RHMZ Today: Cooldown Arrives, Ristic Warns of 13 Degrees

Has the cooldown we told you about a few days ago finally arrived? It has, and you can already feel it this morning. Serbia’s Republic Hydrometeorological Service (RHMZ) is forecasting a high of 22 to 26 degrees for today, September 12, roughly ten degrees lower than in the previous ten days, when we reported temperatures as high as 37 degrees.

If you were planning to spend the weekend outdoors, here’s exactly what to expect, plus what meteorologist Ivan Ristic says is coming next.

What does RHMZ forecast for today and tomorrow?

According to the official forecast, here’s what’s in store for today:

• morning temperatures of 12 to 19 degrees, with a daily high of 22 to 26
• light to moderate northwesterly wind, occasionally strong in Vojvodina, the Pomoravlje region and eastern Serbia
• rain and local showers, with thunder in places, across the southern parts of the country
• in Belgrade, a cloudy morning will give way to mostly sunny skies, with a morning temperature around 15 and a high around 23 degrees

For tomorrow, September 13, RHMZ expects a cooler morning of 11 to 16 degrees and a daytime high of 23 to 26, with variable cloudiness, sunny spells and no rain. Over the coming week, daytime temperatures will mostly stay between 23 and 27 degrees, with a new wave of rain arriving Monday afternoon, then again on Tuesday and Thursday, with thunder in some areas.

Why do the numbers differ from one site to another?

Let’s be upfront with you here: not all sources agree. RHMZ, Informer and Podunavlje info all give today’s high as 22 to 26 degrees. Kurir reported this morning that the daytime temperature is dropping to as low as 22 degrees in most places. Mondo, on the other hand, still carries considerably higher numbers on its page for September 12, up to 34 degrees in northwestern Serbia and as high as 36 degrees. Cloud cover estimates differ too: Informer forecasts cloudy skies across most of the country for today, while Podunavlje info says it will be mostly sunny with light to moderate cloudiness. When sources diverge this much, the safest bet is to check RHMZ’s official page before heading out the door.

RHMZ has no severe weather warning today, but two others are active

There is currently no meteorological warning in effect. What is active are a hydrological warning and an agrometeorological warning, both recently issued.

The hydrological warning was issued today at 6:58 AM and runs until 6:58 AM on September 16. It covers the Danube, the Sava and the Tisa near Titel, where water levels will fall below the low navigable threshold, as well as the Kolubara and its tributaries, the Jadar, the Toplica and the Vlasina, tributaries of the Zapadna Morava and Velika Morava, and the Crni Timok and Beli Timok.

The agrometeorological warning for agricultural drought was issued earlier, on September 8 at 9:42 AM, and stays in effect until September 15 at 9:42 AM, due to a prolonged lack of moisture and high temperatures. In other words, the cooldown doesn’t mean the drought is over, something Ristic himself confirms, as we’ll see below.

What is Ivan Ristic forecasting for mid-September?

Meteorologist Ivan Ristic, in a forecast published on the Kurir portal, says this summer was unusual:

This summer we rarely saw average summer temperatures; we had the most of them in July, while June and August were distinctly tropical. In September, though, I expect a stronger cooldown that will announce the change of season, so we’ll step into autumn both by the calendar and by the weather. When that change comes, we can expect cloudy weather with rain.

For the period around mid-month, Ristic is forecasting a drop well below today’s numbers:

Daily temperatures will drop to between 13 and 18 degrees, while morning temperatures in some places will fall below 10 degrees. Even though this is a sudden cooldown, Serbia is generally still in a dry spell. There will be little rainfall, so the drought will continue.

For comparison, average temperatures at the start of autumn are, according to Ristic, between 21 and 25 degrees, meaning this drop would fall noticeably below average. The meteorologist also points to last year as a reminder that things can turn around fast:

Knowing our climate, the weather can change in just a single day, so we could go straight from summer into real autumn, and even winter conditions like last year’s are possible, when heavy snow fell in central and southern Serbia in early October.

Specifically, on October 4, 2025, the maximum temperature in Belgrade was just 6 degrees, and the heating season had already started on October 1.

Practical advice: don’t wait until the last minute for firewood

If you’re wondering whether it’s too early to think about firewood or heating, Ristic says it isn’t:

Very little time separates us from autumn, so it’s best to prepare in advance.

That means now is the right time to check your firewood supply and the condition of your boiler or stove, before lines get long and prices climb once everyone rushes at once. The same goes for your garden or terrace: if you have plants sensitive to colder mornings, now is the time to move them indoors or protect them.

Until then, we’re still in what RHMZ calls a dry spell, so don’t be surprised if there’s less rain than the cooldown might suggest.