Intense rainfall and rising river levels in Silesia. Are we at risk of flooding?

This year’s July hasn’t been kind to holidaymakers. Over the weekend, a Genoa low-pressure system arrived over Poland, bringing with it large amounts of moist air. The intense rainfall led to serious flash floods in the south of the country, and alarm levels were exceeded on many rivers. The fire brigade responded to over a thousand emergency calls.

Mediterranean cyclone strikes

The infamous Genoa low is a cyclone that regularly forms over the Gulf of Genoa and the Ligurian Sea due to large temperature differences between land and sea. It can move across Europe via three different routes, one of which passes through Poland. Since Sunday, heavy rainfall has been observed in most parts of the country, with the most intense downpours affecting the southern provinces: Silesia, Lesser Poland, Opole, and Subcarpathia.

According to the State Fire Service, by midnight on Sunday, firefighters had responded to as many as 796 incidents, most of them in the Silesian province. By 7:00 a.m. today, another 317 weather-related incidents were recorded, involving a total of 160 vehicles, 650 PSP firefighters, and around one thousand volunteers. Participants of 24 scout camps were evacuated to avoid potential tragedy.

The downpours hit particularly hard in the Bielsko-Biała region, where dozens of properties, basements, and garages were flooded. Radio Bielsko reports fallen trees and water flowing into streets. The IMGW-PIB station in Wapienica recorded 129 mm of rainfall in one day – almost the monthly average. In just six hours, 70.8 mm of rain fell there, and 59 mm in nearby Aleksandrowice.

Dramatic scenes also unfolded in Radom County in the Mazovian province. Torrential rain flooded the town of Pionki, where dozens of cars became trapped under overpasses, submerged up to the roof.

Will the heavy rainfall cause flooding?

The intense rainfall has led to rising river levels in the southern part of the country. The most critical situation is currently in Podkępie on the Wapienica River, where the alarm level has been exceeded by 85 cm and continues to rise. Rising trends are also observed in Czechowice-Dziedzice on the Iłownica River, where the water level is 68 cm above the alarm threshold, and in Czechowice-Bestwina on the Biała River. A slight exceedance was recorded at the Szabelnia station on the Brynica River, and on the vast majority of rivers in the Silesian province, water levels remain above warning thresholds.

Polish Waters report that flood reservoirs still have available retention capacity and that water is not currently being dammed in dry reservoirs. However, the Wrocław RZGW reported yesterday an overload in the stormwater drainage system in Głuchołazy, which caused flooding of streets. In the Widna River basin, an embankment was breached, flooding surrounding farmland.

RZGW Rzeszów reports water overflow in the towns of Glinik Polski and Czeluśnica due to clogged culverts, while RZGW Gliwice is investigating the circumstances of road erosion in Cisownica, where the Cisówka stream dangerously swelled. According to representatives of the authority, similar situations may occur on other mountain streams in catchments with intense surface runoff.

Forecast for the coming days: mushrooming weather

IMGW-PIB warns that although the worst may be over, the risk of flooding and waterlogging remains real. More rain is forecast for today, expected to affect northeastern, central, and southern Poland. Heavy rainfall and strong winds will particularly accompany thunderstorms, which may develop over the Tri-City area, Podlasie, Lublin region, and Łódź province.

Rain may also occur at night, with scattered showers and thunderstorms expected tomorrow. Unfortunately, according to meteorologists from IMGW-PIB, cloud cover will persist throughout the week, though the intensity of rainfall will decrease to moderate levels. For now, we’re not facing heatwaves – the weather is more suited to mushroom picking than sunbathing.