Severe storms in Czechia’s Hradec Králové Region uproot trees and damage roofs

Severe storms, mainly on Tuesday evening and to a lesser extent overnight, caused damage in the Hradec Králové Region, particularly in the Jičín, Hradec Králové and Trutnov areas. Firefighters in the region recorded 107 incidents from 20:00 on Tuesday until this morning. Martina Götzová, spokesperson for the regional fire service, told the Czech News Agency (ČTK). Firefighters mainly cleared trees that had fallen onto parked cars. Strong winds also damaged the roofs of several houses. About 300 households in the Hradec Králové Region were without electricity this morning, compared with more than 4,000 in the evening and overnight, an energy company spokesperson said.

As of 07:00, energy company staff had recorded five faults on high-voltage lines in the region. The Jičín and Hradec Králové areas were among the worst affected.

„We are working hard to repair the faults and expect power supplies to be restored during the morning. The faults were caused by very strong winds and storm activity. Branches and trees fell onto power lines,“ Šárka Lapáčková Beránková, regional spokesperson for ČEZ Group, told the Czech News Agency (ČTK).

Firefighters recorded the sharpest increase in incidents after 20:00, with the situation calming down before midnight. „Colleagues on the 112 emergency line continued to receive reports, but in smaller numbers, throughout the night. Professional and volunteer fire crews worked in the field overnight to deal with hazards caused by the storm,“ Götzová said.

Firefighters carried out the most interventions in the Jičín area, with 33, followed by the Hradec Králové area with 28, the Trutnov area with 27 and the Náchod area with 19. „We have not had a single call-out related to the severe weather in the Rychnov area. None of the incidents resulted in injuries,“ Götzová said.

Firefighters removed trees that had fallen onto parked cars in Libáň, on Úpská Street in Trutnov and in Smiřice, for example. In Studnice in the Náchod area, a car hit a fallen tree after 21:00. „Firefighters freed the vehicle and cleared the tree from the road. No one was injured in the accident,“ the spokesperson said.

Firefighters helped secure damaged roofs in Lužec nad Cidlinou, Nový Bydžov, Ostroměř and at two locations in Dvůr Králové nad Labem. „For example, on Pod Lesem Street in Dvůr Králové, strong winds peeled back part of the metal roof of a family home. Firefighters helped remove it and covered the roof temporarily,“ Götzová added.

Today, the Hradec Králové Region is expected to be partly cloudy to cloudy, with overcast skies at first. Highs will range from 16 to 19 degrees Celsius, reaching up to 12 degrees in the mountains. Winds will be light and westerly.