Balaton weather forecast at the four most-visited cities near the lake. Balatonfüred, Siófok, Keszthely and Tihany.
Don’t be caught off guard. Plan your holiday around the Balaton. Check out the actual and the predicted weather forecasts.
BALATONFÜRED WEATHER
The Balaton microclimate
Balaton lies close to the south-western border of the Carpathian Base.
Near Lake Balaton, the Ocean and Mediterranean effects are stronger than usual. The average number of hours of sunshine is around 2000 per year, and between July and September only 5-6 cloudy days are predicted.
The hottest months are June, July and August. Near Balaton the sunniest month is June. The least amount of rain falls in August and September at Balaton, in average there are 6-6 rainy days.
The lake itself has a significant impact on the microclimate. The large amount of water affects the air’s temperature as well, so during summer it’s milder around the lake, during autumn and winter it’s warmer, and during spring it’s colder further from the lake. The difference between night- and daytime temperatures is significantly smaller as well at the waterfront.
The shallow water of the lake is easily warmed by the sun, so the maximum temperature of the lake can reach 28-29 degrees.
The official measurement of the water temperature is done in Siófok, at 1m depth. In calm weather, the water at the top can be a couple of degrees higher than this, and deeper it can be colder. During bigger storms, due to the waves these numbers mix up, and the water’s “official” temperature significantly drops.
During most winters, Balaton freezes over, the thickness of the ice can reach up 20-30 cm. Chance to play hockey and ice-skating becomes available and the designated areas, with the help of lifeguards.
Balaton storms
You have to be careful of the Balaton storms! There can be over hundreds of thousands of swimmers, people in boats, paddling boats, sailors on a summer day in Balaton, who are exposed to the lake’s whimsical weathers.
You don’t have to imagine devastating storms. But even on days with clear skies the southern wind, which can be seen as a gentle breeze to bathers at the southern part of the Balaton, can cause troubles. The further you are from the waterfront, the stronger is the wind, and often enough, by the time people on the mattresses and paddlers realise, the strength of the wind is so strong, they can’t get to the shore. Often the motorboating water officers save the people in trouble.
From the 1st of April, the 46 storm alerting stations, as well as solar panelled signal stations built underwater, will be operational in Balaton.
The first-degree storm warning will alert 40-60km/h winds, and the second-degree warning will alert winds that exceed 60 km/h. These signals will be given half an hour, an hour-and -half before the wind gets stronger.
During the first-degree signal the device will flash 45 within a minute. At this time, boats and other sport equipments can only be used within 500 m from the shore, and this is the are where swimmers are allowed as well. During a second-degree alert, the device will flash 90 times within a minute, at this time it’s forbidden to swim, or use a boat or any other sport equipment. Sailing boats are exceptions.
If on a beautiful sunny day, we spot a valid storm alert, it’s important to remember this.