In this study, an unsteady 2D depth-averaged flow model, HDM-2D was developed by employing the finite element algorithm. The shallow water equations were weighted by SU/PG test function of which the shape is deformed by the current direction to introduce balancing diffusion only in the flow direction. The nonlinearity of the discretized momentum equations was linearized by Newton-Raphson method. Triangular or rectangular element with C0 interpolation function can be mixed together in the construction of geometry and the linear set of equations was solved by frontal method. The HDM-2D features (1) the incorporation of secondary current effect by dispersion stresses; (2) the reproduction of convection-dominated or supercritical flow by SU/PG ...