Climate of Ukraine
General overview
Air masses from the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean have the greatest influence on Ukraine's climate, with a lesser influence from the Arctic Ocean. The microclimate of the territory is shaped by the river network, vegetation cover, urban development and other factors. Almost all of Ukraine lies within a moderately continental climate. Only the Southern Coast of Crimea has a subtropical Mediterranean climate. The climate formed in Ukraine is the result of the interaction of three climate-forming factors. The main climate indicators are: air temperature, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, and wind direction and strength.
Characteristic seasonal differences: winters are moderately cold, summers are long, warm or hot, with an average July temperature of 18-24 °C and January from -8 °C to 2-4 °C (on the Southern Coast of Crimea). Total annual precipitation for most of Ukraine is 600 mm, up to 1600 mm in the Ukrainian Carpathians, and 300-400 mm in the south and south-east.
According to medical climatological classification, several climatic regions are distinguished in Ukraine: north-eastern, central, western, Subcarpathian, Zakarpattia, and the southern climatic region.
North-eastern climatic region
The north-eastern climatic region includes Sumy, Chernihiv and Luhansk oblasts, as well as the northern parts of Kharkiv, Kyiv, Zhytomyr and Rivne oblasts. By its parameters, the climate of these oblasts corresponds to a continental type.
Maximum air temperature in summer reaches +39 °C, in winter down to -25, -35 °C. Easterly and south-easterly winds prevail, with northerly and north-westerly winds also common. Relative humidity is higher in winter than in summer; about 500 mm of precipitation falls per year.
Central climatic region
The climate of central oblasts of Ukraine differs from the north-eastern climatic region in being less continental, although the annual temperature amplitude is almost equal to that in the north-eastern part.
This region has a higher average relative humidity and, accordingly, greater precipitation. Westerly and north-westerly winds prevail.
The central climatic part of Ukraine includes Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr and other oblasts where many climatic resorts and summer destinations are located. Sanatoriums and health facilities include the resorts of Vorzel, Pushcha-Vodytsia, Irpin, Koncha-Zaspa, Boyarka near Kyiv, Teteriv in Zhytomyr oblast, Khmilnyk in Vinnytsia oblast, Sosnivka and Prokhorivka in Cherkasy oblast, Zanky and Vladymyrivka in Kharkiv oblast, and others.
The combination in this region of large areas of coniferous and mixed forests with steppe landscapes, a wealth of scenic places, and many rivers and lakes makes this climatic region very attractive for recreation and treatment and gives it special resort value.
Subcarpathian climatic region
The climate of Subcarpathia, which includes Lviv, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi and other oblasts, is significantly moderated by the penetration of air masses from the Atlantic Ocean. Summers are generally warm, winters moderately mild, although hot days with temperatures of +32-34 °C can occur, and in winter the thermometer can drop to -25, -30 °C. Precipitation totals 700-800 mm. Westerly, south-westerly and southerly winds prevail. Autumn and spring are rainy, with more foggy days.
Well-known balneological resorts operate in Subcarpathia - Truskavets, Morshyn, Nemyr, Lyubin Velky, Cherche and others. In Ivano-Frankivsk oblast and in the picturesque Prut river valley, mid-mountain climatic resorts are available: Yaremche, Vorokhta, Kosiv and others.
Zakarpattia climatic region
The climate of Zakarpattia differs significantly from that of the Subcarpathian region. Summers here are moderately warm, winters are not cold. Average air humidity in summer is about 67%, rising noticeably in winter. Different parts of the oblast receive varying amounts of precipitation. The great diversity of climatic features is determined by the Carpathians and the distinctive local relief.
The main wealth of Zakarpattia is its large reserves of mineral and carbonated waters, found in almost all districts of the oblast. They are especially abundant in Svaliava, Mizhhiria, Khust, Rakhiv and other districts, where numerous resorts and sanatoriums treat diseases of the digestive organs, liver, biliary tract and various metabolic disorders.
Mineral water is bottled industrially here (Svaliava, Polyana Kvasova, Luzhanska and others).
In addition to balneological resorts, Zakarpattia has 6 climatic sanatoriums treating patients with respiratory, circulatory and nervous system disorders. The largest is the Karpaty cardiological sanatorium, located in a dendropark in Svaliava district of Zakarpattia.
Fairy-tale landscapes and favourable climatic conditions attract ever more people to Zakarpattia oblast for recreation and tourism.
Southern climatic region
The climate of southern regions of Ukraine, which includes Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts, as well as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, is characterised by more sunny days, hot summers, and short, mild, moderately warm winters with little precipitation.
Resorts in this climatic zone include Sloviansk, Sviatohirsk (Donetsk oblast), Berezivski mineral waters and Rai-Olenivka (Kharkiv oblast), Berdiansk and Kyrylivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast), Yevpatoriia, Saky, Feodosiia (Crimea), as well as numerous resorts and recreation areas in Odesa oblast.
This climatic zone, despite its coastal location, retains many features of a continental climate, except for the Southern Coast of Crimea, whose climate is entirely similar to that of the northern Mediterranean. This is the warmest region of the European part of Ukraine. Summers here are sunny and very warm, winters mild and mostly frost-free.
Southern Coast of Crimea
The Southern Coast of Crimea, thanks to its exceptionally beautiful nature and excellent therapeutic climate, has become a favourite holiday destination for hundreds of thousands of residents of Ukraine, CIS countries and distant abroad. There is a large number of organised resorts, sanatoriums, holiday homes and boarding houses. The largest resorts of the Southern Coast of Crimea are Yalta, Livadia, Alushta, Hurzuf, Artek, Mishor, Koreiz, Simeiz, Foros and others.
Abundant sunshine, dry air moderated by sea breezes, low precipitation and picturesque landscapes provide favourable conditions for breathing and treating diseases of the respiratory, nervous and cardiovascular systems.