Climate zones in Romania, 1991 to 2020
Share of Romania's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 394,264 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 235,738 km²).
By major group: D (cold (continental)) 83%, C (temperate) 16%, B (arid) 1%, E (polar) 0.1%.
Romania has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Dfb (warm-summer humid continental), covers only 49% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Dfa (30%) and Cfa (16%). 5 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, warm-summer humid continental means warm summers and cold, snowy winters, with rain all year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 69% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Cfa (humid subtropical). The most common zone would then be Cfa (humid subtropical).
How Romania's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 30% | 17% | Cfa +14.4 percentage points | Dfb -16.6 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 52% | 38% | Cfa +37.8 percentage points | Dfb -18.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 69% | 57% | Cfa +55.6 percentage points | Dfb -30.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 84% | 75% | Cfa +62.4 percentage points | Dfb -42.1 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 66% | 49% | 30% | 18% | 7.1% |
| Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | 27% | 30% | 13% | 7.8% | 4.4% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 1.4% | 16% | 54% | 71% | 78% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 5.8% | 3.9% | 1.2% | 0.5% | - |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.1% | 1% | 1.4% | 1.9% | 10% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | - | 0.4% | 0.1% | - | - |
| ET Tundra | 0.3% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Romania and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bucharest | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | Cfa Humid subtropical |
Zones found in Romania
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Dfb. See data sources and licences.