Climate

Hungary has a continental climate, with cold, cloudy, humid winters and warm to hot summers. The average annual temperature is 9.7°C (49.5°F). Temperature extremes are about 42°C (110°F) in the summer and -29°C (-20°F) in the winter. Average temperature in the summer is 27 to 35°C (81 to 95°F), and in the winter it is 0 to -15°C (32 to 5°F). The average yearly rainfall is approximately 60 cm (24 in). The western part of the country usually receives more rain than the eastern part, where severe droughts may occur in summertime. Weather conditions in the Great Plain can be especially harsh, with hot summers, cold winters and scant rainfall.

In Budapest (elevation 120 m), average temperatures are at their lowest in January at -1°C (with a minimum of -4°C and a maximum of 2°C), and their highest in July, at 22°C (with a minimum of 16°C and a maximum of 27°C). Rainfall averages from 3 to 7 cm a month, with the greatest amounts falling in May/June and October/November (5 cm a month or more), with the least (less than 4 cm) falling in September.