Hail Observed in Southeast Poland (credit: Andrzej Gajek via Polscy Łowcy Burz via Meteo Europe)

DISCUSSION: Just a few days ago, many people living across portions of southeastern Poland experienced an impressive early Spring severe weather event.  This severe weather event was chiefly defined by a severe thunderstorm moving through the region while producing damaging hail.  It is worth noting that such hailstones across parts of southeastern Poland are particularly impressive due to the fact that for thunderstorms to generate such large hailstones, there needs to be a sufficiently strong core updraft within the given thunderstorm.  Often times, when thunderstorms are generating hailstones of baseball size or larger (i.e., upwards of 2.00 inches in diameter or greater), there are associated updraft speeds of at least 80 to 85 MPH or more in many cases.  In order for a severe thunderstorm to generate hailstones of softball size or larger, a thunderstorm typically needs to have updraft speeds of 85 to 100 MPH.  Therefore, when there is destructive hail being generated by a severe thunderstorm, there are often core updraft speeds well over hurricane-force to be able to support the larger sizes associated with the hail being produced.

To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across Europe, be sure to click here!

©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz