Romania Faces Weekend Storms and Yellow Weather Alerts for Heavy Rain and High Winds

Weather alerts across Romania

Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) will enforce a nationwide atmospheric instability advisory starting Saturday, 12 September, at 10:00 through Sunday, 13 September, at 22:00. Forecasters project torrential downpours, frequent lightning, small hail measuring between 1 and 2 centimetres, and wind squalls reaching speeds between 40 and 60 km/h. The instability will develop primarily across the eastern half of the country on Saturday before expanding into south-eastern, central, and southern counties on Sunday. Short bursts of precipitation lasting between 1 and 3 hours are forecast to generate water accumulations between 10 and 15 litres per square metre, with isolated areas exceeding 30 litres per square metre. The agency described the incoming weather system in an official release.

Weather will be generally unstable on Saturday in the eastern half of the territory, and on Sunday in the south-east and locally in the centre and south. Atmospheric instability will manifest through torrential downpours, electrical discharges, isolated small hail of 1 to 2 centimetres, and squalls with speeds generally of 40 to 60 km/h. In short periods of 1 to 3 hours or through accumulation, water quantities will reach 10 to 15 l/mp and in restricted areas over 30 l/mp.

Yellow code warnings in southern and eastern counties

Alongside the general advisory, meteorologists issued two targeted yellow code warnings for specific regions. The first yellow code warning takes effect on Saturday between 10:00 and 20:00 for Mehedinți and Dolj counties in south-western Romania, where sustained wind gusts will reach between 50 and 65 km/h. A second yellow code alert will activate at 14:00 on Saturday and remain valid until 05:00 on Sunday morning across eastern Romania. This warning covers the counties of Neamț, Iași, Bacău, Vaslui, Vrancea, Galați, and Brăila, as well as the mountainous sectors of Buzău and Prahova counties. In these eastern and mountainous zones, torrential rainfall will deposit between 20 and 25 litres of water per square metre, with local totals exceeding 30 to 40 litres per square metre alongside gusts between 50 and 70 km/h.

During Saturday, the wind will present intensifications in Mehedinți and Dolj counties with speeds of 50 to 65 km/h.

Sharp temperature contrasts and Bucharest forecast

The incoming system will create sharp regional temperature differences across Romanian territory throughout the weekend. Maximum temperatures on Saturday will range from 17 degrees Celsius in Maramureș to 32 degrees Celsius in south-eastern Muntenia and Dobrogea. Overnight temperatures on Saturday will drop to between 6 and 7 degrees Celsius in north-western depressions, while remaining up to 19 degrees Celsius in the extreme south-east. By Sunday, the cooling trend will spread into southern and south-eastern areas, bringing daytime highs down to between 18 degrees Celsius in northern Moldavia and 27 degrees Celsius in western Oltenia.

Bucharest will experience warm weather on Saturday, with afternoon temperatures reaching approximately 29 degrees Celsius under partly cloudy skies. Cloud cover will thicken by Saturday evening and night, bringing showers, possible thunderstorms, and rainfall accumulations between 3 and 10 litres per square metre. Overnight minimum temperatures in the capital will settle between 14 and 15 degrees Celsius. Conditions will cool on Sunday, with daytime highs in the capital dropping to between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius ahead of expected heavy afternoon rain showers before conditions stabilize on Monday.