Romania under orange and yellow storm and heatwave warnings: severe wind, hail and torrential rain until Tuesday
Romania's weather service issued multiple orange and yellow alerts on 20 July, forecasting torrential rain, large hail and wind gusts of up to 90 km/h, while the south endures a heatwave with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius.
Warnings in effect
The Administrația Națională de Meteorologie (ANM) activated a series of colour-coded weather alerts on Monday, 20 July, covering large parts of Romania. The warnings combine intense heat in southern regions with violent storms, hail and torrential rain across the east, centre and mountainous areas.
In Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov county, an orange code for torrential downpours, strong gusty winds and hail was in force, alongside a yellow heat advisory that runs until Tuesday morning. The Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU) urged residents to avoid outdoor activities.
Postpone outdoor activities.
Heatwave baking the south
Southern Oltenia, southern, central and eastern Muntenia, and southwestern Dobrogea remain under a yellow heat code from 10:00 to 21:00 on Monday. Maximum temperatures will reach 34 to 35 degrees Celsius and the temperature-humidity index (ITU) will exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. Overnight lows will stay around 19 to 20 degrees, marking a tropical night. The heat code is active until Tuesday morning, keeping thermal discomfort elevated.
Severe storms with large hail and torrential rain
An orange warning for severe atmospheric instability is in force from 12:00 to 22:00 on Monday across most of Moldova, northern and central Muntenia, northern Dobrogea and locally in the Southern and Eastern Carpathians. ANM forecasts torrential downpours, frequent lightning, strong wind gusts of 70 to 90 km/h, and hail of medium to possibly large size, with diameters between 2 and 5 centimetres. Rainfall totals are expected to reach 25 to 50 litres per square metre in short intervals, locally exceeding 60 to 70 litres per square metre.
- Yellow codes for heat and general instability come into effect.
- Orange code for severe storms starts across Moldova, northern and central Muntenia and northern Dobrogea.
- Yellow heat code expires.
- Orange storm code and daytime yellow instability end; overnight yellow warning begins.
- Overnight yellow code ends; new yellow code for Tuesday daytime starts.
- Tuesday yellow code expires.
Yellow warnings for wider areas
A broader yellow code covers Muntenia, Dobrogea, Moldova, eastern and southeastern Transylvania, and much of the Carpathians from 10:00 to 22:00 Monday. The same type of phenomena (torrential rain, lightning, wind gusts of 50 to 70 km/h (isolated over 80 km/h) and hail of 1 to 3 cm) are forecast. Rain amounts are set at 20 to 30 litres per square metre, locally above 40 to 50 litres per square metre.
- Yellow code 20 Jul (daytime)
- 50 l/mp
- Orange code 20 Jul
- 70 l/mp
- Yellow code 20-21 Jul (night)
- 30 l/mp
- Yellow code 21 Jul (daytime)
- 50 l/mp
Night and Tuesday outlook
After the orange code expires at 22:00, a yellow warning for heavy rain and wind remains in place overnight until Tuesday morning in Dobrogea, most of Muntenia and locally in the Southern Carpathians. Wind gusts of 50 to 70 km/h and 15 to 20 litres per square metre of rain (isolated over 30) are possible. On Tuesday, between 10:00 and 22:00, a fresh yellow code for instability will affect Muntenia, Dobrogea, southern Moldova and the Curvature Carpathians, with similar rain amounts of 20 to 30 litres per square metre, gusts up to 80 km/h and small to medium hail. Thermal discomfort will persist in the southern and eastern parts, with the ITU staying close to 80 units.
