Cold front to bring heavy rain, storms, and sharp cooling across Poland on Wednesday

Division between tropical and polar air

A wavy cold front moving eastward across Poland will divide the country into two distinct weather zones on Wednesday. The synoptic setup is driven by a Scandinavian low-pressure trough pushing polar maritime air from the west into hot, dry tropical air sitting over the south and east. While south-eastern regions will see sunny conditions with highs reaching 31 to 32 degrees Celsius in Małopolska and Podkarpacie, temperatures in western Pomerania will peak at around 18 degrees Celsius. Central Poland will reach approximately 28 degrees Celsius before the front arrives.

IMGW synoptician Przemysław Makarewicz outlined the boundary conditions expected during the day.

On Wednesday, the weather will divide Poland into two parts: the north-western and south-eastern halves.

Weather warnings and regional hazards

The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) issued first-degree weather warnings across several regions. Heat alerts are in force until 18:00 on Wednesday for eight voivodeships: Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, Łódzkie, Lubelskie, Świętokrzyskie, Podkarpackie, Małopolskie, and Śląskie, where daytime temperatures will range from 29 to 31 degrees Celsius. In the south, separate first-degree warnings for heavy rainfall and thunderstorms will take effect at 17:00 on Wednesday and remain active until 05:00 on Thursday for southern parts of the Lower Silesian and Opole voivodeships, covering counties such as Kłodzko, Ząbkowice, Nysa, Prudnik, Krapkowice, Głubczyce, and Kędzierzyn-Koźle.

Prognozowane są opady deszczu o natężeniu umiarkowanym, okresami silnym. Wysokość opadu miejscami od 25 mm do 40 mm. Opadom towarzyszyć będą burze z porywami wiatru do około 70 km/h. Możliwy grad

Timing and path of the front

The front entered western Poland from the German border at around 06:00, carrying light initial rainfall between 2 and 10 litres per square metre. According to tvnmeteo synoptician Tomasz Wakszyński, the boundary line will advance steadily across the country throughout Wednesday and intensify during the afternoon. The system will reach the Koszalin, Zielona Góra, and Zgorzelec corridor between 08:00 and 09:00, before moving to a line running through Gdańsk, Bydgoszcz, and Wrocław between 13:00 and 14:00.

By 19:00 to 20:00, the front will position itself along the Kętrzyn, Sieradz, and Częstochowa axis. Precipitation will begin in Łódź between 21:00 and 22:00, reaching Warsaw around midnight.

Overnight conditions and Thursday outlook

During the second half of Wednesday night, the front will buckle and generate continuous precipitation across central and eastern regions. Rainfall totals between 15 and 30 mm are forecast along a belt stretching from Warmia, Mazury, and Suwalszczyzna through Mazovia down to Upper Silesia and Małopolska. Wind gusts during storms will reach up to 75 km/h, with similar speeds recorded in the higher elevations of the Carpathian Mountains.

Nighttime minimum temperatures will fall to 8 degrees Celsius in the Sudeten basins, 11 to 12 degrees in Lubusz Land and Pomerania, 14 degrees in the center, and 17 degrees in the south-east. On Thursday, cooler conditions will prevail nationwide, with daytime highs starting from 16 degrees Celsius and light showers yielding 8 to 10 mm in northern regions such as Pomerania, Kujawy, and Warmia.