June 12, 2018 - According to the reports from the Montenegrin Hydrometeorological Institute, in the past few months, Montenegro has been exposed to extreme changes in weather conditions. This has affected public health as well as agricultural production throughout the country. During the same week, Montenegrin citizens could expect colder weather, rain, and thunderstorms, and after a day or two, a rise in temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius.
The Hydrometeorological Institute says that all citizens should pay attention to extreme weather conditions in Montenegro: “From May 25 to June 5, the temperature was 30 degrees every day, which is an extreme situation”. Since many diseases are influenced by weather conditions or display strong seasonality, suggestive of a possible climatic contribution, the doctors advise all patients to follow the advice they received during their treatments. The doctors also pointed that all citizens should stay safe from the extreme heat conditions by drinking enough water, avoiding exercising in the heat, wearing hats, drawing blinds, using fans, taking cool showers and dressing in light and loose clothing made from natural fabrics. According to the doctors’ estimation, the people most at risk are those aged over 65 years, especially those living alone who have a medical condition, people who take allergy medicines (antihistamines), blood pressure and heart medicines (beta-blockers), seizure medicines (anticonvulsants), water pills (diuretics), antidepressants or antipsychotics, have a disability or have trouble moving around and people who work or exercise outdoors. In addition to proper nutrition and dressing, doctors advise you to avoid exposure to the sun from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. unless absolutely necessary.
The consequences of extreme weather conditions for agricultural production are mostly reflected in the fact that due to hot weather conditions, some of the fruits mature earlier, according to Nebojša Veličković, the representative of the Department of Advisory Services in Plant Production: “If we’re talking about the central region, the consequence is the premature ripening of strawberries and peaches. In the northern region, the strawberries started the earliest, and harvesting began 15-20 days earlier compared to the previous year”.
Still, some of the Montenegrin cities were surprised by the sudden rain and hail. In Plav, the hail on June 12 caused great damage to crops. In the following days, Montenegrins should still expect sudden weather changes - from the heat to abrupt cooling with rain and thunder.
