The incidence of winter wheat stem base diseases: Fusarium foot rot (Fusarium spp.), eyespot (Ramulispora herpotrichoides), sharp eyespot (Rhizoctonia spp.) and take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis) in the years 1999–2003 was assessed in this study. Previous crops were barley and oilseed rape. Eyespot occurred on the greatest percentage of plants throughout the whole period of the study. In 2000–2003 a deficiency of rainfall was observed, especially at the time of increased water requirements of plants.

The investigations were carried out in 1996–2005 on the fields of Agricultural Experimental Station Department of SGGW Chylice in Mazowieckie voivodeship. The occurrence of diseases was assessed in 1996–2000 on winter wheat cv. Kobra, and in 2001–2005 on cv. Mikon. Weather conditions in ten-year experimental period were differentiated and had a distinct influence on plant infection by pathogens, as well as on the level of winter wheat yielding. In the first part of experimental period (1996–2000) the weather was characterized by higher temperatures compared to long-term average and higher amount of rainfall, with the exception of the year 2000 when the summer drought occurred. The highest for that period grain yield (54.70 dt/ha) was obtained in 1998. This was related to the lowest total infection of leaf surface area (22.76%) and a relatively low index of infection of stem base by Tapesia yallundae. In that year mass of 1 000 grain was also the highest. The lowest grain yield (40.80 dt/ha) was recorded in 2000 due to summer drought. In 1997 characterized by a high level of infection by T. yallundae (eyespot) obtained grain yield was also relatively low. In the second part of the experiment conducted on cv. Mikon (2001–2005) the lowest grain yield was recorded in 2001 (28.85 dt/ha) when per cent of leaf area infection of 2 upper leaves by Puccinia recondita (brown rust) was very high (44.79%), and the highest yield was obtained in 2003 (57.27 dt/ha). This was due to a moderate level of total leaf infection (30.21%) with fungal pathogens and favourable weather conditions for wheat development. In that year mass of 1 000 grain was also the highest. The occurrence of stem base infection by Fusarium spp. was maintained in the years 1996–2005 on differentiated level and it was lower in earlier years compared to the later period. The infection of ears by Leptosphaeria nodorum and Fusarium spp. was usually not high and its influence on the amount of grain yield not clearly evident. Chemical control of diseases influenced grain yield increase which was the highest in 2001 when winter wheat leaves were heavily infected by Puccinia recondita. The yield increase on fungicide treated plots was in that year 53.15%. It was evident that brown rust may pose a serious threat to winter wheat in the years of its high occurrence.

The paper presents investigation results of the migration of a chemical compound contained in fly ash deposited on a dry furnace waste landfill site exposed to weather conditions. Climate conditions are able to significantly affect chemical component distribution in a block of deposited, moving chemical compounds to different depths. The main aim of the investigations was to determine the chemical component distribution of deposited fly ash in the landfill. Identification of chemical components based on XRF analysis indicated the existence of differences in both tested storage layer and the fraction of fly ash.

Due to unfavorable factors, dangerous conditions occurred in the delivery of electric energy in Poland. This was the most serious incident of its kind since the 1980’s. Such a serious incident raised concern about the safety of the electric power system in the summer and led to the formulation of conclusions for the future. In this article, the author analyses the conditions, which caused that situation. Poland was experiencing a doubt in August 2015, which along with an extremely high maximum daily temperature created remarkably unfavorable conditions for power plants and decreased the capacity of overhead power lines. Such unfavorable metrological conditions occurred not only in Poland, but also in Central-Eastern and Western Europe. It is worth emphasizing that the safety of electric energy delivery was endangered only in Poland. The improper renovation and upkeep policies, as well as unplanned outages in power plants caused a significant decrease of available power in the National Electric Power System. Unscheduled flows between Germany and Poland ruled out the possibility of importing electric energy at such a critical time. The author presents the correlation between the maximum daily air temperature in the sweltering heat and an increase in the demand for electric energy. Overall, unfavorable conditions posed a threat in the delivery of electric energy in Poland. In this article, the author draws attention to the report from the Supreme Audit Office (Najwyższa Izba Kontroli – NIK) from 2014, which predicted such a dangerous situation. Unfortunately, that report remained unnoticed. The author formulated appropriate solutions in order to increase the safety of electric energy delivery in the summer and to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Mid-winter rapid rise of temperature in the vicinity of Arctowski Station, King George Island (West Antarctica) was studied in 1991. Depending on circumantarctic migration of cyclones, sudden drop in air pressure and foehn-like phenomenon intensified by local topography occurred. Two such events are described on May 13 and June 28, against meteorological conditions during autumn and winter. Extreme intensification of morphogenetic processes caused degradation of a snow cover, immense meltwater discharge, radical transformation of slopes, effective aeolian activity and dynamic modifications in a sea-shore zone.

This article comprises an analysis of the variability of meteorological conditions on Kaffiøyra (NW Spitsbergen, Svalbard) in 2013–2017 in connection with atmospheric circulation and the extent of sea ice. The obtained results were compared with the results of observations made at the Ny-Ålesund station. Due to the situation of the area in the polar region and the large amount of clouds, especially in summer, the annual sum of incoming solar radiation was small, amounting to an average of 2,237.8 MJ.m-2 per year. The mean air temperature in the considered period was -2.0°C. Its extreme values ranged from 15.2°C to -23.8°C. In the annual course, the highest mean temperature occurred in July (6.5°C), and the lowest in March (-7.8°C). The mean relative humidity of air was high (83%). The prevailing wind directions were from south and north sectors and this coincided with the orientation of Forlandsundet. The mean wind speed was 3.6 m.s-1. In the summer season in 1975–2017, a statistically significant air temperature increase was observed, reaching 0.28°C/10 years. The high variability of local weather conditions was caused mainly by atmospheric circulation and the impact of sea ice was much smaller in comparison.

The aim of trials was to determine the efficacy of three doses of herbicides in different weather conditions. There were tested two herbicide groups: hormon type herbicides and sulfonylurea herbicides. Each of the herbicide (Aminopielik Gold 530 EW, MCPA 750 SL, Duplosan Super 600 SL, Granstar 75 WG, Grody! 75 WG, Lintur 70 WG) was applied in three doses: recommended dose, 1/2 of recommended dose and 1/4 of recommended dose. The herbicides were applied in the tillering stage of spring wheat. In some cases it is possible reducing doses of herbicides but decision about choice of herbicide type and dose should be considered in connection with weather conditions before application.