What the Orange Weather Alert Means for Sunday and Monday
An orange weather alert is in effect for August 16 and 17, with daytime highs of 35 degrees Celsius and up. Emergency authorities in Kragujevac have raised the readiness of response teams.
Does an orange weather alert mean you should stay indoors all day? No, but it does mean emergency services in Sumadija have raised their level of readiness, and they are asking for one specific thing from residents: no open flame until Tuesday.
The Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia (RHMZ) issued an orange weather alert for August 16 and 17 covering Serbia, with most areas expecting daytime highs of 35 degrees Celsius and above. Wind is riding along with the heat, and that combination is exactly why the Emergency Situations Administration in Kragujevac spoke up.
Why has Sumadija raised its alert level?
On August 15, the Emergency Situations Administration in Kragujevac sent a warning to the commanders and chiefs of the district, city and municipal emergency staffs across the Sumadija region. The warning contains the detail that explains the whole precaution:
From August 15 to 17, winds will blow, at times strong, with gusts of 35 to 50 kilometers per hour.
Wind of that strength over dried-out terrain turns a single spark into a problem that spreads faster than a crew can respond. That is why the warning went out before an incident, not after one.
The head of the Administration, police colonel Zoran Kocovic, says its personnel have been on standby and constantly mobile for a month already. This is not a measure introduced over the weekend. It is a state of readiness that has run through this whole stretch of summer.
Who has been activated
Alongside firefighting and rescue units, the following are on standby across the Sumadija Administrative District:
- public utility companies
- services responsible for protection and rescue
- Administration inspectors, who are out in the field, checking on and warning residents, and who are legally authorized to take concrete action
That last point is the one people most often overlook. A field inspector is not just handing out advice. Burning weeds or lighting a grill where it is not allowed can end in a report, not a warning.
What is being asked of residents
The message out of Kragujevac is short and comes down to two points:
- do not use open flame, whether to burn weeds and stubble or at a picnic site
- if you spot a fire, call the Kragujevac Fire Brigade immediately at 034 193
Save that number in your phone before you head out of town. Looking up a number while you are watching smoke is time you do not have.
How much longer will the heat last?
Less than it looked like at the start of the week. On Sunday, August 16, the highest daytime temperature in Serbia ranges from 32 to 35 degrees Celsius, around 35 in Belgrade. Monday brings more of the same, with windy conditions in the Kosava-affected area.
The first relief arrives Monday afternoon and evening, in the north and west of the country. Elsewhere, passing cloud cover is expected on Tuesday, August 18, with brief rain, localized thunderstorms, a drop in temperature and a stronger northwesterly wind.
We covered when this heat wave was expected to break in an earlier piece, back when the storms were being forecast for Monday afternoon. The forecast itself has not shifted since then, but the alert level has, and that is the new part of this story.
Our advice
This is two days, not two weeks. No open flame until Tuesday, keep 034 193 saved in your phone, and remember that a 50 kilometer per hour wind works against anyone who thinks they will “just quickly” burn weeds behind the house.
