ADMS

In the first reporting period i.e. from 1 April to 31 May 2012, we confirm a threat of agricultural drought in some regions of Poland. The value of climatic water balance (CWB), on the basis of which the risk assessment of drought is calculated in most parts of areas in Poland was negative.

The threat of drought occurs on the area of 2.7% of Polish arable land in 214 local districts (7.0% of local districts), concentrated in five Voivoideships:

The drought occurs among fruit shrubs grown on type category I soils (very light; group granulometric sand) and type category II soils (light, granulometric group: loamy sand).

For winter and spring cereal and strawberries drought occurs only on type category I soils.

The highest risk of drought was calculated for fruit shrubs and covers 2.7% of arable land. Smaller concerns were assessed for winter and spring cereal and strawberries, covering 1% of potentially arable land area under cultivation of these plants.

The lowest values of CWB occur in south-eastern part of the Wielkopolskie Voivoideship, from -150 to -159 mm and in Voivoideships adjacent to this area (in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Opolskie and Śląskie Voivoideships), reaching from -120 to -149 mm.

The supreme value of CWB (positive) was found in the southern parts of Podkarpackie Voivoideship.

April of this year was very warm. The highest temperature occurred in the central and southern Poland, reaching 9-10^oC, and in the Sandomierz Basin as well as in the Silesian Uplands over 10 ° C, in the rest of the country the air temperature was also high, from 7 to 9^oC. Only in the north of the country in the western part of Pobrzeze Koszalinskie, the temperature was slightly lower at 6-7 ^oC. In most parts of the country air the temperature was higher than the average long-term (from three decades from 1971 to 2000) with 1-2 ° C, and the Sandomierz Basin and in the Silesian Uplands by more than 2 ° C.

In April, large differences were found on Polish territories in terms of precipitation. Very low rainfall, less than 20 mm occurred in the area between Poznań, Koło and Kalisz, and they accounted for less than 50% of long-term norm. Low rainfall amounting to 20-30 mm occurred in the western part of the country and in the Sandomierz Basin, which in these areas was 50-80% of the norm. By contrast the precipitations in the North East parts of country were high, ranged 70-80 mm (approximately 150-180% of the norm).

In May, the highest air temperature were recorded in the Silesian Lowlands and in the south parts of the Wielkopolska Lowlands (15-16 ° C.), and the lowest were on the Gdańsk Coastland (11.5-13^oC).

In May, the lowest rainfall occurred on the coast (10-20 mm), and a slightly higher value was in a broad belt, west of the Wisła River (20-30 mm). The highest rainfall (100 mm) occurred in the Carpathian and western areas of Poland (from 40 to 100 mm).