Storms uproot trees, down power lines across Poland

More than 215,000 customers were left without electricity as more storms with heavy rainfall battered Poland on Wednesday night and in the early hours of Thursday.

A road destroyed by a storm in the village of Świdnik near the southern Polish town of Nowy Sącz.

Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Momot

Fierce winds uprooted trees and disrupted power supplies, especially in the south and centre of the country, according to the Government Centre for Security.

The aftermath of violent winds in the central city of Płock. Photo: PAP/Szymon Łabiński

Firefighters were called out over 6,000 times over the last 24 hours to pump out water from flooded buildings, and remove fallen trees from roads, Krzysztof Batorski, a spokesman for the State Fire Service, told public broadcaster Polish Radio's IAR news agency on Thursday morning.

Rescuers also helped evacuate a total of 4,000 people from 49 scout camps in various parts of the country.

Damage caused by a storm in Niegowoniczki, southern Poland. Photo: PAP/Andrzej Grygiel

The Government Centre for Security has sent out text messages alerting people in various provinces over scorching temperatures, intense rainfall and possible storms causing a risk of local flooding and power outages.

(tf/gs)

Source: IAR

Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Radio Poland's Agnieszka Bielawska.