Thunderstorms sweep across Poland, warnings in force for 11 voivodeships

Saturday's thunderstorm outbreak

Thunderstorms developed across Poland on Saturday afternoon, mainly affecting northern, western, and central regions. The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) issued warnings for 11 voivodeships. The storms were advective, isolated, and moved rapidly from west to east at 30–40 km/h.

“The storms will be generally weak, but locally they may be stronger.”

The main hazard was strong wind, with gusts reaching 50–70 km/h and locally up to 80 km/h. Some areas also saw intense rainfall of 10–20 litres per square metre, and small hail was reported in a few places.

Storm progression

By early afternoon, thunder was already rumbling in parts of Masovian and Lower Silesian voivodeships. Near Stanisławów and Mińsk Mazowiecki, rainfall of 5–10 l/m² and gusts to 70 km/h accompanied the cells. Similar conditions occurred around Milicz in Lower Silesia.

Dzonek forecast that most storms would fade by the evening hours, though a few isolated cells would linger into the first part of the night. The rapid transit of the storms meant that while brief, the impacts could be disruptive in exposed areas.

Warnings and safety advice

The IMGW alert covered a broad swath of the country, underscoring the potential for locally damaging winds. No major damage or injuries were immediately reported, but residents were advised to secure loose objects and avoid open areas during the worst of the gusts.