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Emergency crews busy as rains, storms hit Poland

30.08.2023 14:30
Firefighters were called out more than 1,400 times as heavy rains and storm winds lashed parts of Poland in the middle of this week, a spokesman has said.
Audio
The aftermath of torrential rain in the Polish capital Warsaw on Wednesday.
The aftermath of torrential rain in the Polish capital Warsaw on Wednesday.Photo: PAP/Albert Zawada

A number of emergencies were reported after strong winds wreaked havoc in the country's southern Małopolskie province, the Podkarpackie and Lubelskie regions in the east, and the central Mazowieckie region, which includes the capital Warsaw, Karol Kierzkowski, a spokesman for the State Fire Service, said on Wednesday.

Firefighters were called to help pump water out of flooded basements and remove fallen trees from roads, according to officials.

Kierzkowski told reporters that the gales had damaged the roofs of more than 90 buildings nationwide.

In Warsaw, torrential rain flooded residential streets and some major roads, including the S8 expressway that cuts across the Polish capital, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

The downpours in the capital came after several days of extreme weather across Poland, with scorching temperatures followed by violent thunderstorms.

The Government Centre for Security (RCB) has in recent weeks sent out millions of text messages alerting people in various provinces over intense rainfall and possible storms causing a risk of local flooding and power outages.

Officials have advised people to stay away from open spaces and never shelter under a tree during a storm.

There were no reports of injuries in the aftermath of the extreme weather as of Wednesday afternoon.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, TVP Info

Click on the audio player above for a report by Radio Poland's Ada Janiszewska.