Abstract In this study, we investigate a series of significant flooding events that occurred in the northern Adriatic Sea during December 2019. Despite their intensity, none of the existing operational forecasting systems was able to predict these events accurately. To understand the underlying causes, we analysed wind and sea‐level observations from several key locations along the Adriatic coast. Additionally, we employed reanalysis wind and air pressure datasets and a high‐resolution finite‐element hydrodynamic model to explore the hypothesis of a wind‐induced sea‐level resonance further. Our results consistently support the idea that quasi‐periodic wind oscillations, associated with the passage of multiple cyclones, excited the basin's fundamental barotropic mode. Finally, we developed a simplified analytical model that, despite some approximations, successfully reproduces the main features of the observed sea‐level oscillations. These findings highlight the importance of resonance mechanisms in coastal flooding and suggest potential improvements for future forecasting systems.
Bajo et al. (Tue,) studied this question.