Poland puts territorial troops on 48-hour alert after storms cause widespread damage

Emergency services respond across multiple regions

Severe gales, heavy rain, and thunderstorms swept across Poland on Saturday, 22 August, triggering thousands of emergency interventions nationwide. Firefighters recorded nearly 2,400 incident reports in the Mazowieckie region alone, followed by more than 1,000 in Warmińsko-Mazurskie and over 850 in Kujawsko-Pomorskie. Podlaskie logged nearly 500 calls, while responders in the Łódzkie region handled more than 400 cases. In Wielkopolskie, calls surpassed 300, while Śląskie registered over 200. In Małopolskie, Lubelskie, Dolnośląskie, and Pomorskie, calls exceeded 100 in each voivodeship, with other regions registering between a dozen and several dozen interventions. In response to the hazardous weather conditions, emergency authorities proactively evacuated twelve scout camps to ensure the safety of participants. High winds also caused railway infrastructure disruptions, resulting in widespread delays across PKP Intercity passenger routes.

Military puts territorial brigades on heightened alert

Following the onset of dangerous weather conditions, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on the social media platform X that the Territorial Defence Forces (WOT) had been placed on elevated readiness. The order took effect on the morning of Saturday, 22 August, and spans all twenty WOT brigades across the country for a duration of 48 hours, until 09:00 on Monday, 24 August. Under the directive, soldiers from thirteen brigades, including units in Mazowsze, Dolny Śląsk, Śląsk, Łódź, Opole, Podlasie, and Lublin, were instructed to be ready to deploy within six hours of notification. Personnel from the remaining seven brigades, including units in Podkarpacie, Pomorze, and Małopolska, were placed on a 24-hour response timeline.

Coordination with local authorities

The Defence Ministry clarified that the heightened readiness status does not equate to an automatic immediate dispatch of soldiers to the field. Instead, the measure ensures rapid availability if municipal or regional authorities require logistical or rescue reinforcements to address storm damage.

Kosiniak-Kamysz described the purpose of the 48-hour preparedness alert in a statement released on Saturday:

It allows for cooperation with administrative units in estimating needs, shortening the preparation time of forces and resources to provide assistance wherever it may be needed.

Weather warnings and meteorological forecast

The military mobilization accompanied warnings issued by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW). IMGW meteorologists posted thunderstorm warnings for south-western Poland and strong wind warnings for Podlaskie, Łódzkie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Pomorskie, Świętokrzyskie, and Lubelskie. IMGW synoptician Anna Gryczman reported that weather conditions would begin to shift unevenly across the country. Gryczman projected moderate to heavy cloud cover and scattered showers in the northern regions on Sunday, 23 August, with possible thunderstorms over Pomerania, Warmia, Mazury, and northern Podlasie. In contrast, southern regions were expected to experience dry conditions with clearing skies. Gryczman noted that following another cool and locally rainy day on Monday, conditions across the country are expected to show gradual improvement.