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Budapest is a spectacular
city. One of the things you will notice about Budapest is how vast and grand it is. The
buildings are enormous, the roads are wide and the city as a whole is just
immense. So it seems fitting that it has such a distinct, varied four season
climate with harsh winters and hot glorious summers. The Hungarian weather is
described as continental climate which is characterized by temperatures that
are cold enough to support a fixed period of snow each year and relatively
moderate precipitation year round with a fair amount of it occurring in the
summer months.
Precipitation in Budapest is fairly scattered across the year.
November on average sees the greatest ‘wet days,’ averaging 14
for the month. December, January, May and June each average thirteen wet days and
August and September see the least at nine and seven respectively. In saying
this May and November measure the greatest precipitation, measure 70mm to 72 mm
across each month. With these figures you can see that the rainfall across the
year is fairly sporadic with light precipitation falling in the months outside
of summer, but the warmer months seeing heavier but less frequent rain.
WINTER
Winters
in Budapest are
cold and bitter. In fact winters in Hungary as
a whole are fairly sharp, with minimums being known to fall to an achingly cold
-29 ºC. In Budapest
the winters can be piercing, but the relief is that they are relatively short
and they do see the occasional bright sunny day. If visiting Budapest in the winter keep in mind that in
the past, the thermometer has been known to plummet into the negative twenties;
so ensure to pack a decent, warm winter coat and a pair of gloves!
December
sees average daily temperatures of 1 ºC, a minimum of – 2 ºC and an average maximum
of 3 ºC. January sees the coldest temperatures, with an average of – 2 ºC.
Historically January has seen Budapest
reach painful lows of -23 ºC! Moving into February the city sees an average
minimum of – 2 ºC and an average maximum of 4 ºC. During this time there is
frequent, yet light, snowfall which sees the city coated in a picturesque
slight blanket of snow.
SUMMER
The
overall annual temperature of 9.7 ºC is fairly misleading, as summers in Budapest can get quite
hot. Its location with the Alps to the west and an open great plain to the east
mean that along with bitterly cold winters the city does experience hot summers
that, unlike many nearby popular costal resorts- is not broken up by an evening
Mediterranean sea breeze. In fact, when Budapest
gets hot the spectacular and grand architecture soaks up the heat, meaning that
even into the night the temperatures are still warm. Summer temperatures run
from about April through until September, and in the height of summer the city
basks in ten hours of sun daily. While July and August attract the greatest
number of visitors to the city, the longer days mean that you can fit in a lot
more sightseeing and do much of it once the harsh midday sun has weaned.
The
advent of global warming (scientists claim) has seen Budapest experience quite extreme summers of
late, summers which continue right through into the depths of September. June
sees an average temperature of 19 ºC, with an average minimum of 14 ºC and a maximum
of 24 ºC. July and August each see an average temperature of 21 ºC, with the
record maximum falling in these months when the mercury rose to a maximum of 39
ºC. It should be kept in mind that even throughout summer it is possible to experience
sudden showers, so be best equipped for this by carrying an umbrella with you
or being prepared to make a dash from the rain.
AUTUMN/SPRING
October
sees a period which is known locally as the ‘vénasszonyok
nyara’ which translates directly to mean ‘old woman’s summer,’ also known as
Indian summer. This is due to the continued sunny, clear days which are present
throughout September and into October. September sees an average temperature
of about 22 ºC, before falling to 16 ºC in October and falling again to 8 ºC by
November. Early autumn is a great time to visit Budapest as the summer tourist peak has died
down yet the weather is still very enjoyable and there is a still an abundance
of sunny days.
Spring,
like autumn, is also a great time to visit as the city has emerged from the
winter frost and the tourists have only just begun to trickle in. Like any
European city in spring, the trees have begun to bloom and the city is covered
in a wealth of bright flowers and striking green grass. Grass covers Budapest in an array of
different greens, a highlight of a city which sees mild rain all year round.
Come spring time you will see the open grass areas filled with locals and
tourists alike simply taking in the sunshine and making the most of this glorious,
grand and intriguing city. If you do choose to visit in the spring time, it
should be kept in mind that the weather in March and the beginning of April has
been known to be somewhat unpredictable, so if you are not a fan of
unpredictability then plan your Spring Vacation for the latter half of April
and into May. Spring temperatures average between 20 ºC to 25 ºC.
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