Five people, including two Girl Guides, have died in freak accidents as violent storms hit Poland amid a heatwave.

The two girls, aged 13 and 14, were crushed by falling trees while sleeping in a tent when a storm hit the campground for Girl Guides and Boy Scouts in the northern village of Suszek.

Another 20 children were said to have been injured.

A woman died when a tree hit her house in the northern village of Konarzyny.

In a nearby village, a man sleeping in a tent also perished after being hit by a tree brought down by high winds.

Authorities in the same region also confirmed the death of a fifth victim, a 48-year-old man, crushed by a tree.

A total of 28 people were reported injured.

Power was cut to around half a million homes and businesses as violent winds downed trees and ripped off roofs in northern and southern regions.

An unusual heatwave saw peak temperatures soar to the high-30s Celsius across Poland in recent days.

However, milder weather is expected this weekend when the mercury is forecast to dip to the mid-20s in most regions.