Early March brings dynamic weather changes to Poland. A cloud of dust from the Sahara has moved over the country, worsening air quality and threatening people with respiratory problems. Meanwhile, the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management has expanded hydrological warnings due to rapid snowmelt in eastern regions. Farmers are reporting flooded fields, while forecasters warn of a possible return of severe frosts.
Invasion of dust from the Sahara
A sand cloud from Africa reduces air clarity and negatively affects the well-being of people with asthma.
Hydrological alerts in the east
Rapid snowmelt causes local flooding and rising water levels in rivers of Podlasie.
Danger on frozen waters
Authorities warn against walking on ice after a series of accidents, including ice breaking under a child.
The beginning of March 2026 is becoming a period of intense atmospheric phenomena that defy traditional March patterns. A key threat to public health has become air pollution from Saharan dust, which has reached Poland, causing noticeable sky haziness and reduced air quality. Experts recommend that people with respiratory diseases and children limit their time outdoors during peak aerosol concentrations. This phenomenon, though natural, is occurring with exceptional intensity this year, covering infrastructure with a yellowish coating. Simultaneously, the eastern part of the country is grappling with the consequences of rapid warming. IMGW has issued warnings about water surges in the Podlaskie and Lubelskie voivodeships. Snowmelt combined with earlier precipitation has led to flooding of numerous agricultural lands, forcing farmers to reassess damage to rapeseed and wheat crops. In the Pomeranian voivodeship, dangerous incidents occurred on thin ice – a 12-year-old girl in Nowa Wieś Lęborska fell through the ice sheet. Only the quick reaction of witnesses prevented a tragedy, serving as a dramatic reminder of the treachery of the ending winter. Historically, March in Poland is the month with the lowest total precipitation, but spring thaws regularly caused so-called ice-jam floods, especially on the Vistula and Bug rivers. Despite the current warming, the atmosphere remains unstable. Some long-term forecasts suggest that the current weather is merely a temporary "weather window," after which a mass of Arctic air could flow into Poland. Some tabloid sources even predict a return of the "winter of the century," though professional meteorologists temper these moods, pointing rather to typical March frosts. There is agitation in the agricultural and horticultural sectors – crocuses appearing in the Tatra Mountains and pest activity, such as cabbage stem weevil, are forcing producers to begin early spring protective treatments. At the same time, flight restrictions in eastern airspace have been announced from March 10, related to planned military and defense operations in the region.