Storms in Europe — radar, alerts and what to do
Check the storm for your town →
Recently added — storms
- Storms in the Italian Alps — why they arrive so suddenly
- Hail during Alpine storms — how often it falls and why it is dangerous
- Storm alerts in Croatia — will they reach a tourist, and where to shelter
- Sudden storms and downpours in France — the regions hit most often
- Storms in Croatia and local flooding — Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar
Check the storm for your town
Enter a town name and you get a storm forecast for the next 12 hours: when it starts, how long it lasts and which direction it arrives from.
Data comes from the ICON-D2 model (2 km resolution, 15-minute steps). This is a model forecast, not a radar reading — check again before heading out.
Warning systems, country by country
- Poland. IMGW issues three-level warnings; RCB sends SMS alerts when life is at risk. The RCB alert reaches every phone within range of a mast — nothing to install.
- Croatia. DHMZ issues warnings, but a tourist on a foreign SIM usually will not receive them. The bura wind can close the Adriatic highway within an hour.
- France. Météo-France uses a four-colour vigilance scale. The Cévennes episode is a phenomenon found nowhere else in Europe at this scale — a month of rain in a few hours.
- Germany and Austria. DWD and GeoSphere warn regionally; in the Alps the difference between valley and pass is often the difference between rain and hail.
Emergency number across the EU: 112.
Related articles
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Italy
Storms in the Italian Alps — why they arrive so suddenly
An Alpine storm rarely announces itself with a morning glance at the sky. At eight it can be cl
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Italy
Hail during Alpine storms — how often it falls and why it is dangerous
Hail is the part of an Alpine storm that catches people out most often. Lightning is expected,
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Croatia
Storm alerts in Croatia — will they reach a tourist, and where to shelter
Two questions come up every time the sky darkens over the Adriatic: will I get a warning on my
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France
Sudden storms and downpours in France — the regions hit most often
France has a phenomenon found nowhere else in Europe on this scale: the épisode cévenol. It is
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Croatia
Storms in Croatia and local flooding — Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar
Croatian storms have a reputation for violence and thoroughly deserve it. Over the Adriatic a c
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France
Storms in France: Paris, Marseille, Nice and lightning protection
A storm in a city obeys different rules than one in the mountains. Water has nowhere to soak aw
What to do once the storm is here
The 30/30 rule: if fewer than 30 seconds pass between flash and thunder, the storm is closer than 10 km — get under a roof. Come back out no sooner than 30 minutes after the last thunder.
A car is safe, but not because of its rubber tyres — it works as a Faraday cage, provided the roof is metal. A convertible offers no protection.
In the mountains, come down off ridges and passes, do not shelter under a lone tree, and stay away from metal railings and fixed cables.
Wind and weather — Europe
Wind direction and speed decide which way a fire runs. Switch the layer to temperature or humidity to judge the risk.
Strong wind, temperatures above 35 °C and humidity below 30% together are the conditions in which fire spreads fastest.
All storm pages
- Storms in the Italian Alps — why they arrive so suddenly
- Hail during Alpine storms — how often it falls and why it is dangerous
- Storm alerts in Croatia — will they reach a tourist, and where to shelter
- Sudden storms and downpours in France — the regions hit most often
- Storms in Croatia and local flooding — Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar
- Storms in France: Paris, Marseille, Nice and lightning protection
- When will storms hit Australia — checking the hour for your town
- When will storms hit the USA — checking the hour for your town
- When will the storm end in Australia — duration and the all-clear
- When will the storm end in the USA — duration and the all-clear
- Destructive Tornadoes and Severe Storms Strike Chicago and Illinois: Midwest Disaster Report
- How Far in Advance Do We Know About Tornadoes? Official Emergency Alerts & Warning Signs
- Can Tornadoes Destroy Entire Cities in the US? Structural Risks & Historic Outbreaks
- What to Do During a Thunderstorm — the Complete Safety Guide
- When will there be a storm in South East England? London, Kent, Essex
- When will there be a storm in Scotland? Glasgow, Edinburgh, Highlands
- When will there be a storm in the Midlands? Birmingham, Nottingham, Leicester
- Storm Alert: UK — when and where a thunderstorm is coming
- Storm Alert: Poland — when and where a thunderstorm is coming
- Storm Alert: Germany — when and where a thunderstorm is coming
- Storm Alert: France — mistral, Cévennes episodes and Météo-France