The Czech Republic is bracing itself for extreme wind and heavy snowfall gusts. The country’s meteorological institute has issued a stern warning for Thursday and Friday when the wind speeds are expected to reach up to 90 kilometers per hour, predominantly in Bohemia.
In the fresh western airflow, individual frontal systems will pass over the territory, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) summarized. The warning for strong winds will take effect on Thursday. During the day, the wind is expected to intensify from the southwest to the west, with gusts around 70 kilometers per hour. In Bohemia and the Highlands, gusts could reach up to 90 kilometers per hour.
The warning will remain in effect for the whole of Friday, with the rest of the territory likely to experience wind gusts of around 70 kilometers per hour.
In addition to the wind, heavy snowfall is expected in parts of the South Bohemian, Pilsen, Liberec, Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Olomouc, and the Moravian-Silesian regions on Thursday. In places above 800 meters, between 10 and 40 centimeters of fresh snow is expected to fall.
The highest snowfall is expected in the Krkonose mountains and Moravia, while the other mentioned areas could receive up to 30 centimeters of snow. “Given the saturated soil and expected rainfall, there may be more frequent falls of trees and branches and likely problems in the power grid,” the institute warned, highlighting the risks that the weather outlook entails.