Gale-force winds prompt zoo closures in Warsaw as storm triggers 1,900 callouts across Poland

Park closures and public safety measures

Strong northerly winds struck the Polish capital on Saturday morning, prompting municipal authorities and cultural institutions to suspend public access across multiple public sites. The Warsaw Zoo in the Praga district closed its gates to visitors until further notice due to gusty conditions. Royal Łazienki and the Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów shut their parks and gardens to prevent injuries from falling branches. Wilanów administrators moved scheduled outdoor theatrical performances at the palace forecourt near the Lanci House to the Wilanów Cultural Centre. Kampinos National Park also appealed to hikers to avoid trails and stay away from open, exposed areas during peak gusts.

Warsaw State Fire Service officer Captain Paweł Warzywoda confirmed the scale of morning interventions in the capital.

By 9 o'clock we recorded over 250 reports. All concerned broken trees and branches.

Structural damage and traffic disruptions in Warsaw

By 09:00, Warsaw firefighters had responded to more than 250 incidents, with falling timber causing property damage and traffic disruptions across several districts. In Mokotów, a large broken tree branch leaned against a residential apartment building near Wierzbno at the intersection of Niepodległości Avenue and Woronicza Street. In Targówek, a fallen trunk blocked passage along Bardowskiego Street, while another tree collapsed across Sowińskiego Street in Wola between Wolska and Jana Kazimierza streets. On Objazdowa Street in Praga-Północ, a falling tree damaged a residential fence, and in the Wrzeciono neighbourhood, a heavy branch struck two parked vehicles and a street lamp. Road travel faced further delays on Aleje Jerozolimskie, where a damaged height barrier before the tunnel toward Prymasa Tysiąclecia forced lane closures and disrupted bus routes.

Nationwide fire service responses and power outages

Across the country, the State Fire Service logged more than 1,900 weather-related callouts by 08:00, with Mazovia accounting for the largest share of emergency operations. In the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, the provincial fire headquarters in Toruń reported that crews operated primarily in Brodnica, Mogilno, Inowrocław, and Rypin counties. Operations in that region focused on pumping water from inundated basements, private properties, and flooded roadways rather than removing wind damage. In Łódź Voivodeship, the Provincial Crisis Management Centre reported that windfalls and snapped branches severed electrical lines, leaving approximately 19,400 customers without electricity, though buildings avoided structural roof loss.

Meteorological warnings and Lower Silesia flood alerts

The widespread disruptions followed extensive meteorological warnings issued by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW), which placed most Polish voivodeships under first- and second-degree alerts for storms, rainfall, and strong winds. Overnight, IMGW elevated the warning for heavy rain and thunderstorms to the highest third level for Jelenia Góra, Kamienna Góra County, and Karkonosze County in Lower Silesia. The municipality of Leśna declared a flood alert as precipitation totals increased across south-western Poland. Emergency coordination centres and fire brigades in affected regions maintain heightened operational readiness as weather-related calls continue to arrive.