On Thursday, March 12, 2026, the first spring storms of the year passed over southern Poland. These phenomena brought nearly 700 atmospheric discharges and hail precipitation, which is unusual for this time of year.
Intense lightning strikes
Nearly 700 lightning strikes were recorded within a single day, mainly in Lesser Poland and Silesia.
Hail precipitation
Hail precipitation the size of small balls was recorded in the Lesser Poland region.
Early season start
The storm season began over two weeks before the official start date of April 1.
Forecasted continuation
Further storms are expected over the coming weekend, covering a band from Lower Silesia to Kuyavia.
On Thursday, March 12, 2026, the first spring storms of the year passed over southern Poland, bringing nearly 700 atmospheric discharges and hail precipitation. The first lightning strikes were recorded in the area of Sucha Beskidzka in Lesser Poland, after which the front moved over subsequent regions. Violent weather phenomena also occurred in the vicinity of Katowice, Kraków, and throughout the Podhale region. Residents of these areas reported precipitation of small hail, the size of which was compared to small balls. Individual discharges were also recorded in the northern part of the Silesian Voivodeship, in the Kielce region, and in the southern part of Masovia.
The cause of the sudden weather breakdown was a cold atmospheric front passing over Polish territory. Meteorologists point out the exceptionally early start of storm activity this calendar year. The official storm season in Poland falls between April 1 and September 30. The occurrence of such intense phenomena in mid-March is considered an anomaly, although in recent years, shifts in the boundaries of weather seasons have been observed. The total number of discharges recorded on Thursday approached seven hundred, which is a significant tally for the first decade of March.
The weather situation will remain dynamic in the coming days, and forecasters predict the return of storms as early as this Saturday, March 14. According to current forecasts, discharges may occur in a wide band of the country stretching from Lower Silesia through Greater Poland and the Łódź Land to Kuyavia. Although Friday brought a temporary calming of the weather, the influx of air masses favors the formation of further convective cells over the weekend. Meteorological services are calling for monitoring of alerts, especially in regions where hail fell on Thursday.
Course of storm phenomena in March 2026: March 12, morning — Start of storms; March 12, afternoon — Front over the south; March 14 — Forecasted return
Storm forecast for the weekend: March 14 — Discharges in a band from Lower Silesia to Kuyavia.