Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours
The climate of Varna is
slightly continental, with cold winters and hot summers.
The city is located in north-eastern Bulgaria, on the Black Sea coast.
Sometimes, when different air masses collide, a strong wind can blow.
In
winter, there are some mild periods, with highs of 15 °C (59 °F) and more. However, there can also be cold spells, with snowfalls too, during which the temperature can drop as low as -10/-12 °C (10/14 °F). The coldest record is -19 °C (-2 °F), recorded in January 2010.
Summer is hot and sunny, with rare rains.
While it is generally not too hot, there can be very hot periods, with highs of 35 °C (95 °F) or more. The record is 41 °C (106 °F), recorded in July 2000.
The
average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 2.1 °C (36 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 23.6 °C (75 °F). Here are the average temperatures (for the period 2003-2013).
Varna - Average temperatures| Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | -3 | 7 | 2.1 | 27 | 44 | 35.7 |
|---|
| February | -2 | 7 | 2.7 | 28 | 45 | 36.8 |
|---|
| March | 1 | 12 | 6.7 | 34 | 54 | 44.1 |
|---|
| April | 5 | 17 | 11 | 41 | 62 | 51.9 |
|---|
| May | 10 | 22 | 16.3 | 50 | 72 | 61.4 |
|---|
| June | 15 | 27 | 20.9 | 58 | 81 | 69.7 |
|---|
| July | 17 | 30 | 23.3 | 62 | 85 | 73.9 |
|---|
| August | 17 | 30 | 23.6 | 63 | 86 | 74.6 |
|---|
| September | 13 | 25 | 18.8 | 55 | 77 | 65.8 |
|---|
| October | 8 | 19 | 13.7 | 47 | 66 | 56.6 |
|---|
| November | 5 | 14 | 9.3 | 40 | 57 | 48.8 |
|---|
| December | 0 | 9 | 4.3 | 31 | 48 | 39.8 |
|---|
| Year | 7.2 | 18.4 | 12.75 | 45 | 65.1 | 55 |
|---|
amounts to 475 millimeters (18.7 inches) per year: it is therefore quite scarce. It ranges from 30 mm (1.2 in) in the driest months (August, September) to 50 mm (2 in) in the wettest (November). Here is the average precipitation.
Varna - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 40 | 1.6 | 9 |
|---|
| February | 40 | 1.6 | 9 |
|---|
| March | 35 | 1.4 | 8 |
|---|
| April | 45 | 1.8 | 10 |
|---|
| May | 40 | 1.6 | 9 |
|---|
| June | 45 | 1.8 | 9 |
|---|
| July | 35 | 1.4 | 7 |
|---|
| August | 30 | 1.2 | 5 |
|---|
| September | 30 | 1.2 | 6 |
|---|
| October | 35 | 1.4 | 7 |
|---|
| November | 50 | 2 | 8 |
|---|
| December | 45 | 1.8 | 9 |
|---|
| Year | 475 | 18.7 | 96 |
|---|
On average, there are around 2,200
sunshine hours per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Varna - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 3 | 90 | February | 3.5 | 100 | March | 4.5 | 145 | April | 6 | 180 | May | 8 | 250 | June | 9 | 270 | July | 9.5 | 300 | August | 9.5 | 300 | September | 7.5 | 220 | October | 5.5 | 165 | November | 3.5 | 105 | December | 2.5 | 80 | Year | 6 | 2205 |
The
sea temperature ranges between 7 °C (45 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F); it becomes warm enough for swimming in July and August. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Varna - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 8 | 46 | February | 7 | 45 | March | 8 | 46 | April | 10 | 50 | May | 15 | 60 | June | 21 | 69 | July | 24 | 75 | August | 25 | 77 | September | 22 | 72 | October | 18 | 64 | November | 14 | 56 | December | 10 | 50 | Year | 15.1 | 59.2 |
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Best Time
The
best times to visit Varna are spring and autumn, namely from mid-May to mid-June, a period when some afternoon thunderstorms must be put into account, and from mid-September to mid-October, a period a bit cooler but also drier. In summer, the heat is sometimes bearable, while at other times, especially in July and August, it can be intense.
The best months for a beach holiday are July and August. In June, the sea is still a little cool.