Supercell thunderstorm sweeps from Germany into western Poland; severe weather warnings for weekend
A supercell thunderstorm moving in from Germany is hitting western Poland this afternoon, with heavy rain, large hail and wind gusts up to 90 km/h expected through the weekend. Railway traffic in northern Germany was disrupted after lightning strikes.
Supercell enters Poland
A supercell thunderstorm moved from north-east Germany into western Poland on Friday afternoon, 19 June. Around 13:30, the storm was passing over Prenzlau, Germany, and by 14:00 it crossed the border near Szczecin. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) warned of a well-organized thunderstorm cell entering the region, while tvnmeteo.pl forecaster Damian Zdonek noted that the storm's impact would be confined to western parts of the country on Friday.
On Friday, the range of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall (up to 20-40 litres per square metre) and possible hail will be limited to western Poland.
The storm brought intense lightning, rainfall rates of 30-40 litres per square metre per hour, and wind gusts reaching 70-90 km/h. By 15:00, thunderstorms were reported in the Zachodniopomorskie voivodeship, particularly in the Daleszewo-Gryfino-Gardziec belt. IMGW issued level-one warnings for parts of zachodniopomorskie, wielkopolskie, lubelskie, and dolnośląskie voivodeships. Later forecasts indicated the storm would reach Choszczno by around 16:30.
Weekend outlook
Temperatures across Poland soared to 33°C in the west on Friday, with Saturday expected to be even hotter, reaching 34°C in western regions and 24°C on the Baltic coast. The heat will fuel more severe weather. Saturday morning is forecast to be calm, but by afternoon and evening, new thunderstorm cells are expected to develop in western Poland. These will bring heavy rainfall of up to 40 litres per square metre per hour, hail with a diameter exceeding 2-3 cm, and wind gusts up to 90 km/h. The storms will track from west to east, reaching a belt from Pomorze to Śląsk late in the evening.
German railways disrupted
The same storm system had already caused significant disruption in Germany before crossing into Poland. The news portal t-online reported a complete halt to train services on the crucial Hamburg-Hanover and Hamburg-Bremen routes after lightning strikes damaged electrical installations. Technical teams were working continuously to restore power, with gradual resumption of rail traffic expected. No timeline was given for full restoration.
- Severe supercell thunderstorm passes over Prenzlau, north-east Germany
- Storm crosses into Poland, heading towards Szczecin
- Thunderstorms erupt in Zachodniopomorskie, near Daleszewo-Gryfino-Gardziec
- Railway traffic halted on key German routes Hamburg-Hanover and Hamburg-Bremen after lightning strikes
- Storm reaches Choszczno (IMGW forecast)
- New thunderstorm cells develop in western Poland, moving east
- Storms reach the Pomorze-Śląsk belt by late evening
- Cold front arrives; most severe storms expected in Warmia-Mazury-Mazowsze-Łódź-Śląsk belt
Sunday cold front
On Sunday, a cold front will sweep in from the north-west, replacing the tropical air mass with much cooler Atlantic air. IMGW expects the most intense thunderstorm activity to be concentrated in a belt from Warmia and Mazury, through Mazowsze and the Łódź region, to Śląsk. The arrival of the front should gradually end the heatwave. Forecasters caution that even as the front passes, severe weather with hail and strong winds remains possible.
