Poland’s IMGW weather institute predicts cooler temperatures and potential frosts following a sunny May 3rd, with fire warnings in effect nationwide.
Weekend Weather Overview
Sunday, May 3rd, is largely sunny across Poland, with increased cloud cover expected in the northwest. Temperatures will range from 24 to 28°C nationwide, peaking at 29°C in western areas. Zakopane will be the coolest at 19°C, with coastal regions around 22-23°C. Winds will be light to moderate, primarily southwesterly, becoming gusty in the mountains and locally in the north.
Nighttime Conditions and Frost Warnings
Sunday night into Monday will see mostly small to moderate cloud cover, increasing to large cloud cover in the far northwest, where light, scattered showers are possible. Low temperatures will range from 9 to 13°C, dropping to 2-5°C in the Carpathian foothills. The IMGW has issued first-degree frost warnings for parts of the Lesser Poland and Subcarpathian Voivodeships, valid from 9 PM Sunday to 6:30 AM Monday, with temperatures potentially falling to -1°C locally and -3°C on the ground.
Monday’s Forecast
Monday will be sunny on the southeastern side with almost no clouds. Elsewhere in Poland, more clouds will appear, with localized heavy cloud cover. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible in the west and north, with predicted rainfall up to 15 liters per square meter in the north.
Maximum temperatures will range from 22°C in the northwest to 27°C in the south. It will be significantly cooler by the sea, between 13 and 15°C. Winds will be light to moderate, locally gusty, from the south and southwest, shifting to westerly near the coast. During thunderstorms, wind gusts could reach 65 km/h.
Tuesday and Long-Term Outlook
Monday night into Tuesday, cloud cover will be small in the southeast, while elsewhere, the IMGW forecasts large cloud cover with clearer spells and scattered showers in the north and west. Bursts are also possible in the north initially. Temperatures will range from 7°C in the north to 13°C in the south and southwest, with Zakopane being the coldest at 6°C. Winds will be light to moderate, southerly and southwesterly in the southeast, and weak and variable elsewhere. Gusts up to 90 km/h are possible in the Sudetes.
The IMGW forecasts cooler weather across most of Poland from Wednesday onwards. Temperatures in the north will be between 12 and 16°C, while other regions will be warmer, around 20-21°C. Further cooling is expected in the following days, with temperatures of 12-13°C in the north and 15-16°C in most other regions between May 11th and 17th. Temperatures are unlikely to exceed 20°C by the end of May.
High Fire Risk Across Poland
On Sunday, the Forest Research Institute reported a high fire risk in forests throughout the country, excluding mountainous areas. The level of risk is determined based on meteorological parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, daily rainfall, and the moisture content of pine litter, a key flammable material due to the dominance of pine in Polish forests.
