We’ve all seen summers getting hotter and hotter this century, with more and more days that exceed 35 degrees. Extreme climatic episodes are becoming more frequent, including torrential rains, so that as much as 3 months of summer can fall in one day, according to ANM data. Recent years have surpassed the old records, but others still stand, even though they date from the 19th century.

Brief information

• The absolute record for the amount of precipitation in 24 hours dates back to a July day in 1999 in Drobeta-Turnu-Severin: 224 mm means that in one day four times more rain fell than the average for the whole of July.

• Among our rain poles are the mountain weather stations Stâna de Vale, Bâlea Lac, Semenic and Omu peak,

• The highest amount of precipitation in the world that fell in a 20-minute interval was 206 l/m2 and was recorded at the Courtes de Arges precipitation station on July 7, 1989. You can read more about the controversy surrounding this record here.

• The record for the wettest summer month was set in June 2011, when Balea Lac received almost 600 mm of rain.

• One of the oldest records dates back to 1884, when Timișoara experienced a fantastic long-term rainfall of 375 mm in June.

• In July 2021, Câmpulung Muscel and Baraolt received over 115 mm of rainfall, surpassing the 46-year record for these locations.

Rain and drought records in Romania

June 1969 was the wettest month of more than 800 consecutive months in the last 70 years. The deviation from the norm was more than 80%.

August 2005 and 2006 were fantastically rainy, with huge deviations from the norm: 131% and 107%, respectively.

However, this millennium brought many dry summers, and the month with the lowest rainfall across the country was August 2003, when rainfall was 68% below the 60-year normal. And August 2000 was super dry, as were July 2015 and 1989, as well as June 2003, 2000 and 1968.

There were also years when areas such as Calafat, Giurgiu, Alexandria or Beche did not receive a single drop of rain for more than a month.

Rainiest summer days (precipitation in 24 hours)

July 12, 1999, 224 mm in Drobeta-Turnu-Severin – an absolute national record. 224 mm means four averages for the whole of July.

August 30, 1924, 219.2 mm in Sulin

June 3, 1940, 204 mm in Calafat

August 28, 2004, Constanta, 201 mm

July 30, 1969, Drobeta Turnu Severyn, 171.7 mm

July 4, 1915, Calaras, 149.4 mm

July 16, 1906, Alexandria, 144.2 mm

August 25, 1970, Iasi, 136.7 mm

June 7, 1910, Bucharest Filaret, 136.6 mm

July 29, 1991, Pyatra-Neamts, 132 mm

July 16, 1998, Tirgu-Zhiu, 131.8 mm

In one day in June 1910, 136 mm of rain fell in Bucharest Filareta, and in one day in June 1985, 110 mm fell in Iasi.

In just 24 hours in August 2004, 201 mm of rain fell in Constanta, which is six times more than what usually falls in the whole month. In one day in August 1970, 136.7 mm of rain fell in Bucharest, twice the average for the whole month.

In Iasi on a July day in 1969, 125 mm of rain fell. In 1929, it was an unusually rainy July day at Omu Peak.

The rainiest summer months

June 2011, 588.4 mm at Lake Balea

June 1969. 552.2 m. Semenyk

July 1980, 519.1 mm at Sten de Vale

August 2002, 449.7 mm at Stan de Vallee

August 2006, 422.8 mm in Semenik

June 1948, 407.5mm on Vf Omu

July 1997, 385.4 mm in Semenik

August 1937, 372 mm per Ohm

July 1980, Vladeasa, 320.9 mm

Stâna de Vale is Romania’s “rain pole” with a long-term average of 1,631 mm, of which 192 mm is in June. In Vlădeasa 1800, the average annual figure is 1151 mm, of which 174 mm is in June. In Omsk, the average figure is 999 mm, of which 140 mm is in June.

In the old specialized books, there was a record recorded in Dolj commune, Chupercenii Vechi: 493.6 mm in June 1925, of which more than two-thirds fell in one day (348 mm on June 26, 1925).

Extremely rainy summer months in several major cities

June 1884, Timisoara, 375 mm

June 1940, Craiova, 298.5 mm

June 1897, Bucharest, 297.9 mm

June 1985, Iasi, 291.9 mm

June 1924, Tg Mureș, 277.1 mm

August 2004, Constanta, 259.2 mm

July 1913, Satu Mare, 232.8 mm

August 2005, Tirgu Mures, 227.7 mm

August 1923, Craiova, 229.2 mm

July 2001, Cluj, 218.2 mm

July 1991, Bucharest, 212 mm

July 1974, Iasi, 202.2 mm

Rains in the summer of 2021

In June last year, there was a drought in the west, there was almost no rain in Timisoara and it was +39 degrees, and there was an excess of precipitation in the southeast. The maximum was in Galatsia, where the previous record of 1985 was significantly exceeded with 285 mm.

In addition, on June 23, 2001, the amount of precipitation also reached 80 mm in Galaka, surpassing the record set 120 years ago. The monthly rainfall record of 1941 was broken in Harshov.

In July, there were places where there was almost no rain – Giurgiu, Videle – but there were also places where 24-hour rainfall records were broken. For example, Kampulung Muscel and Baraolt received over 115 mm of rainfall on 20 July 2021, surpassing 46-year-old records.

In August, there were places where there was almost no rain – for example, Calafat (only 2.6 mm), and on the peak of Omu, a record of almost 100 years was broken. More precisely, on August 29 there was 101 mm, which is 20% more than the value of August 18, 1928. For the whole of August last year, Kampulung Muscel received 70 times more rain than Calafat.

There was also heavy rain in Kampulung Muscel on 29 August, 104 mm, breaking the 1958 record.

Rains in the summer of 2022

In June, there was very little rain, in some places it fell 15-20 times less than the average values. The most precipitation fell in Bâlea Lac, 112.8 mm.

And in July there was both a drought and prolonged heat, but there were also serious rains. The most precipitation fell at the Sinaia 1500 station, 196.6 mm. 72.6 mm of rain fell in Campina during the day.

Photo source: Dreamstime.com