More than 1000 Extreme Storm Reports from Continental Europe on ESWD in the 1st decade of June 2025!

🌩️ More Than 1,000 Extreme Storm Reports from Continental Europe on ESWD in Early June 2025!

Europe faced a tumultuous start to June 2025, with the European Severe Weather Database (ESWD) receiving over 1,000 extreme weather reports from continental countries between June 1 and June 9. These reports, quality‑controlled and validated by the European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL), span a wide range of phenomena: tornadoes, severe wind gusts, large hail, flash floods, and damaging lightning strikes. This surge in activity marks one of the most active early-June sequences in recent years.

🔍 Synoptic Context: A Collision of Air Masses

This outbreak was driven by:

• A stationary frontal boundary stretching from the Atlantic across Western Europe into Central Europe, acting as a catalyst for severe convection.
• Moist, warm air pulled from the Mediterranean and North Africa colliding with cooler northern air, establishing strong instability (high CAPE) favorable for supercells.
• Significant wind shear, nurturing rotating storms capable of tornado genesis and strong, damaging gusts.

These ingredients aligned several times between June 1 and 9, igniting daily rounds of severe thunderstorms across France, Germany, Italy, the Benelux, and extending eastward into Poland and the Balkans.

Top NUTS2 Regions by Severe Weather Reports

1. Southwestern Germany (Baden-Württemberg and Rheinland-Pfalz)

• The epicenter of storm activity was southwestern Germany, with Baden-Württemberg and Rheinland-Pfalz recording the highest number of reports.
• Dominant events included large hail, severe wind gusts, and heavy rain.
• The region’s complex topography and proximity to the Rhine Valley intensify storm dynamics.

2. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (France)

• This southeastern French region experienced frequent severe storms, with numerous hail, wind, and heavy rainfall reports.
• Mountainous terrain helped enhance convective activity.

3. Veneto (Italy)

• Northeastern Italy’s Veneto region had many large hail and strong wind events, fueled by the mix of Mediterranean moisture and cooler northern air.

4. Khmelnytskyi Oblast (Ukraine)

• Western Ukraine was hit by several severe storms, mainly hail and damaging winds, due to the clash of continental and maritime air masses.

5. Mazowieckie (Poland)

• Central Poland, including Warsaw, recorded numerous heavy rain and hail events, causing local disruptions.

6. Nord-Est (Romania)

• This northeastern Romanian region experienced multiple hail and severe wind reports, impacting agricultural areas.

7. Niederösterreich (Austria)

• Austria’s largest federal state saw widespread heavy rainfall and hail events during this period.

8. Strední Cechy (Czech Republic)

• Central Bohemia, including areas around Prague, reported several hail and strong wind events.

9. Banskobystrický kraj (Slovakia)

• Central Slovakia experienced intense storms with hail and severe winds, amplified by mountainous terrain.

10. Nyugat-Dunántúl (Western Hungary)

• Contrary to previous notes, it is Western Hungary (Nyugat-Dunántúl), not Northern Hungary, that had a higher number of reports.
• This region recorded a significant number of hail and heavy rain events.
• The proximity to the Alps and the transitional climate zone favors convective storm development.

NUTS2 Regions Most Affected by Severe Weather (June 1–9, 2025)

Rank	Country	NUTS2 Region	Approximate Number of Reports	Main Event Types
1	Germany	Baden-Württemberg	120+	Large hail, severe wind, heavy rain
2	Germany	Rheinland-Pfalz	110+	Large hail, severe wind, heavy rain
3	France	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes	90+	Large hail, heavy rain, tornadoes
4	Italy	Veneto	80+	Large hail, severe wind
5	Ukraine	Khmelnytskyi Oblast	75+	Severe wind, hail
6	Poland	Mazowieckie	65+	Heavy rainfall, hail
7	Romania	Nord-Est	60+	Hail, severe wind
8	Austria	Niederösterreich	55+	Heavy rainfall, hail
9	Czech Republic	Strední Cechy	50+	Severe wind, hail
10	Slovakia	Banskobystrický kraj	45+	Severe wind, hail
11	Hungary	Nyugat-Dunántúl (Western Hungary)	40+	Hail, heavy rain

Source: https://eswd.eu/cgi-bin/eswd.cgi

Source: https://eswd.eu/cgi-bin/eswd.cgi?lang=en_0&lastquery=128243130&force_static_map=true;