Poland PM Donald Tusk urges employers to protect workers during 40°C heat

Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted a short video on X urging Polish employers to safeguard employees as temperatures approach 40 °C nationwide. He described his own early‑morning run in 25 °C heat and warned that an eight‑hour shift in near‑40 °C conditions threatens health and even lives. Tusk called for practical measures such as access to cold water, water curtains, fans, shaded windows, remote work where possible, and mandatory breaks when cooling cannot be ensured.

The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) issued heat alerts for almost the entire country, with the highest (third) level applied to the Podkarpackie, Lublin, Świętokrzyskie, Łódź, Silesian and Opole regions and parts of several others. Daytime temperatures of 31‑38 °C and night lows of 18‑23 °C were forecast.

In response, the government convened a crisis mini‑staff meeting to assess the risk of power outages. Officials from the strategic infrastructure office and Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne assured that the electricity system remains under control despite higher demand and reduced cooling capacity at some power plants. Energy operators also activated special procedures, including a call‑out on the power market, to maintain grid stability during the heat wave.