Genoa Low Storms Batter Poland, Cause Widespread Damage

Trees were uprooted, roofs ripped from buildings, and roadways blocked, especially across the east and south of the country.

The country’s Meteorological Institute (IMGW) connected the extreme weather to the V(5)-track cyclone and it also warned about more thunderstorms and potentially life-threatening rainfall amounts. Flood risks are high, particularly in the south and east provinces, with further rain forecast in the days ahead.

Anarchy in the Podkarpackie, Małopolska, and Lubelskie Voivodeships
The worst of the storms struck the Eastern provinces on Monday night. In south-eastern Podkarpackie, emergency services were called out to some 1,200 incidents. Some 200 rooftops were damaged or lost, and four people were injured.

Some residents there were also hospitalized, including one taken to a hospital with head injuries to a hospital after a tree struck by lightning fell on a building in the community of Bratkówka.

In a Dobrynin another person was also killed after being electrocuted by power lines. Another two were injured by falling branches in the Leżajsk and Przemyśl counties.

In the Małopolska Voivodeship, scouts were evacuated from a camp in Bochnia and safely transported to a nearby rectory. Firefighters took over 800 calls in the region and nearby Lubelskie, where 128 roofs were damaged on houses, schools, and a church.

Flood Warnings and More Rain on the Way
Karol Kierzkowski, a spokesman for the State Fire Service, said that the situation would continue to change and that residents should stay inside during severe storms and follow official weather warnings.

The Government Centre for Security (RCB) sent reports by text message to five central and southern regions as well as some of the northeast, southeast, and southwest. Multiple level 3 flood warnings, the most severe alert level, have been issued, especially in the southern Silesia region and in the surrounding areas.

IMGW predicts more storms on Tuesday, more particularly in southern Poland with downpours reaching over 90 mm. And more rain, 40-60 mm, could fall across the central and southern areas between Tuesday evening and Wednesday.

Isolated thunderstorms may persist in the east, with winds reaching up to 65 km/h and possibly 85-90 km/h on mountains.
The authorities are closely watching the situation and advise everyone to stay alert.