Hail occurrence in Poland

Katarzyna Suwała

doi:10.2478/v10117-011-0031-z

Abstract

Hail occurrence in Poland The main objective of this study was to present the spatial and temporal distribution of hail in Poland covering the period of 1973-2009. The analysis was based on the data for 23 meteorological stations published by The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (1973-1980) and National Climatic Data Center (for the years 1981 to 2009). The results are presented with the maps of mean monthly and annual number of hail days, histograms of the seasonal variation of hail and trend lines in temporal variability of hail. It shows that in Poland the mean annual number of hail days varies from 1,3 near Suwałki to 10 near Hel. Most of the hail cases occurred in March, when the number of mean monthly hail days amounted almost 15. When it comes to temporal variability it is characterized by increasing tendency with the maximum at the beginning of 2000.

Highlights

In recent decades, research and climatological studies put more emphasis on extreme weather events; their origin, development and, basically, the implications for life and human activity and other components of the natural environment
The results are presented with the maps of mean monthly and annual number of hail days, histograms of the seasonal variation of hail and trend lines in temporal variability of hail
Most of the hail cases occurred in March, when the number of mean monthly hail days amounted almost 15

Summary

Introduction

Research and climatological studies put more emphasis on extreme weather events; their origin, development and, basically, the implications for life and human activity and other components of the natural environment. One of the severe weather phenomena is hail, which is considered to be one of the most complex products of water vapour condensation. Changnon et al (2009) provided a comprehensive study of this phenomenon and laid stress upon how great a threat hail represents to human life and property. Prediction of the location and time of hail occurrence and the factors, determining its formation seems to be the most important. According to Woś (1999), hail is precipitation of ice pellets, partially or completely opaque, which diameter exceeds 5 mm. Hail usually appears during storms, mostly at an air temperature above 0°C (Schmuck 1949)

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