Ice jams are as intrinsic to the climate history of Turku as are spring ice breakups. Ice jams and the flood events they initiate are hard to anticipate because they are caused by sudden and intense rains, and when the mechanical strength of the ice is high, the breakup can cause great havoc once the ice starts moving and gains momentum. One of the most intense events in the 1900s was the breakup in March 1903.
