The facility is situated on the Pärnu River, in the village of Oore village, around 20 kilometers from the summer capital, and has been providing continuous data on river flow for over a century.

Jana Põldnurk, head of the Environmental Agency's (Keskkonnaagentuur) hydrology department, said the recognition "is based on very strict criteria."

She said there are only four other such stations in Estonia that have been in operation for as long as the one at Oore.

"We are required to conduct time-series analyses. We have to understand that the data measured a century ago must be comparable to today's data, which is measured via entirely different technology," Põldnurk told Monday's "Aktuaalne kaamera."

Water flow is measured digitally, while in the past a rotor was used. The data collected is used in land-use planning decisions, Põldnurk said.

Veteran hydrologist Arvo Järvet said the station is geographically positioned in a way that allows conclusions to be drawn about water conditions across all of Estonia, including average runoff conditions in the country. "So we can state a lot about the country's overall water situation based solely on the data which comes from Oore," he noted.

Põldnurk said the data clearly show changes in climate over the years; for instance, the significant spring floods seen in the first half and mid-20th century are no longer present. "In recent years, we've seen minor flooding in January, a little in February, March, and even April. Snow no longer melts all at once, which means the spring floods are now spread out in smaller, gradual bursts."

Hydrometry involves monitoring components of the hydrological cycle including rainfall and groundwater characteristics, as well as water quality and flow characteristics of surface waters, while a hydrometric gauging station, also known as a stream gauge or hydrometric monitoring station, is used to carry this out.

The WMO is a UN agency responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics.

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