On 8 September, the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute (IMGW-PIB) shared alarming news on X: "This morning, the water level at the automatic hydrological station in Warsaw [Bulwary] measured just 25 cm! This sets a new record for the capital, the lowest water level ever recorded for the Vistula. It's worse than in 2015, and the water level is still dropping!"

The worsening situation was confirmed the following day by Radio Zet journalist Michał Dzienyński, who posted on X: "Yet another record. Only 24 centimetres and it’s not over yet."

The dangerously low water levels are not limited to the Vistula. In another post, IMGW-PIB reported that 71% of hydrological stations across Poland are recording similarly low levels. Of approximately 800 stations, 295 have registered hydrological drought, which occurs when water levels in lakes and rivers drop significantly. This condition stems from an agricultural drought—low soil moisture—brought on by meteorological drought or insufficient rainfall.

In an interview with Polskie Radio, Grzegorz Walijewski, a hydrologist from IMGW-PIB, attributed Poland's ongoing drought to climate change, driven by the massive amounts of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. He also pointed to another key factor: inadequate land amelioration, which has been "drying out" the country for years. Land amelioration refers to interventions aimed at altering the natural water cycle to boost agricultural productivity.

The drought has persisted for several years in many regions of Poland, and this situation is likely to worsen without significant changes. This includes addressing global warming and ensuring rivers receive proper water replenishment. Short, intense storms—like those seen in Warsaw this summer—are insufficient to improve river conditions. On concrete surfaces, the water fails to penetrate the soil, instead flowing away quickly or, as recently occurred in Warsaw, pooling in tunnels and draining into the sea.

On 9 September, Warsaw councillor and author of Hydrozagadka, Jan Mencwel, pointed to another factor contributing to the Vistula River's alarmingly low water level in the capital: removing sand from the riverbed. Mencwel shared on X: "In Western Europe, sand has not been extracted from rivers since the 1970s. The turning point came when the historic bridge in Tours collapsed, and it was discovered that sand extraction from the Loire contributed to the disaster. Unfortunately, this destructive practice continues unchecked in Poland, including Warsaw."

Mencwel further stressed: "There are currently at least five gravel mines operating along the Warsaw section of the Vistula. These are private businesses selling sand for just 20 PLN per tonne! It’s probably the cheapest raw material available."

He added, "It’s time to put an end to this. I am in the process of auditing the permits for gravel mines in Warsaw and will soon present the findings of my investigation."