A team of Polish firefighters left for Turkey on Friday to help fight off the wildfires that have been ravaging southern parts of the country.

The rescue team comprises six firefighters and is expected to take part in extinguishing the blazes as well as in evacuation efforts. Some of the Polish firefighters are traveling by land, while others are scheduled to fly out by helicopter today. The team is scheduled to return to Poland in mid-August.

Turkey has been battling the flames raging in the south of the country for the past nine days. Teams from several European Union countries, including Croatia, Spain, Greece, and Sweden, are taking part in the firefighting effort, according to the IAR news agency.

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau on Thursday offered support for Turkey in dealing with the wildfires, which have killed at least eight people and destroyed large areas of forest.

Source: Radio Poland

Polish athletes had another great day in Tokyo, pushing Poland’s overall medal count to 13 after winning medals and breaking world records in race walking, speed climbing, sprint canoeing, and javelin throwing.

Poland’s Dawid Tomala on Friday stunned the field and won a surprise gold in the Olympic men’s 50km race walk to bag his country’s 11th medal.

The 31-year-old cruised to victory after taking the lead just before the midpoint of the race, finishing just ahead of Germany’s Jonathan Hilbert and Canada’s Evan Dunfee.

27-year-old Aleksandra Mirosław also set a world record in speed climbing after reaching the top of a 15-meter wall in 6.84 seconds to win the first leg of her three-event Olympic final.

The previous world record of 6.96 seconds was set last year by Russian climber Iuliia Kaplina, who is not competing this year.

Maria Andrejczyk later added to Poland’s rising medal count after winning the silver in the women’s javelin throw, coming in just behind China’s Shiying Liu and Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia.

Andrejczyk secured her first Olympic medal, after finishing fourth at the previous Games in Rio de Janeiro five years ago. She is the second Polish female javelin thrower to win an Olympic medal, after Maria Kwaśniewska, who claimed bronze at the Berlin Games in 1936.

And finally, the four-person canoeing team of Karolina Naja, Anna Puławska, Justyna Iskrzycka, and Helena Wiśniewska brought Poland’s medal count to 13 early this morning after taking a bronze in the Women’s K-4 500 meters spring canoeing event.

Polish athletes have so far earned four gold, four silver, and five bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which finish tomorrow.

Source: Radio Poland

Drivers are reminded that traffic on Al. Niepodległości in Sopot will again be restricted to the eastbound lane in each direction due to continuing road repairs.

From 5:30 pm on Friday until 6 am on Monday morning, a section of the eastbound lanes of Al. Niepodległości in the direction of Gdańsk will be closed. The construction will primarily affect the intersection of Aleja Niepodległości and Ulica Generała Józefa Wybickiego, along with a fragment of Malczewskiego Street – near the forest section between the Sopotkowo Shelter and Kolberga Street.

Traffic will be rerouted to use the two westbound lanes in the direction of Gdynia. Buses and trolleybuses, including night busses, will still be running, but passengers should be advised that the „Sopot PKP-Niepodległości 02” stop has been moved further down the street in the direction of Gdynia.

Work is scheduled to be conducted primarily at night, but drivers wanting to access Sopot using this route are being advised to use alternate means of transportation or an alternate route.

Source: Radio Poland

Weather

Today will be mostly sunny and warm, with winds coming in from the west and very little chance of rain. Temperatures will peak around a high of 24°C, or 75°F, cooling off overnight to a low of 16°C or 61°F. There will be a chance for rain overnight, with a good chance for rain Sunday morning before clearer skies return in the afternoon.

This has been the Radio Gdańsk News and weather. Take care of yourself and stay safe.

Elizabeth Peck/raf