Romania Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, and Constanța
Summary
Romania recorded an elevated three-month period ending in July 2026, fitting into a summer of near-record global heat. While the country avoided unprecedented monthly records locally, prolonged dry conditions across Central and Eastern Europe depleted soil moisture and drove water levels on the Danube River down to critical lows. Globally, July land surface temperatures were the 3rd warmest on record, with elevated thermal conditions expected to persist into late summer.
This month in numbers
In July 2026, Romania recorded an average temperature of 20.69°C, standing 1.2°C above the 1961–1990 baseline to rank as 32nd warmest on record for the time of year in data back to 1940. Taking a broader seasonal view, the three months from May to July averaged 18.8°C, which sits 1.5°C above baseline as the 14th warmest such stretch on record. On a planetary scale, global land surface temperatures for the month reached 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly), marking the 3rd warmest July on record, while the broader three-month global land average ranked 2nd warmest at 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly).
What changed
Romania's warming trajectory reflects a long-term rise of +1.93°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Recent years demonstrate this upward push, with 2024 standing as the country's warmest year on record at 12.1°C and 2025 placing 5th warmest at 11.04°C. The three-month average of 18.8°C through July 2026 continues this pattern of elevated heat, even as temporary swings kept the single-month figure below the all-time high of 24.14°C set in 2012.
What’s driving change?
and atmospheric shifts across Central and Eastern Europe have reinforced warm, dry spells. As rainfall deficits accumulate, prevents natural cooling through evaporation, exacerbating surface heating during summer. All of Romania's 1 drought this year has happened in the past month. The ongoing regional drought affecting Romania and neighbouring countries is tracked on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts indicate that above-average temperatures are likely to continue across south-eastern Europe over the coming months, maintaining heat stress and dry conditions into 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 – Romania
Köppen Dfb · ContinentalRomania has a continental climate (Köppen Dfb: Humid continental - warm summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 21.9°C, while January is the coldest at -0.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 650mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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 – Romania
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 – Romania
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 – Romania
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Romania
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 – Romania
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dfb · ContinentalRomania has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±12.3°C) and a wet/dry cycle (3× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Aug (-12 mm, -20%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Romania
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 Romania changing?
Romania 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 Romania?
Romania has a continental climate (Köppen Dfb: Humid continental - warm summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 21.9°C, while January is the coldest at -0.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 650mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Romania come from?
Climate data for Romania 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 Romania climate data cover?
The Romania climate profile covers Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Romania
How often is the Romania climate update refreshed?
The Romania 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 Romania 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 Romania 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.