Climate zones in Albania, 1991 to 2020
Share of Albania's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 43,610 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 28,196 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 79%, D (cold (continental)) 21%.
Albania has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Csa (hot-summer mediterranean), covers only 45% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Dfb (17%) and Cfa (13%). 7 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, hot-summer mediterranean means dry, hot summers and mild, wetter winters. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 41% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Csa (hot-summer mediterranean).
How Albania's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 33% | 6.1% | Csa +13.4 percentage points | Dsb -6.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 33% | 9% | Csa +14.8 percentage points | Dfb -7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 41% | 12% | Csa +26.2 percentage points | Dfb -9.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 52% | 18% | Csa +43.1 percentage points | Dfb -14.9 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 32% | 45% | 60% | 72% | 88% |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 16% | 17% | 9.6% | 6.8% | 1.7% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 15% | 13% | 16% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 17% | 11% | 6.4% | 3.4% | 0.4% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 8.6% | 9.5% | 4.9% | 2.3% | - |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 9.2% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.4% | 0.1% | - |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 0.3% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
| Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer | - | - | - | - | 0.2% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Albania
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Csa. See data sources and licences.