Severe Storms to Threaten Paris, Munich, Prague, Warsaw

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

May 4,2015; 6:30PM,EDT

 

 

The threat for potentially damaging thunderstorms will shift eastward across Europe through midweek.
The danger will first center around France through Monday night, then will stretch from near the southern border of Germany and Poland to Switzerland on Tuesday. Eastern Poland and parts of the Baltics will be threatened on Wednesday.
A storm system slicing into the warmth building northward from southern Europe will be the culprit behind the violent thunderstorms.

Damaging winds, frequent lightning and downpours will be the main dangers each day, but hail and even an isolated tornado could be produced by the strongest thunderstorms.
"The strength of the winds could lead to scattered power outages and downed trees and tree limbs," stated AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Tyler Roys. "Anything that is loose can get blown away."
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The strong thunderstorms will threaten the Paris Metro area into Monday evening.
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"Those thunderstorms will spread toward Amsterdam after midnight Tuesday [local time]," stated Roys, but the severity of the storms will have lessened.
Howling winds and gusty showers and thunderstorms will follow for Tuesday in Amsterdam, as well as across Belgium and England. Residents of Munich, Zurich, Prague and Wroclaw will then have to remain alert for violent thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon and overnight.
"Thunderstorms will fire up in Switzerland Tuesday afternoon, then will track into southern Germany and the Prague area during the mid to late afternoon," stated Roys.
Berlin will experience a thunderstorm or two Tuesday afternoon, but should escape the strongest thunderstorms.
"The storms [in southern Germany and the western Czech Republic] will shift into western Poland during the overnight hours, gradually transitioning to drenching rain and thunder with damaging winds along the leading edge," Roys added.

That band of rain will track through central Poland and into the western Baltic countries on Wednesday. In the warm air ahead of the rain, the stage will be set for yet another round of severe thunderstorms.
When compared to Tuesday, the severe weather threat will be higher on Wednesday.
Cities at risk for violent thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening include Lublin and Bialystok, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; and Vilnius, Lithuania. The severe thunderstorms may ignite in the vicinity of Warsaw Wednesday afternoon and could approach or reach Minsk, Belarus, overnight Wednesday.
As cooler air replaces Wednesday's thunderstorms, the severe weather threat zone will shift to the Balkan Peninsula on Thursday.