Heat Returns Monday: Serbia Forecast Tops 38 Degrees
RHMZ's forecast runs through August 16. The heat break lasts only this weekend: from Monday, 34 to 38 degrees, up to 38 in Belgrade with tropical nights, and the wildfire warning remains active.
Is the heat gone after this weekend? No, the break lasts exactly two days. The Republic Hydrometeorological Institute (RHMZ) has released its forecast through August 16, and it shows that Saturday and Sunday are not the end of the heat wave but a pause in the middle of it.
Today most of Serbia will be mostly sunny, with lows of 16 to 21 and highs of 32 to 36 degrees. The east and southeast will see variable cloudiness, with local short showers or thunderstorms. Belgrade can expect around 33 degrees, a light north wind and a morning low of 18 to 20.
What the forecast through August 16 says
- Monday, August 10, and Tuesday, August 11: 34 to 38 degrees in most places
- Wednesday, August 12, through Friday, August 14: a drop to 30 to 34 degrees, with southern Serbia reaching 36 on Wednesday
- Weekend, August 15 and 16: highs climb again, to around or above 35 degrees
- Across the whole period: short showers or thunderstorms will be rare and highly localized
Belgrade runs on its own schedule, a notch harsher than the national average. From August 10, the capital can expect 36 to 38 degrees, with tropical nights throughout that stretch. A tropical night means the temperature never drops below 20 degrees, so the body gets no chance to cool down before the next scorching day. That is why the second and third day of a heat wave are harder to endure than the first.
Why this heat wave differs from early August’s
Numbers are lower this time, duration is longer. For August 5 and 6, RHMZ had forecast 35 to 40 degrees, a peak that was short and sharp. This time the forecast calls for a 34 to 38 degree range with no real break all the way to August 16, since even the mid week dip only reaches 30 to 34 degrees. For the body, that adds up, and science calls it heat stress accumulation.
Yesterday we reported that the weekend would bring milder weather while the wildfire danger persisted. What has changed since then is that we now know how long that milder spell lasts: two days.
Wildfires remain a threat
Alongside the high temperature warning, the institute also issued a warning for extreme wildfire ignition and spread conditions outdoors, covering the period from August 7 to 9, accompanied by strong wind. In that bulletin, RHMZ states:
Continuation of the period with a very high risk of wildfire ignition and spread outdoors
Dry ground, strong wind and temperatures above 35 degrees are a combination that turns a single spark into a fire front. A barbecue in the open, tossing a cigarette butt from a car window, or burning weeds in the yard are, on days like these, the most expensive mistakes a person can make.
How do you get through a 38 degree day?
RHMZ’s recommendations are short and can be applied starting tomorrow morning:
- avoid direct sun between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., when both air temperature and UV radiation peak
- drink fluids regularly throughout the day
- stay in cooled rooms whenever possible
- factor in the urban heat effect: in densely built parts of the city, in traffic jams and on heated asphalt and concrete, the strain is heavier than a thermometer in the shade would suggest
The institute lists children, older adults, people with chronic illnesses, pregnant women and those who work or spend time outdoors as most at risk. If you have responsibilities involving that group, say an elderly relative at home without air conditioning, shifting errands and walks to before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. is the one step that actually makes a difference.
Our advice for this week is simple. Plan Wednesday and Thursday as the days that are easiest to breathe through, and do not count on rain, since the forecast for it through August 16 is essentially empty.
