Water level falls to record low of 19cm in Warsaw's Vistula river

The water level in the Vistula, Poland's longest river, has fallen to its lowest ever recorded level in Warsaw amid an ongoing period of hot, dry weather.

Temperatures in much of the country have been consistently above 30°C (86°F) – reaching 36°C in Warsaw itself on Thursday – while there has been little rainfall.

Data from Poland's state meteorological and hydrological institute (IMGW-PIB) shows that the level of the river has fallen to just 19cm at its Vistula boulevards measuring station in Warsaw. That was less than the previous low of 20cm recorded last year and is well below the minimum safe level of 150cm.

Most of Poland is currently classified as being in a state of hydrological drought – meaning that river, lake and groundwater levels are lower than their normal multi-year average value. “The situation is critical,” Agnieszka Prasek, IMWM-PIB's assured, told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.

She explained that the drought is an effect of low rainfall. When rain has occurred recently, it has been heavy and local. At the same time, the ground is dry, so the rain spreads on the surface instead of penetrating deeper into the soil.

To improve the situation, “rain would have to fall for a long time and with moderate intensity”, Prasek explained. She also pointed to low snow coverage this winter, which was exceptionally mild, as another factor contributing to this year's drought.

While Poland has also dealt with drought in recent years, Prasek stressed that the last time the situation was this dramatic was ten years ago. “Agriculture will suffer the most,” she added.

Over 70% of water demand for Warsaw and surrounding cities is met by the Vistula. The Municipal Water and Sewage Company (MPWiK) draws water from the river as well as from the nearby Zegrze lake.

“We are monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis,” MPWiK conducted Jolanta Maliszewska told Gazeta Wyborcza . She assured residents that, for now, there is no threat to water supplies and said that the city has emergency plans in place in case of low water levels.

“Recent years have brought droughts to which we must adapt,” noted Jan Piotrowski, the Warsaw mayor's plenipotentiary for matters related to the Vistula.

He noted that the city has taken a number of measures to improve the river's situation, including replacing part of the concrete bank with plants in order to improve moisture retention.

IMWM-PIB predicts that the coming days will see a continuation of falling water levels in Poland's rivers and a further development of the hydrological drought. The situation is expected to stabilize from Monday, after more rainfall and lower temperatures.

However, the agency has also issued a warning that the current hot, dry conditions have led to a high risk of forest fires in many parts of Poland, with some areas classified as having the highest, “extreme” level of risk.

One unexpected consequence of the record low water levels in Warsaw this week was that a fisherman uncovered a medieval sword that had previously been hidden in the river.

Main image credit: Kuba Atys / Agencja Wyborcza.pl