Serbia, get ready: A new heatwave is coming soon

Jerome Cid / Alamy / Profimedia

“When it comes to precipitation, projections indicate that the total annual or monthly amounts may not decline significantly, but the distribution of rainfall is likely to become less favorable. For example, at the beginning of July, most weather stations recorded between 40 and 50 millimeters of rain, which is within the average range. However, if that entire amount falls in one or two days and is followed by 25 days of dry weather, then the distribution becomes unfavorable,” he said.

According to Mihajlović, the climate will continue to change, and both individuals and the state will have to adapt.

“In that regard, two years ago the Republic adopted an Action Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change, containing a series of measures related to agriculture as well as the broader economy. At the same time, climate change has been incorporated into various national strategies and policies, meaning that we take it into account and adapt accordingly,” Mihajlović said.

He recalled that temperatures above 40°C were recorded in Serbia in June, while the absolute record for the highest maximum temperature was measured in Smederevska Palanka on July 24, 2007, when it reached 44.9°C.

According to him, high temperatures ranging from 38°C to 41°C undoubtedly affect citizens’ daily lives, and a heatwave is classified in meteorology as a hazardous weather phenomenon.

He also noted that the heatwave was more intense in Western Europe than on the Balkan Peninsula.

According to Mihajlović, the main reason behind the increasingly frequent occurrence of such heatwaves is the changing climate conditions.