The Influence of the Sign of NAO Phases during the Winter Period on the Water Balance and the Possibility of Drought Occurrence in the Warm Season in Poland

Abstract

The study shows that the change in the NAO phase has an impact on the formation of the area averages of the most important climatic elements during winter, with the exception of winter precipitation totals. An increase in air temperature, wind speed and sunshine duration, and a decrease in cloudiness and relative humidity during the occurrence of positive NAO phases lead to an increase in field evaporation. Evaporation in winter, calculated by Ivanov’s method, shows strong and highly significant positive correlation with the value of the winter NAO index. Thus, the water balance changes, negatively affecting the size of the soil retention. Changes in the NAO index in the winter period have such a strong influence on the water balance in Poland that their influence is detected in the course of the value of the total annual outflow of Polish rivers. Additionally, after the occurrence of a positive NAO phase in winter, in May and August the sums of precipitation (in August – highly significantly), cloudiness and relative humidity decrease, and sunshine duration increases. This is an inertial effect of the winter NAO of unidentified genesis. Both the increase in evaporation in winter and the delayed effect of winter NAO contribute to an increase in the probability of a drought in the summer following winter, during which the NAO sign was positive.