Climate of Romania

Climate of Romania

Where is the country of Romania located? Romania is a southeastern European country. Romania has a temperate maritime climate along the Black Sea coast, with warm summers and fairly mild winters. The interior has a continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation falls all year round, with the most rain in May and June. Characteristic for the climate of Romania is that the weather sometimes does not care at all about the climate averages. For example, it can be spring-like one week and downright winter the next, with temperatures dropping to values ​​that are perfectly at home in a freezer. In the summer you see that cool periods can alternate with serious heat waves.

Mountain ranges

The mountain ranges present provide a clear separation in weather type and can cause large differences in temperature and weather within the country. Because the areas west and north of the mountains are closed to influences from the Black Sea, there is more precipitation in that part than in the east of the country and temperatures in winter are often lower than along the water.

Extremes

Due to the mountains and the Black Sea, there is a reasonable chance of extreme weather in Romania. Heavy snowfall in the mountains and on the high plateaus is no exception in the period from November to March and the temperature can drop considerably, especially in the higher areas. In combination with a strong cold wind from the northeast, the crivăţ, it can get really bleak. With wind speeds sometimes exceeding 100 kilometers per hour, this wind current causes severe snow storms, which make traveling in the mountains almost impossible.

In the summer, Romania has to deal with other extremes. The low plains south of the Carpathians regularly have to deal with extremely high temperatures, up to forty degrees and sometimes even higher. Especially in a big city like Bucharest, where the heat is retained by the buildings and there is no cooling effect from the sea, it can get uncomfortably hot.

floods

Floods are regularly reported in Romania. It is especially frequent in the period from May to July. Heavy rainfall, sometimes in combination with meltwater from the Alps, ensures that the river Danube cannot handle the water and overflows its banks. With water displacements of sometimes almost twenty thousand cubic meters per second (!) the water has a destructive effect, which causes casualties and sometimes a lot of damage.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month Water temperature
January 2℃ -7℃ 2 10 7℃
February 4℃ -3℃ 3 10 5℃
March 9℃ -1℃ 5 9 6℃
April 16℃ 6℃ 6 10 10℃
May 22℃ 11℃ 8 11 15℃
June 26℃ 15℃ 9 11 20℃
July 29℃ 17℃ 9 8 23℃
August 29℃ 17℃ 9 7 24℃
September 24℃ 12℃ 7 6 21℃
October 18℃ 8℃ 5 6 17℃
November 10℃ 2℃ 3 8 13℃
December 4℃ -3℃ 2 10 9℃

Best time to visit Romania

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Romania? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result.

Best months for Romania

Its location in the east of Europe ensures that Romania has to deal with a continental climate that ensures cold winters and warm summers. The best time to travel to Romania is from May to September. This is the period with the greatest chance of spring-like or summer temperatures and a fair amount of sunshine. Romania is not a really wet destination anyway, so precipitation is hardly a determining factor in determining the best travel time. In fact, during what we consider to be the best travel period for Romania, the most precipitation falls in this country. May, June and July are the wettest months of the year in many places. However, the quantities are so limited that they are still not markedly wet months.

Round trips and city trips

If you want to travel to Romania for a round trip or a city break, you should consider whether or not you want to do it during the hottest summer months. In the capital Bucharest it is an average of 30 degrees during the day in July and August, but peaks well above 35 degrees are also possible. In large parts of Romania, the middle of summer can sometimes be quite hot and there is therefore a risk of heavy thunderstorms that usually puts a temporary end to a period with summer heat. We would prefer the period from the end of August to mid-October if it concerns a city trip or a round trip. Spring and in particular the period from May to mid-June would be our second option.

Sun holiday

Romania is located on the Black Sea and is therefore a sunny destination for some tourists. If you want to spend a beach holiday in Romania, it is best to wait until July or August. This is not only because of the air temperatures, but mainly because of the water temperature of the Black Sea. it takes a while until the water is pleasant. In July and August the water temperature is around 23-24 degrees Celsius. An additional advantage of these months is that it is the sunniest period on the Black Sea coast.

Winter sports

The Carpathians are centrally located in Romania. This mountain area reaches a maximum height of 2544 meters above sea level. The combination of cold winters and mountains provides excellent winter sports opportunities in Romania. It freezes in winter both during the day and at night. In January and February, severe frost at night is very normal. During the day it usually stays with light to moderate frost. Skiing or snowboarding is often already possible in December. January is fairly snow-sure, but also cold and the days are quite short. The months of February and March are the best time to travel for a winter sports holiday in Romania.

Romania