Romania faces weekend heatwave up to 36 degrees alongside severe storm alerts
The National Meteorological Administration issued a nationwide advisory for 29 to 30 August, forecasting temperatures up to 36 degrees Celsius alongside severe storms and wind warnings.
Heatwave advisory and temperature extremes
The National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued a nationwide weather advisory for high temperatures and atmospheric instability across Romania. The official meteorological advisory takes effect on Saturday, 29 August at 10:00 and will remain valid until Sunday, 30 August at 21:00. Throughout this timeframe, the weather will turn hot across the majority of Romanian territory, bringing daytime high temperatures between 30 and 34 degrees Celsius. Lower maximum values will occur along the Black Sea coast and in mountain depressions, whereas western areas will experience isolated peaks between 35 and 36 degrees Celsius.
Thermal stress will present localized hazards in the western historical regions of Banat and Crișana, where humidity will exacerbate ambient temperatures.
In Banat and Crișana, local thermal discomfort will be high, so the temperature-humidity index will reach and slightly exceed the critical threshold of 80 units.
Convective storms and heavy precipitation
Alongside high temperatures, meteorological forecasters outlined a sequence of unstable atmospheric conditions affecting specific regions throughout the weekend. Instability will first manifest during the second half of Saturday in southwestern Romania and across the Western Carpathian range. Conditions will then spread during the night between Saturday and Sunday across central and north-eastern counties as well as broader mountain areas. On Sunday afternoon and evening, convective storms will shift locally toward the Eastern and Southern Carpathians.
The atmospheric instability will produce moderate torrential downpours, electrical discharges, and isolated hail measuring between 1 and 2 centimeters in diameter. Precipitation will accumulate rapidly in short durations, yielding between 10 and 15 liters of water per square meter within one to three hours, with isolated locations receiving over 20 to 25 liters per square meter.
- National weather advisory takes effect alongside a Yellow Code wind warning in Caraș-Severin.
- Atmospheric instability and storms develop in southwestern Romania and the Western Carpathians.
- Storms and torrential downpours expand across central and north-eastern Romania and mountain areas.
- Convective weather shifts locally to the Eastern and Southern Carpathians.
- National meteorological advisory concludes ahead of persistent heat early next week.
Wind warnings and regional alerts
Wind intensifications and localized squalls will accompany the storms, generating temporary wind gusts generally measuring between 45 and 55 kilometers per hour. In addition to the nationwide advisory, the National Meteorological Administration issued a targeted Yellow Code warning for wind in Caraș-Severin county. This warning takes effect on Saturday at 10:00 and lasts until 16:00, bringing sustained wind gusts between 50 and 70 kilometers per hour. Restricted areas across western and northern Romania will also experience localized wind gusts reaching speeds between 40 and 50 kilometers per hour.
Conditions in Bucharest and the week ahead
In Bucharest, meteorological conditions will remain dry and warm between Saturday at 10:00 and Sunday at 09:00. Skies over the capital will stay mostly clear during the daytime hours before cloud cover shifts overnight. High temperatures will persist beyond the expiration of the weekend advisory on Sunday evening at 21:00. At the beginning of next week, warm weather will remain entrenched across Romania, with heatwaves and high thermal discomfort continuing in the west and southwest.
