Climate of Hungary



The climate of Hungary is characterized by its position. Hungary is in the eastern part of Central Europe, roughly equidistant from the Equator and the North Pole, more than 1000 km from both and about 1,000 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean.

Its climate is the result of environmental changes during the Holocene Era and the result of the interaction of two major climate systems: the continental climate and the oceanic climate. The influence of both of these systems is felt across the country at different times, and the weather changes frequently. Hungary has a temperate seasonal climate.

In 2007, Hungary was ranked sixth in an environmental protection index by Globalwatch and Climate Action Network.

Influencing factors
The climate of Hungary is influenced by its distance from the Atlantic and the prevailing westerly winds. The continental character of the Hungarian climate is far from being as extreme as in Eastern Europe. The following example can illustrate the degree of continentality: if the Atlantic coast is taken as zero and Verkhoyansk in Siberia as 100, then Sopron (Western Hungary), Putnok (Northern Hungary), and Tótkomlós (South-Eastern Hungary) would be 27.3, 30.4 and 34, respectively. The depressions of the temperate zone follow the path of the westerly winds and bring heavy rains to the country.

The country's situation within the geographical region of the Carpathian Basin is also important. The surrounding mountain ranges modify the impact of winds and other climatic forces progressing toward the country.

Hungary's climate is influenced by two more or less permanent action centres of the temperate zone, the Icelandic Low and the Azores High. Depressions originating from the Iceland zone travel across the country, bringing cool weather and rain. When the Azores high gains ascendancy, the weather is bright and dry, both winter and summer. Besides the permanent ones, there is an important seasonal action centre too, the Siberian High, which exerts its influence from time to time in winter, when the cold air masses over Siberia and Eastern Europe are driven across the Carpathian mountains and settle for some time over the Carpathian Basin.

Sunshine
From north to south, Hungary differs by only about 3 degrees of latitude. The seasonal variance in the angle of incidence of the Sun's rays is, therefore, about 3°. The annual total insolation of the surface of the country varies between 80 and 110 kcal/cm2.

The seasonal distribution of sunshine varies between 70 kcal/cm2 in summer and 20 kcal/cm2 in winter.

It varies a little by longitude, from 60 to 70 kcal/cm2 in the west to 100 to 110 kcal/cm2 in the south-east.

The average hours of sunshine vary between 1,700 and 2,100 a year (at Sopron, 1,700 hours, in Szeged, 2,068 hours). The maxima at both are in July.

The annual average of completely overcast days varies between 70 and 190. The actual hours of sunshine – that is, any sunshine on a day – reaches almost half of that possible – 46%. (London, by comparison, has about 33 percent a year).

Temperature
Even in Hungary, the temperature is warmer than, for example, neighbouring Austria because of the south flow over the Alps of the Gulf Stream. This aberration or anomaly can be as much as 2.5 C-change. Towards the east, this gradually diminishes.

The average temperature in Hungary is 8 to 11 C. The difference between the north and the south is only 3 C-change because of the relatively small distance between the south and north. For instance, the mean temperature in Southern England, Massif Central in France, and Switzerland is the same, but in Hungary, there are much greater extremes from summer to winter.

The highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Hungary was 41.9 C at Kiskunhalas on 20 July 2007. The lowest temperature to have ever been recorded in Hungary was -35.0 C at Görömbölytapolca on 16 February 1940.

Agronomy
The heat total during Hungary's growing season rises above 3000 C over much of the country, which is very favorable to agriculture in Hungary, but frosts in May can present a serious hazard to crops.

The soil surface fluctuates between even wider extremes, with potential to exceed 100 C in its annual temperature range. 20 m below the surface, this fluctuation ceases, and the temperature is constant at 11 C. The average depth of surface frosts is 25 to 35 cm.

Budapest lies on the boundary between hardiness zones 6 and 7.

Wind
The wind exerts a strong influence on the other climatic elements by its velocity, direction, and ability to mobilize the air masses. At an altitude independent of the relief effect, about 4,000 m, westerly currents predominate over the country. Closer to the surface, over the greater part of the country, north-westerly winds predominate, but east of the Tisza River, northerly winds prevail. As regards wind velocity, the mean annual value varies between 1,5 and 2,5 on the Beaufort scale (2 and 3" 5 m/s) over the whole country. The changes in atmospheric pressure are not very significant.

Precipitation
The average annual precipitation across the country is 600 mm. The driest parts of the country are in the east, where, for example, in the Hortobágy, the annual precipitation remains below 500 mm. The maximum of rain, nearly 1000 mm, falls at Hungary's western borders.

As is characteristic of the continental climate, the most precipitation occurs in late spring and early summer. In the southwestern region, a second maximum occurs during October under the influences of the Mediterranean climate.

The number of rainy days is over 100 in the southwestern borderland, as well as in the area of the Mátra and Bükk mountains, but less than 80 along the middle section of the river Tisza. Low precipitation, heat, and strong evaporation make the Great Hungarian Plain very dusty in summer.

Thunderstorms and gales are common, particularly in the summer months. In winter, from the end of November to the beginning of March, precipitation falls partly in the form of snow. The snow cover varies considerably. The thinnest snow cover is found in the eastern region of the Great Plain (with the annual average being 4 cm). Often, winter corn remains open to the elements when farmers do not expect any hard frost.

Humidity
In Hungary, the air humidity is higher in summer than in winter. The annual average water vapor content is 7.4 g/m3 at a hydrostatic pressure of 7.3 mm. The highest relative water vapor content (over 75%) is found in the western borderland.

Terrain
The surface of the country and the hydrology of Hungary also affect the climate. Their general influence on the macroclimate is negligible, but they affect the meso- and microclimates. A good example is the microclimate of the surroundings of the Great Lakes, especially that of Lake Balaton. But bare sandy surfaces, hills (of calcium carbonate such as dolomite) such as the hills surrounding Buda, and even the kind of vegetation also have an influence on the meso- and microclimates.

The relief energy of Hungary, that is, the differences in altitude in the country (in other words, its hydroelectric potential), is relatively small. Still, the 400 to 900 m difference in altitude between the Great Hungarian Plain and the shallow northern mountain ranges is enough to produce clear differences in the climates of the two areas.