Thousands in Poland cut off from power as storm wreaks havoc
Authorities in Poland say around 30,000 people were left with no electricity on Friday after strong winds broke trees and tore down power lines.
It follows extreme weather events across the country, particularly in the southern region, where heavy rain, strong winds, and hailstorms caused damage to facades of residential and farm buildings.
The fire brigade's service said their men have been working to deal with the impact since Thursday evening.
Spokesman for the State Fire Service in Kielce, firefighters had more interventions than usual.
"We have routinely had more than 2,000 interventions across the country, and on the territory of the Świętokrzyskie, these interventions were more than 200", said Senior Capt. Marcin Bajur.
Most of the incidents reported were in Lesser Poland, Silesia and Lublin Voivodeships in Poland's southern region.
Local officials across the cities said the storm flooded properties, basements and depressions in the ground, causing fallen trees to block roads and damage infrastructure.
Marek Jamborski, Mayor of the Municipality of kocmyrzów-luborzyca in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, said the storm left extensive damage in the region.
"We have very extensive damage. And it affects municipal buildings, and in private houses, and in roads, broken trees, and flooding. So the work to do is very, very much at the moment".
In Poland, around 10% of the population lives in flood-prone areas, and scientists have warned that climate change could increase the flooding risks of residential buildings by up to sevenfold.
At least nine people died from massive floods in southwest Poland last September, according to the Polish police.
On Friday, the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management issued first-degree storm warnings for most of the country, including the south of Lower Silesia, due to strong winds. It warned storms with hail may occur, with wind gusts reaching 85 km/h.
The country's weather authority also issued a second-degree warning for part of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship region in the southeast due to the heat.
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