Bosnia and Herzegovina Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla, Zenica, and Mostar
Summary
Bosnia and Herzegovina has experienced one of its hottest May-to-July periods since records began in 1940, with temperatures far exceeding long-term norms across the region. The three-month span proved to be the country's 4th warmest such period on record, driven by persistent Mediterranean heat that swept across southern Europe and pushed regional thermal anomalies well above average. The recent July temperature continued this relentless trend, lingering nearly three degrees above historic baselines, with warm conditions anticipated to persist into early autumn.
This month in numbers
July 2026 recorded an average temperature of 21.36°C, standing 2.7°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This places the month as the 12th warmest July in 87 years of measurements, well short of the all-time high of 23.24°C set in 2024 but still well above historic norms. Globally, land temperatures for the month reached 15.8°C, marking the 3rd warmest July on record, while the broader May-to-July period ranked 2nd warmest worldwide at 14.34°C.
What changed
The overarching story for Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in the cumulative warmth of late spring and early summer. The average temperature from May to July reached 19.02°C, registering 2.8°C above average to secure the 4th highest spot on record. This sustained heat placed the country 20th out of 232 tracked global regions for three-month anomalies, sitting alongside a striking geographic pattern where six of the top ten global anomalies occurred in European nations. Long-term climate data highlights a steep trajectory, with the nation's warming trend now standing at +2.20°C above baseline, following 2025 ranking as its 3rd warmest full year at 11.66°C.
What’s driving change?
The elevated temperatures across the western Balkans were largely driven by stagnant high-pressure ridge systems creating persistent over southern and central Europe. Under these atmospheric blocks, further exacerbated heat stress, preventing natural evaporative cooling across low-lying valleys and river basins. Furthermore, because waters, continental interior regions absorb and retain atmospheric heat rapidly during prolonged summer ridges, elevating overnight low temperatures and preventing thermal relief.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate outlooks indicate that above-average temperatures are likely to continue across the Balkan Peninsula through early autumn.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Köppen Cfb · TemperateBosnia and Herzegovina has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfb: Oceanic / temperate), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 21.4°C, while January is the coldest at 0.9°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1063mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Dfb · ContinentalHow spring and autumn have shifted in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (8.9°C, from 1940–1969); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 21.9°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+4.5°C).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Bosnia and Herzegovina changing?
Bosnia and Herzegovina is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfb: Oceanic / temperate), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 21.4°C, while January is the coldest at 0.9°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1063mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for Bosnia and Herzegovina come from?
Climate data for Bosnia and Herzegovina comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Bosnia and Herzegovina climate data cover?
The Bosnia and Herzegovina climate profile covers Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla, Zenica and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Bosnia and Herzegovina
How often is the Bosnia and Herzegovina climate update refreshed?
The Bosnia and Herzegovina climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Bosnia and Herzegovina climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Bosnia and Herzegovina climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.