Polish Storm Chasers Report Waterspout Off the Pomeranian Coast

Polish Storm Chasers have identified a waterspout off the coast of Pomerania after reviewing documentation, marking a rare weather event that fortunately caused no reported damage or structural destruction.

Detection and verification

Patryk Chamerski, a storm chaser from Western Pomerania, first signaled the possibility of a tornado. Following a review of photographic evidence, the Polish Storm Chasers organization determined that the phenomenon was likely a waterspout that moved from water onto land.

Piotr Szuster from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) and the Polish Storm Chasers suggested the possibility of two separate events: a landspout and a waterspout. Patryk Chamerski subsequently obtained video footage confirming the presence of the waterspout.

Severity and classification

The Monday event was not classified as severe, and there are currently no reports of damage. The occurrence has not yet been assigned a rating on the IF scale nor recorded in the European Severe Weather Database (ESWD).

The ESWD tracks significant storm-related phenomena, including heavy rainfall, large hail, and high winds. Tornado intensity is measured on a six-point scale from 0 to 5, based on the extent of destruction observed.

Atmospheric conditions for tornadoes

While often associated with the United States, tornadoes can occur in Europe under specific conditions. Recent historical examples include events in southern Poland in 2008, the Czech Republic in 2021, and Balcerzowice earlier this year.

Key factors for the development of these phenomena include wind shear—the difference in wind direction and speed at various atmospheric levels—and the altitude at which clouds form. Lower cloud bases significantly increase the potential for tornado formation.