Climate of Hungary

Hungary is a country in the eastern part of Central Europe. It is about the same distance from the Equator and the North Pole. It is also far from the Atlantic Ocean. Because of where it is, Hungary has a temperate seasonal climate. This means the weather changes a lot during the year.

The climate of Hungary is affected by changes that happened long ago. It is also influenced by two major climate systems: the continental climate and the oceanic climate. These systems cause the weather to change often.

In 2007, Hungary was ranked sixth in an environmental protection index. This shows that Hungary works to protect its environment.

Influencing factors

The climate of Hungary is shaped by its distance from the Atlantic Ocean and the strong westerly winds. Hungary has a continental climate, but it is not as extreme as the climate in Eastern Europe. Cities in Hungary like Sopron, Putnok, and Tótkomlós have weather that falls in between the Atlantic coast and places farther east.

Hungary is located in the Carpathian Basin, and the surrounding mountains help control the winds and weather patterns. The climate is also affected by two important weather systems: the Icelandic Low and the Azores High. When low-pressure systems from Iceland move over Hungary, they bring cooler weather and rain. When the high-pressure system from the Azores is stronger, the weather becomes clear and dry, in both winter and summer. In winter, the Siberian High can sometimes send cold air from Siberia and Eastern Europe into Hungary.

Sunshine

Hungary gets a good amount of sunshine all year. The change in sunshine from north to south is small because Hungary is only about 3 degrees in latitude.

The sunshine changes with the seasons. In summer, there is more sunshine, while in winter there is less. The number of sunny hours each year ranges from 1,700 to 2,100, with the most sunshine in July. Even on cloudy days, there is still some sunshine.

Temperature

Hungary has warmer temperatures than nearby countries like Austria because of warm winds that blow over the Alps. This can make Hungary about 2.5 °C warmer than its neighbors.

The usual temperature in Hungary ranges from 8 to 11 °C, but it can get much hotter or much colder. The highest temperature ever recorded was 41.9 °C, and the coldest was −35.0 °C.

Hungary’s weather is good for growing crops, but cold weather in May can sometimes harm plants. The ground can get very hot on the surface, but deeper down, the temperature stays steady.

Wind

Wind helps shape the climate with its speed, direction, and ability to move air masses. High up in the sky, about 4,000 meters above the ground, winds blow mostly from the west across the country. Closer to the ground, most winds come from the northwest. East of the Tisza River, winds usually come from the north. The average wind speed across the country is between 1.5 and 2.5 on the Beaufort scale, which is about 2 to 3.5 meters per second. Changes in air pressure are small.

Precipitation

Hungary gets about 600 millimetres (24 inches) of rain each year on average. The driest area is in the east, near the Hortobágy, where there is less than 500 millimetres (20 inches) of rain a year. The wettest place is along the western border, with nearly 1,000 millimetres (39 inches) of rain.

Most rain falls in late spring and early summer. In the southwest, there is also a lot of rain in October. Some places, like near the Mátra and Bükk mountains, have over 100 rainy days a year, while areas along the Tisza river have fewer than 80 rainy days. In summer, the Great Hungarian Plain can get very dusty because of low rain, heat, and strong winds. Thunderstorms and strong winds are common in summer, and snow falls in winter from late November to early March. The snow is usually thin in the eastern part of the country, averaging only about 4 centimetres (1.6 inches).

Humidity

In Hungary, the air has more water in summer than in winter. On average, there is about 7.4 grams of water in every cubic meter of air. The western part of the country has the most moisture.

Terrain

Hungary's land and water shape its climate. Even though these features don't change the overall climate much, they create small differences in temperature and weather in different places. For example, areas around big lakes, like Lake Balaton, have their own special weather patterns. The type of soil, certain hills, and plants also help create these small climate differences.

Hungary has relatively small changes in height. But the difference in height between the flat areas in the south and the gentle hills in the north creates noticeable climate differences between these two regions.

Examples

Hungary's climate is shaped by its place in eastern Central Europe. It is halfway between the Equator and the North Pole, more than 1,000 kilometres from both. It is also about 1,000 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean.

The climate today changed during a time called the Holocene Era. It is affected by two big climate systems: one from the land and one from the ocean.