Hungary - The climate in short
In Hungary, a country located in Central-Eastern Europe, between 45 and 48 degrees north latitude, there is a
continental climate, with cold winters and warm to hot summers. The climatic differences between the different regions are small, although the climate is slightly more continental in the east, while in the south, the winter is slightly milder.
The average
temperatures in January are around freezing, ranging from -1/-1.5 °C (29/30 °F) in the north-east (see Debrecen, Miskolc) to +0.5 °C (33 °F) in the south-west (see Pécs). In July and August, average temperatures are around 21.5/22 °C (70.5/71.5 °F).
Precipitation is not abundant, but it is well distributed throughout the year. During winter, precipitation is quite frequent, and often occurs in the form of snow or sleet, while from May to August, thunderstorms can break out during the afternoon.
The wettest area is the west, where 600-700 millimeters (23.5-27.5 inches) of rain (or snow) fall per year, while in the rest of the plain, precipitation generally amounts to 520-550 mm (20.5-21.5 in) per year.
The
sun in Hungary is quite rarely seen in winter, while in the summer, it shines quite often. On average, there are nearly 2,000 hours of sunshine per year in the north and nearly 2,200 hours in the south.
On the shores of
Lake Balaton, which is large but not deep, the weather in winter is usually a bit milder and less dull, except during cold waves, while in summer, the breezes temper a bit the heat. In summer, locals go swimming in the lake.
The climate in detail
The seasons
In
winter, from December to February, gray skies, mists and fogs are frequent. Snowfalls are quite frequent, though not abundant.
Sometimes, cold air masses from Russia can lower the temperature by many degrees, down to -20 °C (-4 °F) in the worst moments.
Summer, from June to August, is warm and quite sunny, though with fairly frequent thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Sometimes, hot air masses from Southern Europe can raise the temperature to around 35 °C (95 °F) or even above, for a few days, usually in July and August, but sometimes also in June and September.
On the other hand, even in summer, Atlantic weather fronts can sometimes reach the country, bringing cool and rainy weather.
Spring and autumn are mild, but there are frequent changes in temperature, especially in spring.
Budapest
In
Budapest, the capital, located near the center of the country, the average temperature in January is -0.5 degrees Celsius (31 °F), while in July it's about 21.5 °C (70.5 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Budapest - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | -4 | 2.8 | -0.6 | 25 | 37 | 31 |
|---|
| February | -3.2 | 5.5 | 1.2 | 26 | 42 | 34.1 |
|---|
| March | 0.4 | 10.8 | 5.6 | 33 | 51 | 42.1 |
|---|
| April | 4.9 | 17.2 | 11.1 | 41 | 63 | 51.9 |
|---|
| May | 9.6 | 21.9 | 15.7 | 49 | 71 | 60.3 |
|---|
| June | 13.5 | 25.6 | 19.5 | 56 | 78 | 67.2 |
|---|
| July | 15.2 | 27.6 | 21.4 | 59 | 82 | 70.5 |
|---|
| August | 14.9 | 27.7 | 21.3 | 59 | 82 | 70.3 |
|---|
| September | 10.5 | 22 | 16.2 | 51 | 72 | 61.2 |
|---|
| October | 5.5 | 16 | 10.7 | 42 | 61 | 51.3 |
|---|
| November | 1.7 | 9.1 | 5.4 | 35 | 48 | 41.7 |
|---|
| December | -2.7 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 27 | 38 | 32.6 |
|---|
| Year | 5.6 | 15.8 | 10.7 | 42 | 60.5 | 51 |
|---|
In Budapest, 525 millimeters (20.7 inches) of rain fall per year, with a minimum from January to April and a maximum in June. Here is the average precipitation.
Budapest - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 35 | 1.4 | 6 |
|---|
| February | 30 | 1.2 | 6 |
|---|
| March | 30 | 1.2 | 6 |
|---|
| April | 35 | 1.4 | 6 |
|---|
| May | 55 | 2.2 | 8 |
|---|
| June | 60 | 2.4 | 7 |
|---|
| July | 55 | 2.2 | 6 |
|---|
| August | 50 | 2 | 6 |
|---|
| September | 45 | 1.8 | 6 |
|---|
| October | 45 | 1.8 | 6 |
|---|
| November | 45 | 1.8 | 7 |
|---|
| December | 40 | 1.6 | 7 |
|---|
| Year | 525 | 20.7 | 75 |
|---|
In Budapest, there are around 2,100 hours of sunshine per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Budapest - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 2.5 | 75 | February | 3.5 | 95 | March | 5 | 150 | April | 7 | 210 | May | 8.5 | 265 | June | 9 | 275 | July | 9.5 | 290 | August | 9 | 280 | September | 6.5 | 195 | October | 5 | 150 | November | 3 | 85 | December | 2 | 60 | Year | 5.8 | 2130 |
Hills and mountains
Hungary is largely a flat country, occupied by the Great Hungarian Plain (
Alföld), however, in the north and west, we find
hills and low mountains. In the west, on the border with Austria, we find
Alpokalja, which is actually the easternmost part of the Alps; the highest point, in the Koszegi Landscape Protection Area, is
Írott-ko, at 882 meters (2,894 ft).
In the north-west, we find the Transdanubian Mountains. To the north of Lake Balaton, it is possible to ski in winter in the
Intersport Síaréna Eplény. Northwest of Budapest, we find the Visegrád Hills and the Pilis Mountains.
Moreover, in the north-east, we have the North Hungarian Mountains, where we find the highest peak in Hungary, Mount Kékes, 1.014 meters (3.327 ft) high.
When to go
The best periods to visit Hungary are spring and autumn, in particular, the months of
May, June and September. The height of summer, in July and August, is generally a good period as well, although it can sometimes get very hot.
What to pack
In
winter: bring warm clothing, a sweater, a down jacket, gloves and a scarf, and a raincoat or umbrella.
In
summer: bring light clothes, a T-shirt and shorts, but also long pants, a light jacket and a sweater for the evening and for cooler days, and a raincoat or umbrella.
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