Serbia braces for new heatwave, yellow alert in 11 cities

The “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut” Institute of Public Health of Serbia has warned that, after an unsettled start to the week, conditions for a new heatwave will build from June 27 to July 1 across part of the country. According to the institute, the wave would cover northern Backa, parts of Banat and the Belgrade area, while the highest maximum temperatures, classed as a very dangerous category, are expected on July 1 in northern Backa, southern Banat and the Pomoravlje region.

The warning aligns with the weather alert issued by the Republic Hydrometeorological Service. A yellow alert has been announced for Friday for 11 cities: Belgrade, Surcin, Becej, Palic, Kikinda, Zrenjanin, Sombor, Novi Sad, Loznica, Veliko Gradiste and Vrsac. In the alert system, yellow signals potentially dangerous weather and a call for caution, while higher levels, orange and red, carry more serious health risks.

Why is a heatwave a health risk, not just discomfort?

A heatwave is medically defined as a stretch of consecutive days with abnormally high temperatures that makes it harder for the body to cool itself. The risk is not spread evenly. The most vulnerable are people over 65, those with heart and kidney disease, diabetics, small children and people who work outdoors. In these groups the body struggles to regulate temperature, raising the likelihood of dehydration, heatstroke and worsening of existing conditions.

Earlier data show the scale of that risk. During the 2022 heatwave in Serbia, an estimated 574 deaths were linked to extreme heat, based on an analysis of excess mortality. It is worth stressing that this is a statistical estimate of excess mortality rather than a set of individually confirmed causes of death, and different methods may produce different figures. Even with that caveat, the number shows that heat is not a marginal factor but a measurable strain on public health.

Experts also warn about behavior that feels like relief but can be harmful. As Dr Sasa Milicevic notes, moving abruptly from a hot environment into heavily air-conditioned spaces and drinking ice-cold water can put extra strain on the blood vessels and heart. Gradual adjustment is safer than sudden temperature swings.

How can you stay safe on the hottest days?

The medical advice is simple but easy to ignore in practice. The main recommendation is to avoid direct sun during the hottest part of the day, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and to drink enough fluids regularly, before thirst sets in. Light, loose clothing, time in the shade or in cooled rooms, and avoiding heavy physical effort outdoors are also advised.

Special attention is needed for those who cannot ask for help themselves. Elderly people living alone, the chronically ill and small children should be checked on during the hottest days, because the symptoms of heatstroke, confusion, a racing pulse, the body no longer sweating, can look harmless at first.

It is also worth keeping in mind what this announcement does not mean. The weather alert and the institute’s assessment are a warning about conditions and risk, not a guarantee that every city on the list will reach extreme values, since temperature forecasts carry uncertainty that grows the further out the date is. How will you organize the coming days if the forecast heat does arrive?