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![\"Poland](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/poland\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/articles-2026-07-08-16-53-18-443.jpg\")
\n Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay <\/p>\n
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\n Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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By Katarzyna Nocu\u0144
The average annual temperature in Poland has increased by more than 2.3\u00b0C (4.14\u00b0F) between 1951 and 2024, according to long-term data from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management \u2013 National Research Institute, alongside growing impacts from heatwaves, droughts and extreme rainfall.
The institute reports that the warming trend is nationwide but uneven. The strongest increases were recorded in the Lake Districts, Subcarpathia and the Carpathians, where temperatures rose by more than 2.4\u00b0C.
The weakest warming was observed in the Sudetes, at around 2.1\u00b0C. In urban areas, the rate of warming has accelerated in recent decades, with Wroc\u0142aw warming the fastest at 0.77\u00b0C per decade, and Gda\u0144sk the slowest at 0.53\u00b0C per decade.
Experts say the scale of warming is already altering atmospheric processes and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events.
\u201cA 2-degree Celsius temperature increase is a radical change for the atmosphere, causing more energy in the system. Therefore, we should expect violent phenomena: droughts, heat waves, and heavy rainfall, causing local and large-scale flooding,\u201d said Bogdan Chojnicki, PhD, from the Department of Bioclimatology at the Pozna\u0144 University of Life Sciences.
He added that warmer air increases evaporation and drying of soils and water bodies. \u201cThis is the rapid evaporation of water from the soil surface, plants, and the surfaces of lakes and rivers. Furthermore, when dry air from Africa reaches Poland, we see further heat records,\u201d he said.
Chojnicki also pointed to the role of moisture transport from the Mediterranean, which can intensify rainfall extremes. He cited the 2024 Genoa low as an example, saying it carried unusually large amounts of moisture due to elevated sea temperatures.
\u201cIn turn, air from the Mediterranean, for example, acts as a \u2018conveyor belt\u2019 for water, which rapidly falls, as was the case during the Genoa low in 2024, when flooding occurred in southwestern Poland. The researcher emphasizes that the Genoa low is nothing new. \u2018However, in 2024, it was 7 percent higher because the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea was high, the air over the Mediterranean \u2018sucked\u2019 vapor, and then brought a much larger amount of water than usual,\u2019 he adds.\u201d
The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management notes that droughts are becoming longer, more widespread and more severe, especially in central Poland, including Kujawy, Greater Poland and parts of Masovia. Officials say increasing temperatures, higher water demand and human activity are amplifying natural drought cycles.
The European Environment Agency forecasts that meteorological droughts will become more frequent across Europe between 2041 and 2070, including in Poland.
Researchers also highlight that drought conditions are often difficult to detect because they can develop below the surface soil layer. The climatic water balance \u2013 the difference between precipitation and evaporation \u2013 is increasingly negative during warm and dry periods, contributing to agricultural losses and water shortages.
In April this year, negative climatic water balance conditions were recorded across nearly the entire country. By early May, agricultural chambers were already calling for local commissions to assess drought damage after crops began failing in drying soils.
Last year, IMWM researchers recorded evaporation exceeding rainfall at all monitored stations between January and October. Even wetter months later in the year were not sufficient to offset accumulated water deficits.
At the same time, Poland has also experienced episodes of extreme rainfall and flooding linked to atmospheric systems such as the Genoa low. In September 2024, such a system triggered severe flooding in southwestern Poland, leading to a state of natural disaster in four voivodeships: Lower Silesia, Opole, Silesia and Lubusz.
Government figures reported that around 2.5 million people were living in affected areas, with 57,000 directly impacted. Nine people died, 6,500 were evacuated, and more than 11,500 buildings were damaged, along with widespread destruction of roads, bridges and rail infrastructure.
PAP – www.scienceinpoland.pl<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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