There’s been another barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks overnight in Ukraine, the latest wave of a campaign that’s lasted several days over the New Year period.
Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv yesterday evening, and Ukrainian military issued warnings of the attacks just after midnight Ukrainian time on the Telegram social media platform.
The head of Kyiv’s military administration told people to stay in shelters.
One man was reported to have been injured in the city by debris from a Russian drone.
The assault came after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he wished for victory and a “return to normal” for his country in 2023.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced that 400 Russian soldiers were killed on New Year’s Eve in Makiiva in the occupied Donetsk region of Ukraine.
Pro-Russian authorities said there had been casualties, but wouldn’t confirm the number.
Source: BBC
2023 already sets new temperature records
The first day of 2023 saw record-breaking temperatures across Poland, with a peak of 18.9°C recorded in Warsaw at noon yesterday.
It’s the highest January temperature ever recorded in Poland—the previous record was 18.6°C in the Lower Silesia province in 1999.
The warmest New Year’s Day in Poland before yesterday was in 2007, when the temperature reached 15.9°C, also in Lower Silesia.
Meteorologists said the exceptional weather was due to warm tropical air from northern Africa and south-western Europe flowing into Poland.
Tomasz Siemieniuk from the state weather agency said that such high temperatures are “very dangerous” for plants that are in their dormant phase at this time.
He added that “we must slowly get used to the fact that this… weather, unfortunately, may remind us more of spring and autumn weather.”
Source: tvn24.pl
Specialist help in schools receives funding boost
The minister for education and science has announced 1.8 billion zlotys in funding for specialist help in schools.
Przemysław Czarnek said that the money will maintain 18,000 jobs for experts including psychologists, speech therapists and special educators who were hired under a new wave of funding since September last year.
The minister called the funding “a very big expense, unheard of before.”
He added that it meant an 80 percent increase in the number of specialists in Polish schools and kindergartens.
Source: polskieradio24.pl
Annual Baltic dip sees in 2023 in Gdańsk
Swimmers in Gdańsk welcomed 2023 yesterday with the annual New Year’s Day dip in the Baltic Sea.
Fifty people entered the water at Jelitkowo beach, in a tradition of the Gdańsk Walrus Club that’s almost half a century old.
Many of the swimmers were wearing fancy dress costumes, including one Neptune, and all had smiles on their faces.
Unusually, the conditions yesterday meant that the temperature in the water was colder than on the beach, with 3 to 5°C in the water, and 15°C air temperature.
One of the swimmers, Wiesław Januszewicz, said he remembered starting the tradition in the early 1970s with a small group of friends, when there was snow and a bitter cold, and the mere thought of undressing made him cold.
Source: radiogdansk.pl
New Year’s fireworks keep firefighters busy
New Year’s Eve was a busy time for Poland’s firefighters, who attended around 700 fires caused by fireworks.
The spokesman for the State Fire Service, Brigadier Karol Kierzkowski, said that the fires had mostly been grass and bush fires near buildings, and fires in garbage cans, gazebos and garages.
Most of the incidents happened in the provinces of Lower Silesia, Silesia, Greater Poland and Mazovia.
In addition, the spokesman added that there were 24 interventions over the weekend for carbon monoxide poisoning, including 7 people injured.
Source: PAP
Weather
Wet and mild is the weather theme for Gdańsk today, with heavier rain expected this afternoon, and a high temperature of 12°C (53°F). Tomorrow will be cooler, around 7°C (44°F), and should stay dry throughout the day.
RGEN/AGC
