Derecho : characteristics of the phenomenon, the danger zone in Poland

The aim of the paper is to characterize the occurrence of derecho phenomenon in Poland between 2007 and 2014 and to describe threats that this phenomenon causes. The number of derecho cases in Central Europe in that period was determined on the basis of the identification criteria proposed by R. Johns and W. Hirt. Also, conditions for the occurrence of derecho were characterized and destruction that it caused was described. Additionally, the ranges of the individual derecho cases enabled the determination of the most vulnerable areas of Poland to the occurrence of this phenomenon. Reports on dangerous meteorological phenomena, SYNOP and METAR reports, MSL pressure maps, upper air maps at 500 hPa and 850 hPa, upper air sounding plots, radar depictions and satellite images were used in this paper.