temporales de oleaje

14:25 Nov 20, 2020 

I have found some academic literature using "maximum water level (storm surge)", so I agree with Carol, that the use of "storm surge" in brackets isn't there as a translation of "maximum water level", but rather, it denotes that said level is reached when there is a storm surge.

21:26 Nov 18, 2020 

At least in tv-meteorologist-speak, at least in the U.S., the term "storm surge" is used in at least two different senses: 1."A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones." (cribbed straight out of Wikipedia); & 2. "It is measured as the rise in water level above the normal tidal level, and does not include waves." (cribbed from the same Wikipedia article). So the term can refer both to the process that causes a temporary rise in water levels near coastlines, & to the magnitude of that rise. Steven is right in his explanation, but tv weather persons are not so scrupulous in distinguishing between the two senses of the term - they typically will just say "a storm surge of 11 ft.", etc.

18:10 Nov 18, 2020 

the way I see it is that the implication is that the maximum level is up to 5m, which only occurs during a storm surge. I know that isn't spelled out, but it is nevertheless how I understood it!
However, this doesn't explain why the author has used both the English and the Spanish terms, on separate occasions. This could be justified if he believes the term has previously been glossed/explained, or he may even assume the reader already knows the term - or it could simply be due to carelessness!
Do you know the expected level of expertise of the Target Reader? I would regard myself as general public (no expertise), and yet the meaning seemed fairly clear to me!

17:01 Nov 18, 2020 

I agree with Steven - the Spanish isn't very well written, because it implies that "storm surge" is the same as "nivel máximo del agua".

16:58 Nov 18, 2020 

En ese caso, yo traduciría "temporales de oleaje" como "storm surge" y para "el nivel máximo del agua (storm surge) < 5 m" yo usaría "maximum surge height < 5 m".

16:29 Nov 18, 2020 

Thanks for you answer.
This document strangely only uses the term "temporales de oleaje" once. As for storm surge, the document uses the English term. e.g. "el nivel máximo del agua (storm surge) < 5 m"