Rostov-on-Don sits on the lower Don River in southern Russia, on the steppe near the Sea of Azov at approximately 47.23°N, 39.72°E. Its southerly position gives it a humid subtropical climate bordering continental (Köppen Cfa/Dfa) — with hot summers and moderately cold winters — warmer and drier than central Russia.

Summer, from June to August, is hot and often dry, with July the warmest month — average highs around 30–31°C — and heatwaves that can exceed 38°C, intensified by the sukhovey, a hot, dry, desiccating wind off the steppe that plunges the humidity and scorches the crops. Thunderstorms bring most of the modest summer rain.

Winter, from December to February, is cold but shorter and milder than northern Russia, with January the coldest month — average highs around 1°C and lows near -5°C. Cold snaps driven by easterly winds from Siberia can still plunge temperatures below -20°C, and the buran drives blizzards across the exposed steppe.

Rostov-on-Don receives around 600–650 mm of precipitation a year, with an early-summer maximum from thunderstorms; the surrounding steppe grows drier to the southeast toward the Caspian, and summer drought is a chronic risk. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Rostov's steppe setting brings the two great winds of southern Russia: the sukhovey, a hot, dry summer wind that raises temperatures and withers crops, and the buran, the bitterly cold winter wind that drives snowstorms across the open plain. Winter here is markedly shorter than in central Russia, and the spring thaw comes early.

To follow any single measurement in Rostov-on-Don more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.