It Gets Hotter By the Year…

Podgorica – High temperatures, which had marked the end of the last month, have announced that the upcoming summer in Montenegro would be extremely hot.

This claim is supported by the findings of the International Panel on Climate Changes, announcing that the increase in global temperatures would also results with the increase of extreme situations in certain regions of the globe.

Although the experts hesitate to come forward with the long-term forecasts, analysis of temperatures and rainfall for the period between 2000 and 2007 in Montenegro, which had been presented by the Hydro-meteorological Institute, does not allow a possibility that this years’ summer would be closer to what summers used to be.

“According to the data of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the decade between 1998 and 2007 had been the hottest decade since the instrumental measuring commenced back in 1850.

In Montenegro, last year was the warmest recorded in the following areas: Niksic, Bar, Golubovci, Podgorica, Kolasin, Berane, Plav, Rozaje, Krsc, Velimlje; second at: Zabljak, Budva, Bijelo Polje, Kotor; third warmest at: Pljevlja; fourth warmest at Cetinje and Danilovgrad; and, sixth at Herceg Novi”, director of Hydro-Meteorological Institute (HMZ), Luka Mitrovic has told Vijesti.

According to the analysis of the HMZ, variations in air temperature during the period between 2000 and 2007, and in relation to the annual average during the period of the so called “climate normality” (from 1961 till 1990), have been positive in all areas and have ranged between 1,5 degrees Centigrade at Tivat and 1,5 degrees at Plav.

“During the eight years observed, at least four years are among the 10 hottest years. If we consider years separately, the lower temperatures than the average have been recorded in the years 2005 and 2006.

The rainfall realized over the observed period, in comparison to the annual average during the period between 1961 and 1990, has exceeded 92%. Its’ lowest had been recorded at Plav (61%), while the rainfall suffice had been noticed at Zabljak (by 2%), Pljevlja (4% ), Cetinje (5%), Rozaje (3%) and Bijelo Polje (7%), while Bar and Podgorica stood at 100% realization. Over this period, the highest rainfall had been recorded in 2004, when the realization of the rainfall ranged from 88% at Velimlje and 144% at Bijelo Polje”, the analysis of HMZ reads.

This detailed report says that there has been “a positive variation from average air temperature during 2007, in comparison to normal, has ranged from 0,4 degrees at Tivat to 2,2 degrees at Berane.

“From January till August 2007, the values of the air temperatures were higher than normal and, according to the statistic analysis, can be qualified as hot, very hot and extremely hot, while the temperatures recorded between September and December can be qualified as normal, cold and very cold.

If we consider these by the season, we conclude that winter, spring and summer had been extremely warm, while the fall can be qualified as normal and cold. Heat-waves that occurred in most of the countries during July and August have also been recorded in Montenegro. During the month of July, a warm and dry aim arrived from Africa, causing extremely high temperatures throughout the Balkan Peninsula.

During this period, recorded temperature at Podgorica has reached 40 degrees and more for eight days, consecutively. As a comparison, the number of days with the maximum temperature of 40 degrees and over, during the period between 1949 and 2006 has been recorded on the total of eight occasions: in 1950 (four days, three consecutive), 1962 (one day), 1988 (two) and in 2000 (one day). And, in 2007 these degrees have been recorded between 17th and 24 of July. The longest heat wave had been recorded at Podgorica and has lasted for 11 days”, analysis reads.

Ultimate Heat Records

The number of days when the lowest temperature had not gone under 20 degrees, so called ‘tropical nights’, ranged from one (Zabljak) to 28 days (Podgorica). Such days were first recorded at Rozaje, at Zabljak (only once, three days in 1987), Niksic (three days), while the highest recorded number so far was two days in 2004.

During the third decade of August, a penetration of warm and dry air caused extremely hot weather in Montenegro. During this period, the absolute extremes in air temperatures had been exceeded.

Measurements at Pljevlja, thus, read 38,7 on 23 August. Before that, the highest recorded temperature in this town had been on 4 August 1998. A record high of 40,8 degrees had been recorded at Niksic (earlier, on 22 August 2000, the measurements read 38,7 degrees), Zabljak with 32 on 23 August (earlier, 31,3 recorded on 3 August 1998), Podgorica with as much as 44,8 degrees on 28 August (earlier, 43,3 on 18 July 2007).

On the same day, the readings at Cetinje and in Danilovgrad showed 39 and 43 degrees, in comparison to 37,8 and 42 degrees recorded on 4 August in 1998 and 3 and 28 August 1981 and 2000. At Berane and Bijelo Polje, the temperature reached record high with 40 degrees on 23 August. Earlier record at Berane was recorded on 3 August (38,3) and Bijelo Polje on 29 August in 1956 with 39,2 degrees.

By: D. PERUNIČIĆ