A town in southern Poland was warmer than the Spanish capital Madrid on Wednesday, 21 October, as temperatures in Racibórz climbed to 21.9°C (71.4°F) during a brief spell of unusually warm autumn weather. Forecasters described the conditions as remarkable for late October, but warned that colder air and widespread rain were already approaching.
Racibórz, a town in the Silesian region near Poland’s border with the Czech Republic, recorded one of the country’s highest temperatures of the day, according to TVN24’s afternoon weather report.
The reading was notably higher than the 17°C maximum forecast for Madrid by the UK’s Met Office for the same day.
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Other parts of southern Poland also experienced temperatures approaching or exceeding 20°C, creating conditions more reminiscent of early September than the second half of October.
However, the warmth was unevenly distributed, with northern and northeastern regions remaining considerably cooler.
Southern Poland enjoys a burst of autumn warmth
Wednesday’s unusually high temperatures followed several cooler days across Poland.
According to the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW), southern parts of the country were expected to experience temperatures of around 20–21°C, while much of the north remained several degrees cooler.
Racibórz exceeded those general forecasts, reaching 21.9°C during the afternoon, according to TVN24.
Speaking on TVN24, meteorologist Tomasz Wasilewski described the afternoon as extraordinary for the time of year.
The contrast with southern Europe made the conditions particularly striking.
The Met Office’s forecast for Madrid showed a maximum of approximately 17°C, several degrees below the temperature reported in Racibórz.
The comparison refers to the weather on this particular day, rather than suggesting that Poland generally has a warmer autumn climate than Spain.
It also does not establish a new Polish national temperature record for October.
What caused the sudden warmth?
The unusual temperatures resulted from the movement of warmer air into Central Europe.
According to the IMGW’s weather analysis, Poland was positioned between an extensive area of low pressure stretching across Europe and a high-pressure system over Russia.
This atmospheric arrangement allowed warmer air to flow northwards into Poland from the south.
The effect was particularly noticeable across Silesia and other southern regions, where periods of sunshine helped temperatures rise further.
In a synoptic commentary published on Wednesday, meteorologist Jarosław Olędzki explained that warmer air associated with a low-pressure system near the British Isles was temporarily affecting large parts of Poland.
He expected the warmest conditions across the southern half of the country, with a substantial temperature contrast between regions.
While these conditions are unusual in late October, temporary warm spells can occur during autumn when atmospheric circulation brings milder air from southern Europe.
Warm weather to end as rain moves across Poland
The unusually mild conditions are expected to be short-lived.
A cold front approaching from the west and southwest will bring increasing cloud cover, rainfall and a drop in temperatures overnight into Thursday, 22 October.
According to IMGW’s weekly forecast, Thursday will bring showers across much of the country, with maximum temperatures ranging from around 8°C in the southwest to 19°C in the southeast, where warmer air may persist for longer.
Other forecasts indicate that temperatures across much of Poland will settle closer to 10–15°C.
Rainfall could be locally significant.
In a subsequent TVN Meteo forecast, meteorologist Damian Zdonek said a weather front would move eastwards across Poland, bringing persistent rain.
Some areas could receive between 10 and 20 millimetres of rainfall, particularly along a belt extending from northern Poland through central regions towards the south.
Strong winds are also possible in mountainous areas, where gusts may reach considerably higher speeds than in lowland regions.
Cooler weekend ahead
The return of more typical autumn weather is expected to continue towards the weekend.
IMGW forecasts maximum temperatures of approximately 12–16°C on Friday, falling to around 9–14°C on Saturday in many regions.
Periods of cloud and rain are expected, although conditions will vary geographically.
Wednesday’s burst of warmth therefore appears likely to remain a brief interruption to Poland’s autumn weather rather than the beginning of a prolonged warm period.
For residents of Racibórz and other parts of southern Poland, however, 21 October delivered an unexpected reminder of late summer — with temperatures temporarily exceeding those forecast for one of Europe’s best-known warmer capitals.
