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Water
Electricity
Climate
Water
Odessa is the only city in the world that at one time
offered water rationing cards, during World War Two.
Today, water is still in short supply in Odessa. Water
is usually shut off at around 12 am and turned back
on at around 6 am. Water cuts are common, sometimes
for days, but usually for just a couple of hours.
Hot
water
During the Soviet Union, all water was heated by the
city and pumped to individual homes. Huge above ground
water pipes, with old, frayed insulation can still
be seen throughout the suburbs. Hot water is also
still used to heat homes and businesses. Individual
businesses and homes had no control of how hot or
how cold the heat provided by the city. This system
tended to be incredibly inefficient and wasteful.
Many homes have tiny windows that residents would
open in the winter to let out the excess heat.
Unless
restaurants and hotels have there own water heater,
no hot water is usually available. Public hot water
is usually only turned on from October-November and
is shut off in March-April. Some areas of the city
never get hot water.
Electricity
The electric current is 220V and sockets take two prong
plugs. A travel converter is essential, especially with
appliances from North America, as the current will immediately
blow out a North American appliance.
Power outages
are common. It is Recommended to bring a flash-light.
Climate
Because Odessa is near the Black Sea, the heat of the
summer is reduced. Temperatures tend to be several degrees
higher than the rest of Ukraine. Winters tend to be
mild with little snow.
The average
temperature in Odessa is 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees
Fahrenheit). January is the coldest month, with the
average temperature being -2 degrees Celsius (30 degrees
Fahrenheit). July is the hottest month, with an average
temperature of 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit).
There are
more than 300 sunny days every year, with very little
annual precipitation.
The night
and day temperatures rarely fluctuate more than 3
degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
Sea Temperature
The average temperature of the sea is 10 degrees Celsius.
In the summer the sea's average temperature is 20-23
degrees (68-73 degrees Fahrenheit). Swimming conditions
are best from late May to mid-September. Often there
are one to three days a month when the water is unpleasant
because northern winds push the warmer water out to
sea and the colder waters rise from the bottom. When
the sea waters warm up they discharge large quantities
of oxygen making the air pleasant and fresh.
Click
here for temperature converstions.
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