December 28, 2025, 2:17 p.mDecember 28, 2025, 2:39 p.m
Waves hit the shore in Kolberg, northwestern Poland, during a storm on the Baltic Sea.Image: keystone
In Poland, violent wind storms on Saturday and Sunday put the Baltic Sea coast around Gdansk in particular on alert. According to reports from the PAP news agency and Polish TV channels, the fire brigades were in constant use across the country, mainly because of fallen trees, but there were also flood warnings.
In the Pomeranian region, residents received alerts on their cell phones urging them to exercise caution outdoors. The situation was particularly bad directly on the Baltic Sea coast and on the old estuary of the Vistula River known as the “Dead Vistula”.
Flow direction rotates
The TV station TVN24 reported online, citing the fire department, that the storms had caused a reversal in the flow direction of the water in parts of the Vistula estuary delta. “Due to the very strong north wind, water from the Baltic Sea is being pushed inland. This leads to a backlog and thus to a dangerous rise in the water level in the rivers,” said a reporter from the station.
According to local authorities, the town of Elblag (Elbling in German) was also at acute risk of flooding because the river of the same name was rising dangerously due to backwater from the Baltic Sea. (sda/dpa)