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Where is the country of Ukraine located? Ukraine is a country in eastern Europe. In terms of land area, it is even the largest country that lies entirely within Europe. The geographical location ensures that Ukraine has a fairly capricious climate. This is partly due to the influence that the weather can have over neighboring Russia. In summer relatively hot air can be supplied, in winter Siberian cold.

Most of Ukraine has a temperate continental climate, type Dfb according to the climate system. The southern part of the country has a warm continental climate (type Dfa) and the Crimean peninsula on the south side has a maritime climate (type Cfa) thanks to the influence of the Black Sea. The seawater can have a tempering effect on the weather in Ukraine.

Dry climate

Due to its location, Ukraine is a fairly dry country, with less than five hundred millimeters of precipitation on an annual basis in most places. An exception is the north, which is slightly wetter. Precipitation falls throughout the year and there are no real wet periods. In the winter months, most precipitation falls in the form of snow or sleet.

The dry climate is also noticeable in the relative humidity, which is quite low. That is why the perceived temperature in winter is regularly slightly higher than the actual temperature and the warm days in summer are bearable, unless it gets hot, with peaks towards forty degrees.

Unpredictable

The weather in Ukraine is erratic and sometimes very unpredictable. The different elements that can play a determining role in the weather sometimes lead to a huge battle. It is possible that meteorologists in Ukraine predict a warm, dry day, but that, for example, a depression from the south is given space because a high pressure area above Russia moves east faster. The weather is very unpredictable, especially in the spring and autumn. Within a very short period of time, the weather can change from cold and bleak to sunny and spring-like or vice versa. This is particularly the case in the months of April and October.

Warm summers

Summers in Ukraine are on average on the warm side. The temperatures along the Black Sea coast can be compared with those on the Côte d’Azur in France and the Ukrainian coast is also not much inferior to the French Riviera in terms of sun hours. It is not for nothing that in the Soviet era the Russians with the better positions mainly stayed in this area of ​​the former Soviet Union, because traveling abroad was virtually impossible. Ukraine is still a popular tourist destination among Russian tourists and many wealthy Russians have a second or third home here.

Climate figures

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

Best time to visit Ukraine

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Ukraine? 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. Ukraine is a country located in eastern Europe. Due to its location, most of the country has a continental climate. It is mainly the moderate continental climate that dominates here. In the south, this changes through the warm continental climate into a strip on the Black Sea with a warm maritime climate. When you look at the weather in Ukraine, you have to distinguish between the coastal areas and the interior. Inland the winters are a bit cooler and on the coast you can see that it is easier to get tropical warm in the summer than in the interior. Ukraine is not a decidedly dry or wet destination. The chance of precipitation is slightly smaller than in the Netherlands. On the Black Sea coast, the chance of a rain or snow shower is even smaller. The seasons in Ukraine are roughly the same as you see in the rest of Europe. Winter starts about mid-November and lasts until early March. This is followed by a spring that lasts until the end of May. June, July and August are the summer months, after which the autumn lasts from September until about mid-November.

Most pleasant months

The best travel time for a holiday to Ukraine is from mid-May to mid-September. If you are going to travel around, make a city trip or celebrate an active holiday, it is better to choose a trip between mid-May and the end of July or in the first half of September. The months of July and August can be quite warm. These are therefore the best months for a sun holiday in Ukraine.

Winter sports

It may not be an everyday ski destination for us Dutch, but you can enjoy all kinds of winter sports in Ukraine. In winter there is enough snow for skiing or snowboarding. Especially within the Carpathians you will find various winter sports areas. The best time to travel for a winter sports holiday in Ukraine is from January to mid-March.