Summer hazards in Novi Sad

Abstract

Review of summer atmospheric condition that may influence on human health and environment in city Novi Sad, Serbia is depicted in this study. Frequency of tropical days, heat wave duration and severity and erithemal ultraviolet (UV) dose during summer months (June-August) are analyzed for the period 1981-2009. The frequency of tropical days and anomalies of maximum temperatures above normal were on the rise 0.63°C and 0.07°C per year, respectively. A very low occurrence of heat waves was typical in the 1980s and early 1990s. The longest heat waves were recorded in 2003 (lasting 12 days) and 2002 (11 days) while the strongest were in 2007 and 2003. An empirical formula for estimating the daily sum of the erithemal UV radiation from global radiation during summer months has been derived and applied for reconstruction. The daily erithemal UV doses were the greatest in 2000 and 2007, 3997.32 J/m2 and 3818.11 J/m2 respectively. Analysis shows an increasing trend of erithemal UV doses (11.52 J m-2 per year). Considering heat waves, number of tropical days, anomalies of maximum temperatures and erithemal UV doses the conclusion is that the most hazardous summer regarding the human health in Novi Sad was in 2000, 2003 and 2007.

Keywords

• tropical days
• heat wave
• erithemal UV dose