Thunderstorms, hail and heat: level-2 warnings cover half of Poland as RCB issues nationwide alert

Warnings in force

Poland woke to a patchwork of weather alerts on Monday, 22 June. The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) issued level-2 thunderstorm warnings for the voivodeships of Podkarpackie, Lubelskie, Małopolskie, Śląskie and Świętokrzyskie, as well as parts of Mazowieckie, Łódzkie, Podlaskie and Opolskie. Storms are expected to bring intense rainfall of 30–40 mm, locally up to 50 mm, and wind gusts reaching 75 km/h, with hail also possible. The warnings are in effect from 8:00 until the evening.

A separate level-2 heat warning covers parts of Lubelskie and Podkarpackie until 16:00, where temperatures may climb to 30°C. At the same time, hydrological level-1 alerts for rapid water-level rises are in place across 15 voivodeships (all except Zachodniopomorskie), with a risk of local flooding on smaller rivers and in urban areas.

Attention! Today and tomorrow (21/22.06) thunderstorms, very strong wind and intense rainfall. Possible flooding and power outages. Avoid open spaces.

Weekend toll

Before Monday’s storms arrived, the weekend had already strained emergency services. On Saturday, the fire brigade recorded nearly 900 weather-related local threats; on Sunday, close to 350. The first summer weekend turned chaotic on the Vistula Spit, where a sudden downpour flooded the beach in Stegna, sending tourists fleeing through ankle-deep water.

A gigantic downpour and an express-speed escape from the beach at the end of a scorching weekend. Tourists ankle-deep in water, thunder and lightning. June can really mess with the weather.

Monday’s split

A shallow trough linked to a low over the Barents Sea is dragging a cool front across the country, creating a sharp divide. Northern and western regions will see light to moderate cloud and plenty of sun, while the south and east face overcast skies, showers and thunderstorms, especially in the foothills and the Carpathians. Maximum temperatures range from 22°C in Pomerania, around 26°C in central Poland, to 31°C in the southeast; the coast stays cooler at about 18°C. Wind will be light to moderate from the north and northwest, but gusts during storms may hit 80 km/h.

Clearing ahead

Overnight, storms will fade in the southeast, though fog may reduce visibility to 500 metres in places. Tuesday brings a rapid improvement: mostly sunny with only isolated showers in the east and south. Temperatures will reach 25°C in the centre and up to 27°C in the south, while the coast remains around 18°C. The rest of the week looks very warm, with highs climbing back to 30°C by Thursday or Friday, and the weekend could see temperatures exceed 30°C again, though afternoon storms may return.

This week will be very warm, at times hot, with high temperatures exceeding 25°C. It may not be scorching every day, but that’s probably a good thing. We certainly won’t be freezing.