Sławomir Sulik
Articles
Geographia Polonica (2026) vol. 99, iss. 1, pp. 99-120 | 
Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0319
Abstract
The main research aim was to determine changes in synoptic conditions during rainfall incidents that led to catastrophic flood events in south-western Poland in 1997, 2010 and 2024. The synoptic analysis was based on data from the ERA5 (ECMWF – European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) reanalysis containing information on such variables as atmospheric pressure, geopotential, moisture content or direction and speed of air flow in the lower troposphere. The study also includes information on hydrological conditions on the rivers covered by the gauge stations (IMGW-PIB), specifying the height of the exceedance of the alarmcondition and the number of days. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the spatial distribution and accumulation of precipitation caused by the migration of the low-pressure system from over the Gulf of Genoa was significantly influenced by the blocking high. The presence of a jet stream and atmospheric fronts associated with forming shallow lows within the main low baric center was also a supporting factor. In addition, the elevated sum of accumulated precipitation associated with the 2024 rainfall incident again signals a problem related to the rapid warming of the Mediterranean Sea, affecting the overall sum and distribution of precipitation in Europe.
Keywords: flood, precipitation, severe weather, climate change, Poland
[sulik@umk.pl], Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management Nicolaus Copernicus University Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń: Poland; Skywarn Poland Warsaw: Poland
[szymon.walczakiewicz@usz.edu.pl], Institute of Marine and Environmental Science University of Szczecin Mickiewicza 16, 70-383 Szczecin: Poland; Skywarn Poland Warsaw: Poland
[malgorzata.swiatek@usz.edu.pl], Institute of Marine and Environmental Science University of Szczecin Mickiewicza 16, 70-383 Szczecin: Poland
[319581@stud.umk.pl], Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management Nicolaus Copernicus University Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń: Poland
Geographia Polonica (2022) vol. 95, iss. 1, pp. 5-23 | Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0224
Abstract
This research focuses on the spatial diversity of cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodeship (Poland) based on data from the PERUN lightning detection system, 2002-2019. The storm season usually lasts from May to September, with July having the highest number of thunderstorms days and flashes. Thunderstorms most often occur in the afternoon. A generated grid of 5×5-km cells was used to characterise the variables related to CG flashes. In the analysed period 432,925 CG flashes were detected in the voivodeship (24,051 flashes year-1). The highest electrical activity was found in the south-eastern part of the province. In grids with a large water surface, the number of CG flashes was small and increased with distance from the Vistula River. The distribution of atmospheric discharges in major cities of the region (Bydgoszcz, Toruń,Włocławek and Grudziądz) was random. Years with greater electrical storm activity (27,614 discharges in 2017) are interspersed with calmer years (5000-7000 discharges). There were found an upward trend in lightning discharges (of 1681 discharges year-1) during period 2002-2019. To develop maps specifying the number of thunderstorm days, a 1×1-km grid cell was used with a 15-km radius buffer from the bin centre. The annual number of thunderstorm days in the voivodeship fluctuates from 27 to 41 days and increases from north-westto south-east. Consecutive days with a thunderstorm, the most common runs are of three days in a row witha storm. The number of thunderstorm days shows an increasing trend (0.82 days year-1). This trend is related to the increase in air temperature in the storm season (Apr-Sep) reaching (0.04°C year-1).
Keywords: cloud-to-ground lightning, thunderstorm days, climate change, Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodeship, Poland
[sulik@umk.pl], Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management Nicolaus Copernicus University Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń: Poland; Skywarn Poland Warsaw: Poland
[makej@umk.pl], Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management Nicolaus Copernicus University Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń: Poland