The weather in Sunny Beach: when to come

The beach season in Sunny Beach runs from the end of May to the start of October. The warmest sea is in August, the biggest crowds are also in August, and the best balance of warm water, empty sand and sensible prices is in September. This page sets out what to expect month by month — it is not a forecast, but a summary of what we watch happen from the beach every year.

The short version

• You want the warmest sea and the full programme — July and August.
• You want a warm sea without the crowds — September.
• You want quiet and low prices and you are not much of a swimmer — May, early June, October.
• You are travelling with small children — June or September; the heat in mid-August is serious for babies.

Month by month

Month	Air, afternoon	Sea	Crowds	Prices
April	around 15–18 °C	around 10–12 °C — cold	almost nobody	lowest
May	around 20–23 °C	around 15–18 °C — for the brave	few	low
June	around 25–28 °C	around 20–23 °C — pleasant at last	moderate	moderate
July	around 28–31 °C	around 24–26 °C — warm	busy	high
August	around 29–31 °C	around 25–27 °C — warmest	peak	highest
September	around 24–27 °C	around 22–24 °C — warm	thinning fast	falling
October	around 18–21 °C	around 18–20 °C and dropping	empty	low
November	around 12–15 °C	around 13–15 °C	none	out of season
December – March	around 5–10 °C	around 7–10 °C	the resort sleeps	out of season

These figures are typical for the season rather than a forecast. The Black Sea responds slowly, and there are individual years when June is cold and October unusually warm. For specific dates, check a current forecast two or three days before you travel; longer-range forecasts for this coast are rarely worth trusting.

The sea: why it sometimes goes cold overnight

This is the thing that surprises guests most often and almost never makes it into the guidebooks. After several consecutive days of strong northerly or north-easterly wind, the warm surface layer is pushed out to sea and cold water from the deep comes up in its place. The sea can turn noticeably colder literally overnight — including in the middle of July.

It is not cause for alarm. It usually lasts a day or two, after which the water returns to normal. But if you happen to hit one of those days, you will understand why we mentioned it.

The opposite is true as well: after a long spell of still, hot weather, the water in the shallows goes almost tepid, which for children is perfect.

Sun, wind, and why people burn

The sea breeze is deceptive. In the afternoon it blows in off the water, your skin cools, and the sense of heat disappears — but the ultraviolet does not go with it. The commonest ruined first twenty-four hours in Sunny Beach is not caused by bad weather but by three hours on the beach between noon and four with no shade.

Practically: between eight and eleven in the morning the sea is at its calmest and the beach at its most pleasant; between twelve and four it is sensible to be under a parasol or off the beach altogether; after five the sun is soft and stays that way until late.

In the evening, even in August, it turns fresh off the sea. A light jumper or a long-sleeved shirt in the suitcase is always a good idea — in June and September it is essential.

Rain, storms and jellyfish

Summer rain on this coast usually arrives as a short afternoon storm — half an hour of thunder, then it clears. Whole wet days in July and August are rare. May and October are considerably less stable: there it can rain all day.

Jellyfish appear in waves, most often from late July to September, usually after particular winds. The species that turns up on the beach in numbers is harmless — unpleasant to touch, but not dangerous. After a day or two the current carries them away.

If you do get a wet day, the options are the waterparks, which stay open in cloudy weather, or a day trip inland — we have written about Ravadinovo Castle, Ropotamo and the Sea Garden.

September: the most underrated month

If you have the freedom to choose, choose September and think no further about it.

The sea has stored up a whole summer’s heat and is warmer than it is in June. The air has come down from the August furnace to something you can walk about in at midday. Schools in Bulgaria and in most European countries go back at the start of the month, and the beach empties in about a week. Prices drop appreciably. You can still eat outside in the evening in shirtsleeves.

The trade-off is real but small: after the middle of the month some of the restaurants and attractions start to close, and the weather grows more changeable. The first two weeks of September are the safest bet in the entire season.

The shoulder months, honestly

May and early June. The weather is often lovely — sunny, 22–25 degrees, ideal for walking and for old Nessebar. The sea, though, is cold, and there is no way round it: the Black Sea warms up a month behind the air. The resort is still waking up as well — not everything is open, there are fewer watersports, and you may have the beach to yourself. For some people that is a drawback; for others it is exactly the reason to come.

October. The first half can be remarkably good — warm days, water you can still get into, and a completely empty beach. The second half is generally no longer beach weather. The resort closes down gradually, and by the end of the month the central area is quiet. If you are coming then, come for the wild beaches and the day trips, not for the sea.

Winter. Sunny Beach in winter is a closed resort. Snow is rare, but it is windy and damp, and almost nothing is open.

Forecasts for Sunny Beach: what to trust

A few practical points if you are comparing forecasts:

• Most apps have no separate station for Sunny Beach and show data for Nessebar or Burgas. For practical purposes the difference is negligible.
• The coast is a few degrees cooler than inland Burgas during the day and warmer at night. If you see 34 degrees for Burgas, it will be more bearable on the beach.
• The sea temperature in the apps is a surface reading and changes more slowly than the air forecast — which is precisely why a north wind can turn it around so sharply.
• Wind forecasts are more useful than temperature forecasts if you are planning watersports or a day up the coast to the north.

For everything else — the beach, the resort, the distances and what is nearby — see the full Sunny Beach guide.

---

Hotel Caesar Palace is in the centre of Sunny Beach, 20 metres from the beach. See the hotel or call us on +359 554 222 36.