Temperature Record Broken in Poland at 40,5 Degrees

The severe heatwave sweeping across Europe has caused the highest temperature record of all time to be broken in Poland. In the city of Słubice, located very close to the Germany border, thermometers hit 40,5 degrees, and this value went down in history as the highest temperature in the country's history. The Poland Meteorology and Water Management Institute announced that this extraordinary value needs to be officially confirmed yet, but all data indicated that a record was broken. Institute spokesperson Agnieszka Prasek stated in her statement that this measurement can definitely be considered a record. Thus, Poland became yet another European country feeling the effects of climate change extremely clearly.

This new record set by the city of Słubice has left the country's previous long-standing heat records behind by a significant margin. The highest temperature previously measured in Polish territory was recorded as 40,2 degrees in 1921 in Opole, which was within the borders of the German Empire at that time. Following the Second World War, the country's highest temperature value was measured again in the same city of Słubice as 39,5 degrees in 1994. This historical data reveals how extraordinary and climatically concerning the newly measured 40,5-degree value is. Authorities emphasize that this situation is concrete proof that global warming is progressing at a pace that exceeds even predictions.

The city of Słubice is known as the twin city of Frankfurt, located in the Brandenburg state of Germany and on the banks of the Oder River. This border region connecting the two countries was equally affected by the heatwave on both sides. Preliminary data published by the German Meteorological Service (DWD) confirms that a new temperature record was broken on the German side as well. Accordingly, thermometers showed exactly 41,7 degrees in Neißemünde in the Oder-Spree district of Brandenburg. These cities along the Oder River stand out as the places where these disaster-level temperatures, experienced in the interior of the European continent, are felt most clearly.

Extreme temperatures have been observed to seriously slow down daily life and state infrastructure in Poland. The state-owned railway company PKP announced that the scorching heat caused significant problems in the electrical lines and equipment on the railway tracks. Due to these technical malfunctions, many train services on the main lines from the capital Varşova to Gdansk and Poznan were completely canceled. Additionally, on some damaged routes, the use of a single-track system became mandatory for transportation safety, and this situation caused very long delays. Authorities stated that they hope the railway networks will gradually return to normal as temperatures drop.

In addition to Poland and Germany, other countries in Central Europe were also severely affected by this heatwave. In Çekya, the state meteorological service CHMU announced that the highest temperature record of all time was broken for the second day in a row. In the north of the country, thermometers hit 41,1 degrees in Doksany in the Ústí nad Labem region near Prag, shattering the previous record of 40,4 degrees from 2012. In Slovakya, meteorologists were similarly expecting new records, but the temperatures measured on Sunday remained slightly above 39 degrees. The Slovakya Meteorological Institute (SHMU) stated that the national temperature record could not be broken by a difference of about one degree, emphasizing that these values are still well above seasonal norms.