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The subject of this study is an evaluation of the amount of evaporation from water surfaces (VVH), measured using EWM devices in two cities of different sizes, and located approximately 80 km from each other – Prague and Pilsen. The results were analyzed in the context of urban phenomena, which are pronounced especially in Prague, and also in the context of meteorological and morphological conditions in those locations. It was found that higher amounts of evaporation were measured at the meteorological station in Pilsen. The difference between the average sum of VVH per season (1st May to 30th September) between 2005 and 2014 for the two locations is 33.3 mm. The difference between daily average values was 0.2 mm. Given the suburban nature of the two locations where measurements were taken, it was not possible to draw any conclusions about the effect of the urban heat island on the rate of evaporation and values of VVH. Factors significantly influencing VVH are surface roughness, which is higher in urban environments than in open landscapes. Based on the results it was concluded that at both a regional and a local scale, the rate of evaporation is more affected by wind speed than thermal conditions. The measured VVH values differ, not just because of the urban dimension of the two cities compared, but especially as a result of different topoclimatic location of the two stations.

This study evaluates occurrence of the heavy rains at urban areas on the example of Brno agglomeration. Extreme precipitation events are studied with the help of 1-minute records from three urban sites in the Brno and one site in the rural region. Additionally data from nine Hellmann rain gauges from Brno and surroundings were used. The event of torrential rains was evaluated according to Wussow’s method. The study found that torrential rains occurred in Brno in the season from April to November. The fifteen-year long observation of the phenomenon at Brno-Žabovřesky station shows varying frequency of torrential rainfall - from none in 2007 to four in 2004 and 2010. The most extremal was catastrophic downpour on July 15, 2009 when precipitation sum reached total up to 42.7 mm in 52 minutes and the maximal rainfall intensity was 4.1 mm/min. This phenomenon occurs only one day after downpour on July 14, 2009. The overall number of torrential episodes is not very high, but it is compensated by the fact that they can repeat in a relatively short period of time, due to specific synoptic conditions. Maximum rainfall intensity during torrential rains reaches values of about 3 mm / min and the average proportion of torrential rain in the daily precipitation sum is around 70%. The phenomenon of heavy rains represents a significant problem for densely populated urban areas because such extreme rainfall has a large impact on the hydrological system of cities.