Belarus Weather, climate and geography

Weather and climate

Best time to visit

Belarus enjoys a seasonal climate with long cold winters and warm, temperate summers. Its presence near the Black Sea means it misses out on the huge temperature fluctuations characteristic of this region of Europe.

The best time to visit Belarus is during the summer months from May to September. In July and August temperatures can reach highs of 25°C (77°F) although the average is 18°C (64°F). In winter, temperatures can drop quite severely, with the mercury hitting lows of -4C (XXXF).

Required clothing

In the winter you'll need to wear medium- to heavyweights in winter – jeans, knits and heavy coats, and good boots at a minimum. In the summer, depending on where in the country you'll be visiting, thinner cottons, linens, shorts and t-shirts will be fine. Waterproofs are advisable throughout the year.

Geography

Bordered by Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and the Russian Federation, Belarus is a landlocked, relatively flat country, crisscrossed by thousands of streams and major rivers such as the Dnieper. Its landscape is characterised by uplands and lowlands created by glacial movements during the last Ice Age; these are also responsible for the Belarusian ridge which runs diagonally across the country. Around one third of Belarus is covered by forests, which are rich in wildlife. Straddling the border between Belarus and Poland is Białowieża Forest, one of the last stretches of Europe’s primeval forests and home to around 800 bison. The Palyessye plain, a swampy lowland in the southwest of Belarus was severely affected by the Chernobyl disaster and much of the area is off-limits as it is now part of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.