Aim of the study:
The goals of this paper are: to determine the empirical exeedance probability of the characteristic flows Q_char (SNQ, WNQ, NSQ, SSQ, WSQ, NWQ and SWQ) in Poland; to link the flows Q_char with quantiles Q_p and to examine the relationship between the empirical exeedance probability of the flow Q_char from: Q_p, the catchment area A and the gauging station elevation H.

Material and methods:
Characteristic flows were calculated on the basis of 50-year daily flow time series (from November 1, 1971 to October 31, 2021) in 355 gauging cross-sections located throughout Poland. The empirical exeedance probabilities of the flows Q_char are presented in graphs, and their spatial distribution – in maps. In order to assess the relationship between the variables Q_char and Q_p, Q_char and A, and Q_char and H, Spearman’s rank correlations were examined.

Results and conclusions:
The results of the research allowed to assign (approximately) in Poland to the characteristic flows Q_char quantiles Q_p: SNQ – Q93%, WNQ – Q63%, NSQ – Q74%, SSQ – Q33%, WSQ – Q10%, NWQ – Q26% i SWQ – Q1,3%. The analyzes showed that in some cases the variability of the empirical exceedance probability of a given characteristic flow is so high that it would be appropriate to assign Q_char to one value Q_p together with information about the measurement error. The analysis of correlations and maps shows, above all, a significant dependence of the exceedance probability of the flows Q_char on the gauging station elevation H – in some cases it is a positive relationship, in some – negative.