[steaua]

From time to time I'll post weather extremes and reports. In the next few days I'll make a review about this years extreme weather, cause we had some interesting events. Till then, the last 2 days extremes:

18-19 July 0600-0600 UTC:

Max: Giurgiu (GR): 32,1^oC
Min (< 710 m): Miercurea Ciuc (HR) 3,9^oC
Min (all territory): Varfu Omu (PH) (Omu Peak, 2504 m) 3,1^oC
Highest low (<710 m): Sulina (TL) 20,3^oC
Lowest high (all territory): Vf. Omu (PH) (2504 m): 7,6^oC
Lowest high (<710 m): Suceava (SV) 20,9^oC
Max precipitation: Botosani (BT) 3,6 mm


19-20 July 0600-0600 UTC:

Max: Giurgiu (GR): 35,3^oC
Min (< 710 m, al territory): Miercurea Ciuc (HR) 5,5^oC
Highest low: Oravita (CS) 23,3 ^oC
Lowest high (<710 m): Mangalia (CT), Joseni (HR) 26,9^oC
Lowest high (all territory): Vf Omu (PH) (2504 m) 11,6^oC
Max precipitation: no pp

This post has been edited by steaua: 20 July 2012 - 17:52

[Nigel Bolton]

Hi Steaua.

Looking forward to reading your reports.

Welcome to UKWW btw.

N.

[Stuart_W]

Just spent this week in Milan with a colleague from Craiova and I was moaning that it was too hot at 30 Deg c but she said it was blisfully cool as it had been 31 Deg C over the weekend.

[Dave K]

Well it's not Romania, but the language is the same...

I see that Moldova had a new national high temperature record for June on the 22nd with 40.1 °C at SM Fălești which beat 39.5 °C at the same location in 2007. The first ten days of July in the country were also exceptionally hot.

Here is the original news in Romanian in case the translation is wrong!

Quote

Record! În 22 iunie 2012 temperatura maximă a aerului pentru prima dată din toată perioada de observaţii instrumentale în lunа iunie a atins pe teritoriul republicii +40,1ºС (SM Fălești), fiind cu 0,6ºС mai ridicată faţă de valoarea maximală absolută înregistrată anterior în luna iunie (+39,5ºС, SM Fălești 2007).

Record! Temperatura medie a aerului în prima decadă a lunii iulie 2012 pe teritoriul republicii a constituit +25,7..+28,4ºС, fiind cu 5,4-8,5ºС mai ridicată faţă de norma decadică, ceea ce se înregistrează pentru prima dată în această decadă din toată perioada de observaţii instrumentale.

[steaua]

@Big Dave, you're translation is correct! We have about the same departures as our neighbours for the firs 10-15 days of July.

@Stuart_W: Especially for those living in the plains temperatures of 30 degrees are pleasant for summer. In fact temp highs of 35 are common in the lowland this time of year. 35 C is the heat wave threshold, hot weather or extreme heat. Here the term used is "caniculă". I don't think there's a literal translation for this. But the other side of the coin is the cold winter with continental specific.

The National Weather Administration issues yellow code warnings for heat only if max temperature exceeds ~36-37 degrees for more then 2 or 3 days on a relative large area and the thermal confort index exceeds 80 units.

@Nigel Bolton, thanks!

This post has been edited by steaua: 20 July 2012 - 20:22

[Dave K]

steaua, on 20 July 2012 - 20:12, said:

@Big Dave, you're translation is correct!

@Stuart_W: Especially for those living in the plains temperatures of 30 degrees are pleasant for summer. In fact temp highs of 35 are common in the lowland this time of year. 35 C is the heat wave threshold, hot weather or extreme heat. Here the term used is "caniculă". I don't think there's a literal translation for this.

The National Weather Administration issues yellow code warnings for heat only if max temperature exceeds ~36-37 degrees for more then 2 or 3 days on a relative large area and the thermal confort index exceeds 80 units.

@Nigel Bolton, thanks!

In France they say "la canicule" for heatwave or extreme heat too, a Latin derivation for the word something to do with the position of the "dog star" Sirius - for which we sometimes say "dog days"

[Sakis]

Big Dave, on 20 July 2012 - 20:23, said:

In France they say "la canicule" for heatwave or extreme heat too, a Latin derivation for the word something to do with the position of the "dog star" Sirius - for which we sometimes say "dog days"

"Dog Days" (Greek: kynica cavmata) (Latin: diēs caniculārēs) are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the Northern Hemisphere, the dog days of summer are most commonly experienced in the months of July and August, which typically observe the warmest summer temperatures. In the Southern Hemisphere, they typically occur in January and February, in the midst of the austral summer. The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, in close proximity to the sun was responsible for the hot weather.

The name
The Romans referred to the dog days as diēs caniculārēs and associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the "Dog Star" because it is the brightest star in the constellationCanis Major (Large Dog). Sirius is also the brightest star in the night sky.

The term "Dog Days" was used earlier by the Greeks (see, e.g., Aristotle's Physics, 199a2).

The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius rose just before or at the same time as sunrise (heliacal rising), which is no longer true, owing to precession of the equinoxes. The Romans sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather.

Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time "the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies." according to Brady’s Clavis Calendaria, 1813.^[1]

[steaua]

A short review of this years extreme events. Winter shows its fangs late in January, when the Siberian high coupled with a Mediterranean cyclone start the show. This was the worst winter in decades, considering the amplitude of the event and affected area. By late in March snow-storms followed by frost remained the main events. A few weather data from these days:

30-31 January country lows (< 710 m):

station / height (asl) / temp dgC

Intorsura Buzaului (708 m): -29,3
Brasov (535 m): -25,9
Tg Lapus (365 m): -25,6
Sf Gheorghe (524 m): -25,5
Alexandria (76 m): -24,7
Apa Neagra (251 m): -24,6
Bechet (37 m): -24,4
Rosiorii de Vede (103 m): -24,3
Baraolt (509 m): -24,1
Bailesti (58 m): -24
Miercurea Ciuc (662 m): -23,9
Tg Logresti (265 m): -23,9
Petrosani (599 m): -23,4
Sibiu (444 m): -23,3
Caracal (107 m): -23
Turnu Magurele (31 m): -22,8
Titu (160 m): -22,6
Fagaras (429 m): -22,5
Tg Secuiesc (569 m): -22,5
Dumbraveni (319 m): -22,4
Toplita (688 m): -22,4
Odorheiu Secuiesc (524 m): -22


In the first day of february the national low dropped to -33^oC at Intorsura Buzaului (708 m), a depression in the Oriental Carpathians. Once in 3-4 years the minimums drop below -30 dg C especially in the intramountainous regions.

1-2 February state lows

Radauti (390 m): -30,8
Tg Lapus (365 m): -30
Suceava (352 m): -28,6
Botosani (162 m): -28,5
Miercurea Ciuc (662 m): -27,9
Toplita (688 m): -27,5
Negresti (131 m): -27,2
Joseni (751 m): -26,6
Brasov (535 m): -26,5
Vaslui (117 m): -26,1
Bacau (185 m): -25,5
Darabani (260 m): -25,1
Adjud (102 m): -25

1st February, daily means for climate hours 0, 6, 12, 18, at some representative weather stations:



Weather around the country on 1st february at 6 UTC, 8 h local time:



Snow depth at all the weather stations in 14th of february:



February 2012 temperature mean and departures from multianual mean (1961-1990):




The incredible part is next, cause of the blizzard south-estern parts of the country were burried in snow, that reached the roof. Drifts of 4 m height formed in some places. Hundreds of localities were affected, many roads were closed, more than 60 people died.

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related


I will continue with spring and summer in the next days.

This post has been edited by steaua: 21 July 2012 - 06:11

[Dave K]

steaua - you certainly have an interesting and varied climate, and of course many influences from the Black Sea to the Carpathian Mountains. Some of us were following the extreme winter weather in January for Romania and Bulgaria which even stretched down into Greece with some truly epic cold!

I don't know if you are a rugby fan but maybe you remember this too from February: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=T4Z_ifAr_yA I think this was a really big shock for the Portuguese!

[steaua]

Not a rugby fan.
Maybe the harsh weather conditions have contributed to the result.

This post has been edited by steaua: 21 July 2012 - 14:10

[mam35]

Wow, thats some extremes Not had much dealings or know much about Romania, not sure what i expected the climate to be..but that is impressive

[Mesogeiakos]

Very nice to have some info and reports on Romania!I hope we could get some extremes from Bulgaria as well.They would also be interesting especially around Sofia

[steaua]

Extreme heat gives us further headaches. The second day this year when the high temperature exceeds 40^oC in the Danube valley. Till present in about half of the country the temperature means are above all time records. Isolated Thunderstorms with sparsely precipitation take place in the north. Tomorrow would be more likely that the approaching cold front will affect wider areas.

After an extreme winter we have an extreme summer. Who would have thought?

Temperatures at 1400 UTC




Thermal confort index at 1400 UTC

This post has been edited by steaua: 21 July 2012 - 14:38

[Mesogeiakos]

Yes,the south parts of the Danube valley is well known for its heat when u get heatwaves in Romania.Bucharest also is not doing bad.Generally the whole country can be boiling hot when Romania experiences heatwaves.

Steaua do you know what is the highest temperature ever recorded in Romania (and where?) that is officially accepted by your authorities?

This post has been edited by Mesogeiakos: 21 July 2012 - 14:40

[DG57]

I'm repeating myself but I like how these maps are made, these are interesting.

[steaua]

@Mesogeiakos, the official maximum heat record of 44.5^oC was recorded in Brăila County, in a village that is called Râmnicelu ( ex. Ion Sion) sotheastern Romania, in 10 august 1951. http://goo.gl/maps/hk4B

In 07.07.2007 the Country high reached 44,3 at Calafat, a record for July.

This post has been edited by steaua: 21 July 2012 - 14:58

[Mesogeiakos]

Cheers steaua!!

[steaua]

MorganeLanesle, on 21 July 2012 - 14:39, said:

I'm repeating myself but I like how these maps are made, these are interesting.

There is another map, a topographic type, but the colors are not so suitable :

http://i842.photobuc..._21_07_2012.jpg

Meanwhile, temperature has increased by one degree, At 15:00 UTC theres a high of 41C at Calafat.

Tomorow i'll post a report with todays extremes.

This post has been edited by steaua: 21 July 2012 - 15:19

[steaua]

21-22 July 0600-0600 UTC
Highest t: 41,3^oC - Calafat, Dolj County (Oltenia region)
Lowest t: 9^oC - Miercurea Ciuc, Harghita County (Transylvania region)
Highest amount of precipitation: 11 mm, Botoşani, Botoşani County (Moldova region)

[steaua]

Videos with some extreme storms from last week's storms:

15th of July:
Wind gusts up to 130 km/h (36 m/s) at Bacau Airport and up to 100 km/h (28 m/s) at NMA Bacau
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

part 2: youtube.com/watch?v=zjxwPQTkT-w

16 of July:
Hailstorm at Galati:
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

part 2: youtube.com/watch?v=d_soHGBVIi0

This post has been edited by steaua: 22 July 2012 - 18:02