Serbia Heat Warning: Highs Above 35C Friday, Saturday
Serbia's national weather service has three warnings active at once, for extreme heat, low river levels and agricultural drought. The peak hits Friday and Saturday, August 28 and 29.
Planning to be outside on Friday or Saturday? Serbia’s national weather service, RHMZ, says temperatures on those two days will again climb past 35 degrees, and that is not the only warning in effect right now.
Until now, we had only reported on the low water levels of the Danube, Sava and Tisa. What is new today, according to RHMZ’s site, hidmet.gov.rs, is that three separate warnings are active at the same time, meteorological, hydrological and agrometeorological, each with its own exact expiry.
Which warnings are in effect
- Meteorological, high temperatures. In effect from 5 a.m. on August 24 until 4:44 a.m. on September 2. RHMZ’s warning states: “Until the end of August, on most days the maximum temperature will be between 30 and 35°C.”
- Hydrological, low water levels. In effect from 10:17 a.m. on August 25 until 10:17 a.m. on September 1. It covers the Danube, Sava and Tisa near Titel, whose water levels remain below the low navigation threshold. The same warning notes that flows on the Kolubara, Jadar, Toplica, Vlasina and their tributaries have dropped close to the minimum average monthly values known as the 95 percent guarantee level, in other words the biological minimum.
- Agrometeorological, agricultural drought. In effect from noon on August 24 until noon on August 31.
Why the heat is dangerous right now
RHMZ is also warning about wildfire risk, since dry soil and wind are combining into a dangerous mix:
High temperatures accompanied by a rainfall deficit and occasional strengthened winds will keep contributing to the drying out of vegetation and a pronounced risk of wildfires starting and spreading in open areas.
Agriculture is feeling the same pressure. In the agrometeorological warning, RHMZ states:
The prolonged duration of the drought, combined with high temperatures, has led to continuous water and heat stress in agricultural crops.
What the weather looks like today, August 26
Today brings variable cloudiness, with longer sunny spells and only the occasional brief rain shower in hilly and mountainous areas. The low will range from 13 to 20 degrees, the high from 30 to 34. In Belgrade, the morning starts at 15 to 20 degrees, with the afternoon reaching around 31, under a weak to moderate northwest wind. In the afternoon, that wind picks up in spots across Vojvodina and the mountains of eastern Serbia, where it can turn into a strong north or northwest gust.
The real peak is still ahead. The hottest days are Friday and Saturday, August 28 and 29, when RHMZ forecasts temperatures above 35 degrees.
Who needs extra caution
The UV index is very high today, at a value of 8, in Kopaonik, Prizren, Pristina and Vranje, while it is high to moderate elsewhere. The biometeorological forecast warns:
- heart and lung patients to take extra precautions
- drivers to stay especially focused in traffic
- anyone out during the day to avoid the sun between noon and 5 p.m.
If you belong to one of these groups, or look after someone who does, move your plans for Friday and Saturday to the morning or late evening. Carry water even for short trips outside, and check whether a higher warning level has been issued for your area before you travel.
The hydrological warning does not differ much from what we already reported: why the Danube, Sava and Tisa are now below the navigation threshold. What is new is that this water problem is now joined by heat and drought in the fields, all in effect at the same time.
