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With this Friday hitting +10 Celsius and rains to fall, Soomaa is bracing for its famed Fifth Season, probably peaking next week.
Soomaa braces for above average flood
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«High water starts at this week-end, that’s for sure. It depends, where one draws the fifth season line. In rivers, the water is relatively low at the moment. Well, it’ll take a few days for the water to overflow, invading other parts of the state,» said a Soomaa hiking guide Aivar Ruukel.
Explaining that the Soomaa fifths season is the period of water leaving its confines – the banks. «It usually comes a week after the water starts to rise. On the average, that’ll be the second week of snow melting, with all meadows and forests flooded. The third week, the water starts to recede again,» is how Mr Ruukel describes the usual spring-time Soomaa.
As there’s abundant snow around, waiting to melt, Mr Ruukel thinks the water will rise above average: «Sure, with cold nights and sunny days, some snow has vanished. But, partly, it has just thickened – lowering out, but with no less water, probably. A part has vaporised, indeed. Still, visually, forests and marshlands look full of it right now.»
Rains will help snow thaw quick, providing for decent floods. Still, Mr Ruukel expects no records broken, this year. «I don’t think it will be like 2010, with 50 years’ worst floods. But – we may have one above average, no doubt about that.»
The Soomaa situation may be viewed via web camera.
According to Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (EMHI) forecasts, Estonia will, this Friday, be hit with low air pressure – bringing warmer weather for a week, at least – but rain as well.