The previous Polish record of 40.2°C had stood since July 29, 1921, measured in Prószkow in the Opole voivodeship. The new mark came a day after Słubice also broke the all-time June record Saturday, when the city registered 38.9°C, surpassing the previous June high of 38.3°C set in 2019.
"We can speak of a new record", said Agnieszka Prasek, spokesperson for Poland's Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW). She cautioned, however, that the figures are preliminary. "These are telemetric and operational data, measured between hours. Synoptic stations measure temperature values at specific times", she said, adding that the institute is awaiting confirmation.
The second-highest temperature recorded Sunday in Poland was 40.3°C, logged in Toruń.
Heat warnings of the highest severity — level three — remain in effect through Monday evening for nearly all of Poland's regions. Daytime temperatures across much of the country are forecast to range between 28°C and 42°C, with nighttime lows staying as high as 25°C.
The heat wave has taken a severe toll across Europe. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Sunday that more than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded on the continent since June 21, with roughly 150 million people affected. France's National Public Health Agency separately reported approximately 1,000 more deaths than usual since last Wednesday.
"Heat waves are often called 'silent killers' — homes, schools, and workplaces in Europe were not built for such temperatures", Tedros wrote on social media platform X, warning that Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth and that what were once considered historic heat events now occur annually.
Record temperatures were also logged in recent days in the United Kingdom, Germany and the Czech Republic. In France, where the heat wave is now subsiding, officials described it as the most intense on record.
(jh)
Source: PAP