Romania issues orange and yellow heatwave alerts as temperatures reach 39 degrees
The National Meteorological Administration placed eight counties under an orange alert from 20 August as a heatwave spreads across Romania with temperatures up to 39 degrees Celsius.
Nationwide heatwave and alert structure
The National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued yellow and orange heatwave alerts on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, alongside a broader general weather advisory covering most of Romania. The general advisory is scheduled to remain in force from 20 August at 10:00 until 24 August at 10:00. Over this four-day window, daytime maximum temperatures across the country will generally span between 34 and 39 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists expect the highest regional values in western and south-western areas of the country. The prolonged high temperatures will bring accentuated thermal discomfort to affected populations, with the temperature-humidity index (ITU) expected to reach and exceed the critical 80-unit threshold across broad areas.
- ANM issues yellow and orange heatwave alerts and a nationwide advisory
- Yellow and orange heatwave alerts take effect across Romanian regions
- Initial 24-hour yellow and orange alert interval concludes
- Nationwide weather advisory for severe thermal discomfort ends
Regional orange and yellow warnings
For the 24-hour interval running from 20 August at 10:00 to 21 August at 10:00, ANM established an orange alert for eight counties across Banat, western and southern Oltenia, southern Crișana, and south-western Transylvania. Maximum temperatures in these orange alert zones will range between 35 and 39 degrees Celsius, with peak levels concentrated in the extreme west and south-west. Concurrently, a yellow alert covers Moldova, Maramureș, Muntenia, most of Transylvania, northern Oltenia, and northern Crișana. Daytime highs under the yellow alert will range between 34 and 37 degrees Celsius. In both alert zones, the heatwave will maintain elevated thermal discomfort throughout the day, while overnight minimums will frequently stay above 20 degrees Celsius.
Four days of thermal stress in Bucharest
In the capital city of Bucharest, ANM issued a special municipal forecast detailing four consecutive days of severe heat lasting from 20 August at 10:00 until 24 August at 10:00. The capital falls under a yellow alert for the first 24 hours, during which sunny skies and light winds will accompany maximum temperatures of approximately 36 degrees Celsius and minimums between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius. For the interval between 21 August and 22 August, maximum temperatures in Bucharest will reach between 37 and 38 degrees Celsius, while minimums will sit between 16 and 19 degrees Celsius. Conditions will remain intense from 22 August to 23 August with highs between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius. During the final 24 hours up to 24 August at 10:00, Bucharest will experience maximums of 36 to 37 degrees Celsius and tropical overnight lows of 19 to 21 degrees Celsius.
High humidity index and tropical nights
Across the country, night-time conditions will offer little respite as minimum temperatures remain unusually high. In several regions, local overnight temperatures will not fall below 20 to 23 degrees Celsius, creating widespread tropical nights. The warmest nocturnal conditions will develop in the Western Hills (Dealurile de Vest), where minimum temperatures will reach between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius. The persistent elevation of the temperature-humidity index above the critical 80-unit benchmark will maintain physiological strain throughout the warning period. ANM indicated that the heatwave will persist in the following days, extending and intensifying across the majority of Romanian territory.
