ADMS

The Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation - State Research Institute in accordance with an Act from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has developed the climatic water balance for all Polish municipalities (3,064 municipalities), and based on the soils categories have identified in those municipalities the current agricultural drought risk for the following crops: winter and spring cereals, corn for grain and silage, sugar beets, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, tobacco, field vegetables, shrubs and fruit trees, strawberries and legumes.

In the fifth reporting period, i.e. from May 21 to July 20, 2013, IUNG-PIB does not state a risk of agricultural drought in Poland. The values of climatic water balance (CWB), which are the basis to assess the risk of drought in most areas, are negative, but these values for the above-mentioned crops are much higher than the critical value.

The distribution of CWB, compared to the situation from ten days ago, witnessed slight changes. The area with the lowest values of CWB, moved to the north of the country from the Żuławy Wiślane to the Koszalińskie Embankment. The lowest values of CWB, have been reported in Koszalińskie Embankment (from -120 to -129 mm). In most of the country, the CWB were higher and in the southern parts of Poland and those values in many areas were positive ranging from 100 to 150 mm.

CWB values, relative to the situation of the prior 10 days in the country increased by an average of 16 mm, so now we have again a smaller deficit of water for plants than 10 days ago.

During the sixty days period there was a decrease in the CWB in north-western Poland. Particularly large reductions in these values of up to 50 mm occurred in the coastal zone of the Baltic Sea. However, a large increase in the value of CWB, reaching up to 50 mm, occurred in the Lubelskie region.

June this year in terms of thermal conditions was varied. The highest air temperature occurred in eastern Poland, reaching more than 17.5-18.5°C. East of the Wisła River, the temperature was higher than the long-term average (1971-2000) by more than 2°C, central Poland was higher by 1-2°C. To the west of the country, the air temperature was lower and reached from 15.5 do17°C. In the north - west and south - western Poland saw air temperatures close to the long-term average.

In the first and second ten days of July in the Poland, were noted with relatively small temperature differences. In the first ten days, the lowest temperature recorded in the north and the south of the country (17.5-18.5°C) and the highest in central Poland (19.5-20.0°C). In the second ten days, almost the entire territory of the country was cooler, the temperature ranged from 17 to 18°C. Only the north-west air temperature was slightly higher (18-18.5°C), while a small surface area of Poland’s north-east and south was lower (16-17°C).

Relative to the situation from ten days ago in the relevant sixty days period, large changes in evapotranspiration were not reported in the country. The maximum increase in these values was about 10 mm. Currently, the average value of the evapotranspiration for the country is 217 mm.

Precipitation in June was very diverse. The lowest rainfall ranged from 30-60 mm and occurred in the north of the country (Embankment and Południowobałtycki Lake district), the highest was recorded on the Śląsko-Krakowska and Malopolska Highlands (160-180 mm) while in Sudety, very high rainfall was recorded, even as high as 200 mm.

The norms of precipitation almost throughout the country have been greatly exceeded; the most even up to 200% in the western parts of Południowowielkopolska Plain and the eastern areas Południowomazowieckich Hills and the Śląsko-Łużycka Lowlands. Only in the area of Gdansk and Koszalin Embankment, precipitation for June was close to 100% of the long-term norm.

Poland in terms of rainfall in the first ten days of July was very different. In the large areas of the country, the precipitation was very low, ranging from several to 10 mm. However, the highest rainfall was recorded locally in many parts of the Poland; they were up to 100 mm, both in the north and the south of the country. Such high rainfall was of a stormy origin. In the second ten days very low rainfall occurred in western Poland and Mazowsze, ranged from a few to 15 mm. High rainfall of over 100 mm was recorded in the Warmia and Mazury, Podlasie and Lublin and Malopolska.

For crops, the relevant period is considered as favourable in terms moisture, as there are no areas with too much water excess, and a small deficit does not adversely affect the course of the growing season.