A morning storm struck Warsaw and surrounding areas on April 6th, causing widespread damage, traffic disruptions, and hundreds of emergency calls.
Storm Causes Widespread Damage Across Mazovia
The storm that passed over Warsaw and its surrounding areas on Monday, April 6th, caused numerous damages, traffic difficulties, and hundreds of fire department interventions. Most reports concerned broken branches, fallen trees, damaged power lines, and blocked roads.
Over one hundred reports related to the effects of the strong wind were received by the Warsaw State Fire Service headquarters. By 12:00, the fire department recorded 657 incidents across the Mazovia region. The Warsaw City PSP Command had the most interventions – 108, followed by Siedlce – 60, Mińsk Mazowiecki – 43, Wołomin – 41, Garwolin – 33, Otwock – 30, Legionowo – 29, Piaseczno – 29, Białobrzegi – 28, Grójec – 27, Pruszków – 27, and Grodzisk Mazowiecki – 23. Other districts reported between a few and a dozen incidents. The incidents primarily involved fallen trees, and two roofs were torn off.
Roads Blocked, Infrastructure Damaged
Firefighters were busiest removing trees that had fallen onto roads, buildings, and power lines. In some locations, operations were hampered by the need for specialized equipment or waiting for the arrival of the energy emergency service.
Serious disruptions occurred on Płochocińska Street, where a tree fell onto the road and power lines, completely blocking traffic. Detours were introduced for public transport, affecting lines 705, 735, and 736. The energy emergency service was awaited to secure the damaged infrastructure.
Damage to Buildings and Vehicles
Effects of the strong wind were also noted near the Siekierkowska route, where a fallen tree damaged road infrastructure. On the exit from Marywilska Street to Płochocińska Street, a broken branch blocked part of the road, causing local traffic disruptions.
The most serious incidents in the capital were reported on the right bank of the Vistula River. On Rzeźbiarska Street, a strong gust of wind knocked down a tree onto a residential building. Three fire department crews worked on the scene to remove the hazard and secure the area. A similar situation occurred a few hundred meters away, on VIII Poprzeczna Street, where a tree also fell on a single-family home. Fire department crews and the city’s operational group were on site. No injuries were reported.
Incidents Outside Warsaw
A dangerous incident also occurred outside Warsaw, on the 177th kilometer of national road No. 62 in Wygoda Smoszewska, Nowy Dwór County. Firefighters were dispatched there at 9:37 AM. Upon arrival, it was found that a fallen tree had damaged a passenger car, with some branches piercing the vehicle’s interior. Despite the serious-looking damage, no one was injured. Two fire department crews were working at the scene. National road No. 62 was blocked during the operation.
Roof Damage and Further Disruptions
In Pruszków, strong winds tore off elements of the roofing from a multi-family building on Kubusia Puchatka Street. Fragments of the covering and other parts fell onto the sidewalk in front of the building, with one of the torn elements hanging at a height. Despite the real threat, no one was injured. The damaged roofing elements posed a threat to passersby due to the risk of further fragments detaching.
Another intervention in Pruszków took place on Przemysłowa Street, where a tree fell onto the road. Two fire department crews were on site, and the street was blocked.
Central Warsaw Affected
In Warsaw itself, the effects of the storm were also visible in the center. On Grzybowska Street 51, a tree branch fell on two parked cars, both of which were seriously damaged. One fire department crew was working at the scene.
On Mokotów, on Polska Street, before 2:00 PM, strong winds caused a tree branch to break. The falling branch tore down power lines suspended on poles. The fire department was called, and after several dozen minutes, the energy emergency service arrived to deal with the failure.
Additional Hazards and Warnings
After 1:00 PM, the fire department also intervened at Krasnobrodzka Street 8, where a chimney on a multi-family building dangerously tilted due to the strong wind, posing a real risk of collapse. Strong winds also caused disruptions in the suburban Marki. Firefighters from the OSP Marki removed fallen trees on Wrzosowa, Poniatowskiego, and Szczecińska Streets, all of which were blocked.
A yellow warning from the IMGW (Institute of Meteorology and Water Management) regarding strong winds was in effect throughout Warsaw and surrounding areas throughout the day, valid until 9:00 PM. Wind gusts were forecast to reach 70 to 85 km/h. The scale of the interventions shows that the morning storm caused serious disruptions not only in the capital itself but also in many districts of Mazovia.
