CLIMATE TRENDS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION IN NIŠAVA RIVER VALLEY (SERBIA) FOR 1960-2015 PERIOD

Abstract

Since climate plays a crucial role on our planet and is an inseparable part of all human activities, it is necessary to precisely record all parameters in order to estimate current climate conditions, climate characteristics of a certain region, as well as to try to predict and calculate further trends of climate change. Therefore, for the purpose of this paper, air temperature and precipitation of four meteorological stations in the Nišava river valley in Southeastern Serbia (municipalities of Dimitrovgrad, Pirot, Bela Palanka and Niš) have been considered for the period 1960-2015 along with statistical methods for analysis of these parameters and prediction of their trends. Results have shown that there is a positive trend in mean annual air temperatures and average seasonal air temperatures for the whole region which can influence natural processes and human activities. For precipitation, it can be concluded that no significant change in mean annual precipitation for the observed period has occurred. However, there is a great difference in the amount of precipitation between consecutive years, especially from 2000 onwards which can cause very dry years or years with floods.