Serbia Weather: 4 Degrees at Dawn, 25 by Thursday

Do you need a jacket this morning? Yes, and you will until Friday. On Wednesday, September 23, at 11:33 AM, the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia (RHMZ) refreshed its city by city forecast: after a cold start to the day, a brief warmup arrives Thursday, with highs reaching as much as 25 degrees, before a new cooldown on Friday brings back autumn chill and rain to most of the country.

This continues a story we covered on Sunday, when RHMZ announced a drop in temperature of more than ten degrees, in the article “How Long Does Summer Last? RHMZ Forecasts a Drop of More Than 10 Degrees.” It is now clearer how long that cooldown will last: not long. Wednesday morning was cold, between 6 and 11 degrees, while daytime highs climbed to between 18 and 22. At 2 PM, RHMZ also recorded the day’s extremes: the warmest spot was Sombor, at 22 degrees, and the coldest was Kopaonik, at just 4.

Here is exactly what the RHMZ table, updated Wednesday at 11:33 AM, says about your city:

• Thursday, September 24: mostly sunny and warmer during the day. Belgrade and Novi Sad start at 8 to 11 degrees in the morning and reach up to 23 in the afternoon, the same in Nis, while Loznica climbs as high as 25. On Kopaonik, mornings stay near freezing, around 0 degrees, with daytime highs of only 10. Later in the day and overnight, new clouds bring rain and local showers, first in the north and west of the country.
• Friday, September 25: rain and showers spread to the rest of Serbia. According to the RHMZ table, daytime temperatures drop, to 16 in Belgrade, 15 in Nis, Kragujevac and Kraljevo, and 9 in Zlatibor. Kopaonik is expected to see 3 to 5 degrees, in other words close to freezing. No source explicitly forecasts snow for that day, but at that altitude, even those temperatures leave room for sleet on the highest peaks.
• Weekend and early next week: dry, with longer sunny spells and rising temperatures, again reaching between 18 and 25 degrees.

Sources disagree here about Friday. The RHMZ city by city table gives lower daytime values in the lowlands, between 15 and 18 degrees, while some forecasts mention a range of 20 to 24. We are going with the RHMZ table, since it is the most recent, updated Wednesday at 11:33 AM, and because it matches the forecast of rain and showers for that day.

What to Wear in the Morning, and What to Wear Later?

The rule for this week is simple: dress in layers. In the morning, when it’s 6 to 11 degrees, you’ll want a jacket or a heavier sweater, and a scarf if you’re waiting outside for transport. By midday you can shed a layer, since daytime temperatures climb as high as 23 degrees in most cities. On Friday, bring the jacket back out, because with rain and falling temperatures the cold will feel sharper than the numbers suggest. For Kopaonik and other mountain areas, pack a hat too: temperatures there stay close to freezing all week.

Two RHMZ Warnings: Drought and Low River Levels

Alongside the forecast, RHMZ currently has two active warnings on its website. An agrometeorological warning for agricultural drought is in effect until September 29 at 11:51 AM, due to a prolonged lack of rainfall that is complicating soil preparation and the sowing of winter crops. A hydrological warning is in effect until September 25 at 10:12 AM: water levels on the Danube, Sava and Tisa near Titel will fall below low navigable levels, while the Kolubara and its tributaries, along with the Jadar, Toplica, Vlasina and the tributaries of the West and Great Morava, as well as the Black and White Timok, have approached their biological minimum.

There is currently no meteorological warning in place, only the agrometeorological and hydrological ones. If you’re planning to be outside this weekend, the good news is that from Saturday, longer sunny spells and warmer weather return, with temperatures again reaching between 18 and 25 degrees.