Intense weather has caused injuries to four people and damaged over 300 buildings across Poland, officials reported Tuesday.
Powerful storms damage hundreds of buildings across Poland
According to Karol Kierzkowski, spokesperson for Poland’s State Fire Service, firefighters were called out over 2,200 times overnight, mainly in the country’s southeast - including the Podkarpackie, Małopolskie and Lubelskie provinces. The storms also tore off more than 100 roofs.
Poland’s Government Centre for Security has issued warnings for ten regions, cautioning residents about intense rainfall, flash flooding and strong winds expected to continue through Thursday.
Officials urged people to follow weather alerts, secure their property, keep mobile phones charged, and move vehicles to safe locations. In case of danger, residents are advised to call emergency services via the 112 hotline.
A warning for extreme rainfall is also in effect in the Czech Republic, Poland’s southwestern neighbour.
Czech Republic braces for extreme rainfall, flooding risk
Czech authorities have issued warnings of potentially extreme rainfall over the next two days, especially in the country’s eastern regions, the Beskids mountains and the Cieszyn Silesia area.
Forecasters say the heaviest downpours are expected Tuesday afternoon and will continue overnight. River levels draining from the Beskids, Javorníky and White Carpathians may exceed the first flood warning threshold.
In Prague, the national flood commission convened to coordinate preparations.
According to ČT24, the Czech public television news channel, the central flood commission will soon convene at the Ministry of the Environment to address extreme rainfall warnings in the eastern parts of the Zlín and Moravian-Silesian regions, where up to 200 mm of rain is expected.
Similar warnings are also in place in neighbouring Slovakia, where emergency crews are cleaning up after severe storms and strong winds damaged roofs and toppled trees overnight.
A state of emergency was declared in 25 municipalities. Weather alerts for heavy rain and thunderstorms remain in effect across much of the country.
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Source: PSP/IAR/PAP/RCB/ČHMÚ/ČT24/WXWatcher