According to data published by the National Meteorological Administration (ANM), the first ten days of October 2025 brought record amounts of precipitation in the south and southeast of the country, in some places even exceeding 70-year-old historical maximums.

In just ten days, 51 weather stations recorded over 100 l/m2, and nine of them set absolute monthly records, exceeding the maximum values ever recorded in October.

Historical records in the south of the country

The highest amounts of precipitation accumulated in Muntenia, Oltenia and Dobrogea, where torrential rains and successive episodes of atmospheric instability led to exceptional values.

Giurgiu recorded 249.5 l/sq m in the first ten days of the month, compared to the previous record of 178.8 l/sq m set in 1944.

• Zimnicea – 234.2 l/sq m (previous record 144.2 l/sq m / 1944)
• Hârșova – 176.5 l/sq m (123.4 l/sq m / 1972)
• Constanța – 163.6 l/sq m (159.3 l/sq m / 2013)
• Fetești – 158.1 l/sq m (121.3 l/sq m / 1972)
• Slatina – 157.9 l/sq m (130.2 l/sq m / 2007)
• Oltenița – 146.9 l/sq m (132.1 l/sq m / 2002)
• Bucharest-Băneasa – 141.8 l/sq m (131.8 l/sq m / 2017)
• Bucharest-Afumati – 134.2 l/sq m (130.4 l/sq m / 1972)

These values not only exceed historical monthly records, but in some cases approach the average amounts of precipitation that normally fall in two to three months of autumn.

An October with enough rain for an entire season

Maps published by the National Meteorological Agency (ANM) show a rainfall anomaly unprecedented in the last 50 years. The average rainfall at the national level between October 1 and 11 was 78.1 l/sq m, compared to a multi-annual average (1991–2020) of only 52.5 l/sq m for the entire month.

The largest deviations were recorded in:

• Muntenia – 127.6 l/sq m, more than twice the monthly average (53.7 l/sq m)
• Oltenia – 113.3 l/sq m, double the normal (53.3 l/sq m)
• Dobrogea – 109.4 l/sq m, almost triple the usual average (38 l/sq m)
• Bucharest – 141.5 l/sq m, compared to a normal average of 59.9 l/sq m

In contrast, Crișana, Maramureș and Banat were areas less affected by heavy rainfall, with values well below climatological averages.

Compared to past decades

The analysis of historical series shows how unusual the situation is in 2025. In Dobrogea, the previous record from 1972 (99.2 l/sq m) was clearly exceeded, the new threshold being 109.4 l/sq m.

In Muntenia, the year 2025 ranks second of all time, with a regional average of 172.5 l/sq m, very close to the absolute record from 1972 (177.5 l/sq m).

Even in Oltenia, where 1972 remained a landmark (222 l/sq m), the current values of over 113 l/sq m in just a decade confirm the exceptional character of the month.

The phenomenon, in the context of climate change

ANM specialists warn that the intensification of extreme phenomena - torrential rains, drought episodes and sudden temperature variations - is part of the broader trend of increasing climate variability in the Romanian region.

Increasingly, transitional months, such as April or October, become the scenes of extreme weather events, which complicates both agricultural forecasts and water resource management.

An autumn that will remain in the collective memory

Although October 2025 has not yet ended, meteorologists say that it is very likely that this month will become the rainiest October in the history of modern measurements in many areas of the country.

Southern Romania was the epicenter of the phenomenon, but the effects – from rising river levels to delays in agriculture and infrastructure – will be felt on a national scale.