.2478/v10066-010-0025-1 I: 0.2478/v1 0 6-011-0057-1