IMGW issues heat warnings for 15 Polish voivodeships as weekend temperatures approach 35°C

Warnings in force

Poland's Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) issued heat warnings for 15 of the country's 16 voivodeships on 14 August 2026. Level 1 alerts cover six full voivodeships in the west and north (zachodniopomorskie, pomorskie, kujawsko-pomorskie, wielkopolskie, lubuskie, dolnośląskie) and parts of four others (mazowieckie, excluding northeastern and eastern powiats; łódzkie, excluding areas under Level 2; lubelskie, excluding northern and northeastern powiats; and warmińsko-mazurskie, where only the powiats of elbląski, Elbląg, ostródzki, iławski, nowomiejski and działdowski are covered). Level 2 alerts, the more severe category, cover opolskie, śląskie (excluding powiat żywiecki) and świętokrzyskie in full, plus parts of łódzkie (powiats wieruszowski, wieluński, pajęczański, bełchatowski, piotrkowski, Piotrków Trybunalski, radomszczański), podkarpackie (excluding southern powiats) and małopolskie (excluding southern powiats). The warnings take effect on Saturday afternoon and remain in force until 21:00 on Sunday.

Friday heat builds in the west

Western Poland already felt the heat on Friday, with Level 1 warnings active from 13:00 in selected powiats of three voivodeships. In zachodniopomorskie, the alert covers powiats gryfiński, pyrzycki and myśliborski. In lubuskie, it spans powiats gorzowski, sulęciński, słubicki, krośnieński, świebodziński, zielonogórski, żarski, nowosolski and żagański, plus the cities of Gorzów Wielkopolski and Zielona Góra. In dolnośląskie, powiats zgorzelecki and bolesławiecki are covered. Maximum temperatures in these areas ranged from 28 to 31°C. Elsewhere the day was milder: about 24°C in the east and around Hel, 26°C in the centre and north, and roughly 22°C in the Carpathian foothills. Night temperatures from Friday into Saturday were forecast to drop to 10°C in the east and as low as 6°C in the Carpathian foothills, with 16°C across most of the country and 17°C along the coast. Pressure in Warsaw at noon stood at 1009 hPa, with a decline expected.

Saturday peak and tropical nights

Saturday will be the hottest day of the weekend. IMGW forecasts maximum daytime temperatures of 29 to 35°C across the warning areas, with the highest readings expected in the west. Rzeczpospolita's forecast put the western peak at 36°C. The northeast will be coolest at around 26°C, while the centre, south and parts of the north should see 30 to 32°C. Night temperatures from Saturday into Sunday will not fall below 14°C and may reach 20°C, conditions described as tropical nights. In the Level 2 alert zones, daytime maxima of 30 to 34°C and nighttime minima of 17 to 20°C are forecast. Wind on Saturday will be weak, moderate in the west, from southerly and southwesterly directions.

Storms replace heat on Sunday

The night from Saturday to Sunday will bring a change in weather, according to IMGW synoptician Przemysław Makarewicz. Showers and thunderstorms will move in from the northwest and west.

On Sunday, rain and thunder may occur in most voivodeships. In places, storms will be violent, with torrential rain, strong wind gusts and locally hail.

Sunday temperatures will drop: about 20°C at the coast, 27 to 29°C in the centre, and up to 33°C in the southeast. Wind will be weak to moderate, with coastal gusts up to 55 km/h from the west and storm gusts reaching 65 km/h. The start of the next week will bring cooler conditions.