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Climate - Bosnia Herzegovina


Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine

Flag - Bosnia Herzegovina

Map - Bosnia Herzegovina

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In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the climate is Mediterranean in the small stretch of plain near the sea (see Mostar), it is colder and more continental in the hilly and mountainous west-central area, mainly because of altitude (see Sarajevo), while it is continental, with cold winters and hot summers, in the northern plains (see Bihac, Tuzla).
Cold waves from the north and the north-east, typical of the Balkan Peninsula in the winter months, bring snow and frost in most of Bosnia, while they only bring wind and a bit of cold in the plain of Mostar.
Precipitation is abundant in most of the country, except in some sheltered valleys and in the northernmost area, near the border with Croatia.

Index


  • The western plain - Mostar
  • Hills and mountains - Sarajevo
  • The northern plain - Banja Luka

The western plain



The country has a very short coastal stretch, about 7 kilometers (4 miles) long, for the rest, the border is just a few kilometers from the sea, while the coast belongs to Croatia. The maritime area has a Mediterranean climate, mild but rainy in all seasons except summer.
Near Neum, the Adriatic sea is warmest in July and August, when the water temperature is 24/25 °C (75/77 °F), while it's still acceptable in September, when the water temperature is 23 °C (73 °F), and a bit cool in June, when it's 21 °C (70 °F).
Neum - Sea temperature
MonthCelsius (°C)Fahrenheit (°F)
January1457
February1457
March1457
April1559
May1864
June2170
July2475
August2577
September2373
October2068
November1763
December1559
Year18.465.1

Mostar

Behind this stretch of coastline, there's a plain, where the city of Mostar is located (but also the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje), which has a transitional Mediterranean climate, with winters a bit cold (in Mostar, the average in January is 5 °C or 41 °F) and hot summers (the average in July is 25 °C or 77 °F). In summer, owing to the location a bit isolated from the sea, hot days are possible, with peaks of 40 °C (104 °F). Here are the average temperatures of Mostar.
Mostar - Average temperatures
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January285364641
February3117375244.6
March51510415950
April81913.5466656.3
May132418.5557565.3
June162822618271.6
July193125668877
August183124.5648876.1
September152721598169.8
October112116527060.8
November71511455951.8
December3106.5375043.7
Year10201550.168.159

This is also a rainy area, where almost 1,500 millimeters (60 inches) fall per year, and the only relatively dry months are July and August, with respectively 40 and 50 mm (1.5/2 in) of rain. Here is the average precipitation.
Mostar - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January1355.310
February1305.19
March1154.58
April1104.39
May1054.19
June702.87
July401.64
August5023
September1003.96
October1706.710
November2007.912
December2258.914
Year145057.1101

In Mostar, the sun does not shine very often in winter, while it frequently shines in summer. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Mostar - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January3.5115
February4120
March5155
April6175
May7225
June8.5250
July10.5325
August9.5295
September7.5230
October5.5180
November4125
December3.5115
Year6.32300

Hills and mountains



If you exclude the small region near the sea, the rest of western Bosnia consists of hilly and mountainous areas, in fact, it is crossed by the Dinaric Alps, so the climate is colder. Let's start with the cities located at an altitude of a few hundred meters.
In Livno, about 50 km (30 mi) away from the sea and 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level, the monthly average temperature ranges from in 0 °C (32 °F) in January and February to 18 °C (64 °F) in July.

Sarajevo

In Sarajevo, the capital, 120 kilometers (75 miles) away from the sea and 650 meters (2,100 ft) above sea level, the average ranges from -0.5 °C (31 °F) in January to 19.5 °C (67 °F) in July and August; in the latter months, highs are around 26 °C (79 °F) and lows around 13 °C (55 °F), so nights are pretty cool. In winter, during cold waves, the temperature can drop to -20 °C (-4 °F) and even lower, while in summer, it can sometimes get hot, with peaks of 35/37 °C (95/99 °F), although it usually cools off at night. Here are the average temperatures.
Sarajevo - Average temperatures
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January-43-0.5253731.1
February-262284335.6
March1105.5345041.9
April4159.5395949.1
May92014.5486858.1
June112317527362.6
July132619.5557967.1
August132619.5557967.1
September102216507260.8
October61711.5436352.7
November2106365042.8
December-340.5273932.9
Year515.210.141.159.450

In Sarajevo, precipitation is not as abundant as in the coastal area, and amounts to about 900 mm (35.5 in) per year, but it's well distributed over the seasons. In fact, the rains brought by western frontal systems in the cold half of the year are replaced by afternoon thunderstorms in late spring and summer. In winter, there is a fair amount of snowy days.
Here is the average precipitation.
Sarajevo - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January652.611
February652.610
March602.410
April652.610
May903.512
June903.511
July702.89
August702.86
September803.17
October1054.19
November903.511
December853.311
Year93536.8117

The sun in Sarajevo is rarely seen in winter, while in summer, it shines quite often, though not as often as in Mostar and along the coast.
Sarajevo - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January255
February385
March4125
April5150
May6190
June7205
July8.5255
August7.5240
September6185
October5150
November2.580
December1.540
Year4.81770

Throughout this area of hills and low mountains, the wind is quite frequent. In Sarajevo, the south-west wind, which blows more frequently in spring, is similar to the Foehn, that is, a warm and dry wind descending from the mountains.

Sarajevo

In the high mountains, the climate gets naturally colder. The highest mountain is Maglic, 2,386 meters (7,828 feet), on the border with Montenegro. In Mount Treskavica, south of Sarajevo, at 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) above sea level, the average temperature ranges from -6 °C (21 °F) in January to 10 °C (50 °F) in July.

The northern plain



In the northern plains, in cities like Bihac, Tuzla, and Banja Luka, the climate is continental, with an average around freezing (0 °C or 32 °F) in January and around 20 °C (68 °F) in July.

Banja Luka

Here are the average temperatures in Banja Luka.
Banja Luka - Average temperatures
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January-54-0.5233931.1
February-272.5284536.5
March1126.5345443.7
April51711416351.8
May92215.5487259.9
June122518.5547765.3
July142720.5578168.9
August132720558168
September102316.5507361.7
October61711.5436352.7
November2116.5365243.7
December-351274133.8
Year5.216.510.841.461.651.5

Here too, precipitation amounts to around 900/1,000 mm (35/40 in) per year, so it's still quite high, and also well distributed because of the frequent thunderstorms in summer. Here is the average precipitation in Banja Luka.
Banja Luka - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January702.811
February702.811
March75310
April903.510
May1003.910
June1204.711
July7539
August652.65
September702.86
October1054.18
November1054.113
December1154.512
Year106041.7116

In Banja Luka and in the northern plain, the sun shines more or less the same number of hours as in Sarajevo and in the hilly area.
Banja Luka - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January1.555
February2.570
March4125
April5.5160
May6.5205
June7.5220
July9270
August7.5240
September6185
October4.5135
November2.570
December1.545
Year4.91780

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