Strong winds leave around 18,000 customers without power in Czechia this morning

Strong winds left around 18,000 customers in Czechia without power this morning. Soňa Holingerová, spokesperson for ČEZ, told the Czech News Agency (ČTK). The areas worst affected are Rychnov, Semily and Olomouc. Fallen trees and branches also disrupted rail services. The meteorological warning for strong winds is in effect in parts of the Hradec Králové, Olomouc and Moravian-Silesian regions until noon today.

"We received the meteorologists’ warning, increased staffing levels, and our crews are in the field working to restore power. We expect supplies to be restored during the day," the spokesperson said.

The company reported 31 faults on high-voltage lines this morning, with further faults on low-voltage lines. The worst situation was in the Rychnov nad Kněžnou district of the Hradec Králové Region, where around 9,000 customers were without power. Around 3,000 households in the Semily area of the Liberec Region were also without electricity this morning, as were around 3,000 in the Olomouc area.

Crews and firefighters from the Railway Administration (Správa železnic, SŽ) responded to dozens of incidents in recent hours, as fallen trees and branches blocked tracks or damaged overhead wires. "We recorded the most incidents in the Pardubice, Olomouc and Hradec Králové regions," SŽ said on X.

At around 09:00, for example, services were halted on the line between Olomouc and Šumperk, on the section between Šumperk and Libina stations. Fallen trees on the overhead wires are also disrupting services on the Kouty nad Desnou–Velké Losiny section.

The meteorological warning has been in effect since Wednesday morning. Winds in northeast Czechia may gust to around 80 kilometres per hour, while speeds in the mountains may exceed 90 kilometres per hour. On Wednesday, the highest wind gust recorded at a Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) station in lower-lying areas was 89 km/h at Šternberk; gusts of around 80 km/h were recorded there again this morning, meteorologists said on Facebook.