The Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute, in accordance with the Act of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has developed the climatic water balance values for all 2477 Polish municipalities (gminas) and, based on soil categories, calculated the current risk of agricultural drought.
In the fourteenth reporting period, i.e. from August 1st to September 30th, 2021, the average value of Climatic Water Balance (CWB), which is the basis for assessing the risk of agricultural drought, was positive and equalled 57 mm. The average CWB value has increased by 32 mm in relation to the previous reporting period (July 21st – September 20th). Evapotranspiration has decreased by 31 mm.
The highest water deficit, ranging from -60 -119 mm, was recorded in the southern part of the South Pomeranian Lake District, in the western part of the West Pomeranian Lake District, in the Toruń-Eberswalde ice-marginal valley and in the northern part of the Greater Poland Lake District.
Based on the current humidity conditions, IUNG-PIB states no occurrence of agricultural drought in the area of Poland.
In August, the highest temperatures (above 17°C) were recorded in the west and south of Poland. In the rest of the country temperatures ranged from 14 to 17°C. This year, August was colder than the multiannual norm by 1-2°C.
In the first decade of September, the highest temperature (above 16°C) was recorded in the western part of the Szczecin Coastland, of the West Pomeranian and the South Pomeranian Lake Districts, in the Lubusz Lake District, the Zielona Góra Hills, in the western part of the Trzebnica Hills, in the Silesia-Łużyce Lowland and in the western part of the Silesian Lowland. In the rest of the country, temperatures ranged from 10°C to 16°C.
In the second decade of the month, the lowest temperature (below 10°C) was recorded in the Lithuanian Lake District, the Volhynian Upland, in the north-eastern part of the Masurian Lake District and the North Podlasie Lowland. Slightly lower temperatures, from 11 to 13°C, were recorded in the rest of the Masurian Lake District and the North Podlasie Lowland, in the Masovian Lowland, the South Podlasie Lowland, in Roztocze, Lublin Polesie, the Sandomierz Basin, in the Uplands: Lublin, Kielce, and Przedbórz, and in the Southern Masovia Hills. In the rest of the country, temperature exceeded 13°C.
In the third decade of September, the highest temperature (above 14°C) was recorded in the north-western part of the Szczecin Coastland, in the western part of the Lubusz Lake District, the Zielona Góra Hills and the Trzebnica Hills. The lowest temperature (below 9°C) was recorded in the Lithuanian Lake District, the Volhynian Upland, in the eastern part of the Masurian Lake District, in the North Podlasie Lowland and in the Wooded Beskids. In the rest of the country, temperatures ranged from 9 to 14°C.
In August, the highest precipitation values were recorded in the east and south-east of Poland, ranging from 120 to more than 200 mm (from 200 to more than 300% of the norm). In the north-west of the country, precipitation was less intense, ranging from 90 to 120 mm, i.e. 100-120% of the multiannual norm.
In the first decade of September, in the vast majority of the country precipitation did not exceed 5 mm. Only in the Beskids, the Tatras and in the eastern part of the Central Beskidian Piedmont precipitation ranged from 5 to 40 mm.
In the second decade of the month, the lowest precipitation values (below 15 mm) were recorded in the South Greater Poland Lowland, in the Greater Poland Lake District and the Lubusz Lake District, in the north-western part of the Silesian Lowland, the western part of the West Pomeranian and South Pomeranian Lake Districts, in the Trzebnica Hills and the Silesia-Łużyce Lowland. The highest precipitation, above 75 mm, was recorded locally in the Sandomierz Basin and in the Western Beskids. In the rest of the country, precipitation ranged from 15 to 75 mm.
In the third decade of September, the lowest precipitation (below 5 mm) occurred in the western part of the Lubusz Lake District, the Zielona Góra Hills, the Trzebnica Hills, in the south-eastern part of the South Pomeranian Lake District, in the central and eastern part of the Greater Poland Lake District and the South Greater Poland Lowland, in the Przedbórz Upland, the western part of the Masovian Lowland and Southern Masovia Hills, and in the western and southern part of the Chełmno-Dobrzyń Lake District. The highest precipitation was recorded in the Tatra Mountains (above 50 mm). In the rest of the country precipitation ranged from 5 to 50 mm.
Moreover, we would like to inform that on the website of the agricultural drought monitoring system at: www.susza.iung.pulawy.pl there is a page presenting information on this year’s maximum coverage of the agricultural drought:
Drought risk maps \ Select crop \ Select period – in the case of period, the “Maximum range” option should be selected in order to obtain the following information on drought occurrence:
Executive Director
Prof. dr hab. Wiesław Oleszek
Report prepared by: Dr hab. Andrzej Doroszewski, prof. IUNG-PIB, Dr hab. Rafał Pudełko, Dr Katarzyna Żyłowska, Dr Jan Jadczyszyn, Mgr Piotr Koza, Mgr Anna Jędrejek, Mgr Małgorzata Kozak, Adrian Matczuk