Record high winds measured atop Czech Republic's Sněžka mountain

Prague, Feb 24 (CTK) – The wind on the highest Czech mountain, Sněžka was up to 180 kilometres per hour and on the Polish side of Sněžka the strongest gusts of wind were 223 km/h on Sunday night, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMU) said on Facebook today.

“The strongest gust of wind was measured between 21:00 and 22:00 CEST on Sněžka, 62 metres per second (or 223 km per hour),” CHMU said, adding that winds on the Polish side are usually stronger.

Until now, the strongest gust of wind, 216 km/h, has been measured on the Czech side of the mountain in January 2007 when Cyclone the European storm Kyrill hit the country.

Two weeks ago, wind of 180 km/h was recorded atop Sněžka in the Krkonose (Giant Mountains) during the Sabine storm.

Sněžka, 1603 metres high, is a part of the Czech-Polish border

On Sunday, the wind was strong throughout the country. Its speed was 83 km/h in Prague, 97 km/h in the north Bohemian centre Liberec, and 108 km/h in the town of Usti nad Labem in northwest Bohemia.

The wind moved from Germany through Poland and Czechia to Belarus and Ukraine. It caused problems at many places in the Czech Republic. It blocked roads and rail roads with fallen trees and broke power lines. Some 30,000 Czech households were without electricity due to the wind this morning.

Sunday was also extremely warm and temperature records were beaten in some places. Water levels rose in rivers and the state of emergency was declared.