Climate zones in North Macedonia, 1991 to 2020
Share of North Macedonia's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 39,482 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 25,352 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 60%, D (cold (continental)) 40%.
Cfa, humid subtropical, is the main climate of North Macedonia, covering 52% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Dfb (warm-summer humid continental) next at 36%. In plain terms, humid subtropical means hot, humid summers and mild winters, with rain all year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 37% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Cfa (humid subtropical).
How North Macedonia'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) | 32% | 9.8% | Cfa +15.7 percentage points | Dsb -10.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 28% | 17% | Cfa +16.8 percentage points | Dfb -18 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 37% | 25% | Cfa +21.1 percentage points | Dfb -24.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 65% | 52% | BSh +15.9 percentage points | Dfb -34.1 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 37% | 52% | 69% | 74% | 58% |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 35% | 36% | 18% | 12% | 2% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 3% | 4% | 0.4% | - | - |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 4.9% | 2.4% | 7.2% | 9.3% | 17% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 3% | 2.4% | 0.8% | 0.2% | - |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 5.9% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 0.1% | - |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 11% | 1.3% | 3.7% | 3.5% | 2% |
| Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | - | 0.1% | - | 0.3% | 0.9% |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 0.2% | - | - | - | - |
| ET Tundra | 0.2% | - | - | - | - |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | - | - | - | 1% | 2.6% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | - | - | - | 16% |
| Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer | - | - | - | - | 1.2% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in North Macedonia
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Cfa. See data sources and licences.