A balmy October

Folk sayings tell after a hot summer comes a harsh winter. While the coming winter is expected to be one of the mildest ever, autumn in 2019 stands a chance to be one of the warmest ever, also after the very warm October.

This year’s summer, especially the record-hot June has made be pondered upon the detrimental effects of the global warming, which make themselves felt dreadfully in summer months. A heat wave in June, July or August is a misery, but in October… Paradoxically over a fortnight long influx of Saharian air over Poland has generally been appreciated as the advent of grey, chilly autumn has been put back.

After two weeks of unusual warmth one could wonder whether October 2019 would go down as the warmest in the history. Had the entire month been as warm as its second decade and first seven days of its third decade, it would have come out record-hot. However because of the two cold spells, one in the first decade, the other in the last days of the month, it ranked as third-warmest, with average temperature of +11.2C. It was much warmer in October 1907 (+12.9C) and in October 2000 (+11.6C). Plus the recent October was the third one in a row with double-digit average temperature.

Some statistics, since I adore to back all my assertions with numbers:

- month-time high: +24.3C on 14 October 2019 (short of heat record in October for Warsaw, +25.9C set on 5 October 1966),

- month-time low: -1.8C on 31 October 2019,

- the warmest day: 13 October 2019, on the election day the daily temperature averaged out +17.1C, as warm as usually in the third decade of August,

- the coldest day: 31 October 2019, mean temperature of only +2.7C, typical for second decade of November…

On 14 October I took a day off to make the most of the summer-like warmth and to cool down after the election. After a lunch at noon, I took a bike for a 35-kilometre ride. To the right, 2 p.m., temperature peaks at +24C, plenty of sunshine. Few people on the western bank of Vistula, those who could be found there roamed around or sunbathed. Of note is the fact exactly 10 years earlier, on 14 October 2009, Warsaw was hit by snow.

Looking south, spans which will carry the Southern Bypass of Warsaw over Vistula. The delay in works has reached around one year and the entire bypass stands a chance to be completed nor earlier than in mid-2021. By that time the southern part of Ursynów will need to endure the nearly constant road congestion which actually helps me drive as little as I can (4,500 kilometres driven since moving in, which includes three long trips of approximately 2,500 kilometres in total which means I have reduced around-town mid-distance driving to less than 300 kilometres per month).

To the right – view atop the flood embankment along ul. Wał Zawadowski. The sky was clear, azure, the leaves on most tress still green. The only missing piece was a coal train, however with low heat generation on the day, odds of spotting one were naturally lower.

Having ventured riverside, I cycled south. The snap taken on one of the oldest and widest cycle paths in Warsaw, along ul. Przyczółkowa. I confess I took this photo in motion. Fiery colours of autumn taking over, illuminated by still strong sunlight.

I passed the construction site of the Southern Bypass of Warsaw, on the junction with ul. Przyczółkowa. At this very spot works seemed quite advanced, but after over a year and half, completion loomed far ahead.

Further, I took a stopover at leisure park in Powsin and pedalled on west. Here, a snap taken from a middle of a field on the southern edge of Las Kabacki. Majority of trees were still in leaf. Looking at the photo, if I were to guess the day of year when it was taken, I would bet on 20 September.

Back home, at quarter past four, back then of daylight saving time. A view from my living room (and from my balcony), looking west-south towards the forest. This view from the window was one of the reasons I was damn determined to get into possession of my current flat.

Same view, five days later, i.e. on Saturday (19 October) morning. Mist hovering in the distance, trees have shed some leaves, yet after a brisk morning came another anomalously warm (as for second half of October) day.

Another snap, taken another week later, on Saturday, 26 October. Day-time high of +19.2C, my probably last bike ride this year. The ground covered with fallen leaves, chilly wind taking a gloss off warmth. Summer was visibly fading.

More than 10 kilometres south, ponds in Zalesie Dolne, in the distance tracks of Warsaw – Radom railway line. I cycled south to Zalesie Górne to take a train to W-wa Dawidy (and make use of my travelcard valid outside Warsaw) before it got dark (and before clocks went backward).

At the end, 3 snaps from Friday’s afternoon walk. The weather has changed last Sunday within a few hours. All Saints’ Day was sunny, but chilly. Day-time high was +7C. I strolled to a meadow on the northern verge of Las Kabacki, west of ul. Moczydłowska, my magical hangout. In the distance, residential blocks of Kabaty…

A field of cabbage by ul. Moczydłowska makes me wonder who cultivates arable land which is worth millions. I estimate the entire area covered with unharvested cabbages could be sold of eight-digit sum… Unless proximity to the forest hinders obtaining a planning permission these days…

At the end of my walk, I scrambled up Górka Kazury, to observe the sunset. Sadly, the sky had clouded over, yet I resolved to revisit the place with a camera on a sunny afternoon in weeks to come and catch the sun going down beyond Las Kabacki.