The weekend is expected to be hot almost everywhere in the country. Only in some places on the Coast and in the southern extremities temperature maximum will not exceed 29 degrees Celsius. Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) issued a second-degree first-degree heat warning. The alerts apply to almost all of Poland and will remain in effect until Monday, September 9.
Heatwave in Poland. Temperatures will reach 32 degrees Celsius
IMGW spokesman Grzegorz Walijewski said that temperatures in the first week of September exceeded national standards by five degrees. In the West Pomeranian province, standards were exceeded by 10 degrees. The September heat was caused by the inflow of tropical air. On Saturday and Sunday, the temperature will reach 32 degrees Celsius.
Walijewski explained that “in some regions the weather may change on Sunday evening”. A low pressure will come from the west to Poland, which will bring precipitation to the West Pomeranian, Lubuskie, Wielkopolskie and Lower Silesian provinces. Precipitation of up to 15 liters per square meter is forecast. On Sunday, with the continuing heat, there may also be storms.
Drought in Poland. Vistula River level close to record
Due to the lack of rainfall and high temperatures, the level of the Vistula River in Warsaw is dropping. According to IMWM data on Saturday morningat the main measurement point on the Vistula at the height of the capital boulevards, the river is 27 cm. It is predicted that on Saturday or Sunday the record – 26 cm, which was set in 2015 – 69 percent of all rivers in Poland are in the zone water low. We have had a permanent drought since 2015 – Grzegorz Walijewski, deputy director of the National Hydrological Protection Centre at IMWM-PIB, said in an interview with next.gazeta.pl.
According to the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – National Research Institute (IUNG-PIB) in Puławy in the period from July 1 to August 31st 2024 agricultural drought occurred in 14 voivodeships. The average value of the climatic water balance for the country was -86 mm. – As a result of the humidity conditions in the eleventh reporting period, we have identified the occurrence of agricultural drought in the territory of Poland, causing losses in the yields of monitored crops by at least 20% compared to the yields obtained in average long-term weather conditions – was written in the press release.
The largest water shortages (from -160 to -189 mm) were recorded in the Mazovian and Podlasie Lowlands, in Polesie, in the Sandomierz Basin and in the western part of the Pomeranian Lake District. In the south of the country and in western and north-western Poland, the water deficit was the smallest (from -50 to -119 mm). In the remaining territory of the country, water shortages for crops were recorded (from -120 to -159 mm).