This article addresses climatic fluctuations in the Czech Republic in the period . On the basis of data collected at 23 climatological stations, the fluctuations in monthly, seasonal, and annual series of selected climate variables, homogenized by means of Standard Normal Homogeneity Test (SNHT) (after Alexandersson), are analysed. With almost unchanging temperature continentality expressed by the Gorczyński index, the annual series of mean air temperature, maximum and minimum temperature, daily temperature range, and sunshine duration all exhibit a rising linear trend, in contrast to dropping trends in relative air humidity, number of days with snow cover, and mean wind speed. There are no pronounced changes in precipitation totals, although their distribution over the course of the year becomes more regular in terms of the Markham seasonality index. Temperature trends, with the exception of autumn, show a clear enhancement since the 1980s; statistically significant rising trends occur for only spring, summer and the year in a good agreement with the Northern Hemisphere series. Linkage to fluctuation in the North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI) is best expressed by the Czech temperature characteristics for January, February, and winter (in similar fashion to that for the number of days with snow cover), which can be ascribed to intensification of the western airflow over Central Europe. On the other hand, linkage to NAOI for precipitation is essentially weaker, because of the role of synoptic processes in influencing the occurrence of precipitation at the regional scale. Better relationships for temperature variables and wind speed are obtained if the Central European Zonal Index (CEZI) is used instead of NAOI as an indicator of circulation patterns in Central Europe.
The Lakagígar eruption in Iceland during 1783 was followed by the severe winter of 1783/1784, which was characterised by low temperatures, frozen soils, icebound watercourses and high rates of snow accumulation across much of Europe. Sudden warming coupled with rainfall led to rapid snowmelt, resulting in a series of flooding phases across much of Europe. The first phase of flooding occurred in late December 1783-early January 1784 in England, France, the Low Countries and historical Hungary. The second phase at the turn of February-March 1784 was of greater extent, generated by the melting of an unusually large accumulation of snow and river ice, affecting catchments across France and Central Europe (where it is still considered as one of the most disastrous known floods), throughout the Danube catchment and in southeast Central Europe. The third and final phase of flooding occurred mainly in historical Hungary during late March and early April 1784. The different impacts and consequences of the above floods on both local and regional scales were reflected in the economic and societal responses, material damage and human losses. The winter of 1783/1784 can be considered as typical, if severe, for the Little Ice Age period across much of Europe.
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