3. Geographic and Climatic Characteristics

Climate Characteristics

MUNICIPAL SOKOBANJA

Sokobanja is characterized by moderate continental climate. Summers are not too hot, and winters are mild. Spring is slightly warmer than autumn. The nights are fresh, especially in summer, when the humidity is low. The highest average and relative humidity is in winter, almost 80%. The average annual cloudiness in Sokobanja is 57%, proportionally the insolation is decreasing, which is an important element for recovery. Cloudiness is not evenly distributed. The least sunny days are in winter and the most in fall. The rain rarely falls in Sokobanja. Snow average is 25 days a year.

Bad weather is the characteristic of one-quarter of the year. During ten beautiful days two bad days with rain snow or other precipitation may occur. Average annual precipitation is 578mm. There are a few days with fog in Sokobanja, an average 24 days per year. Generally, quiet time prevails. It mostly blows "kosava", as well as throughout Eastern Serbia, while in the summer often blows northwesterly wind. In the municipality of Sokobanja, the forest takes 20,022 ha. Out of that 11 547 ha of beech, 4947 of oak forest, and 3528 ha of the other sort. Conifers were planted in 1270 ha.

For health and tourism development of Sokobanja forest play an important role, because it reduces wind power, reduces sudden changes in temperature and it also stabilizes moderate humidity over the summer. There is no sudden climate changes that one can hardly tolerate.

AIR TEMPERATURE

The air temperature in the municipality of Sokobanja is caused by air currents of Morava and Timok valley, the location of mountains that stands in the winds road, vegetation, water surfaces, etc.. The average annual temperature in this region is 10.2 C.

Average monthly and annual temperature in the municipality

From the table above we can see that January is the coldest month, with a temperature -1.2 C, and July is the warmest, with a temperature 19.5 C. The difference in temperature between the warmest and coldest month is 20.7 C .

Average monthly temperatures of certain ages

Based on Table 2, we can see that the summer is relatively hot (18.9 C) while winters are cold (0.4 C). The difference in temperature between summer and winter is 18.5c. Spring is slightly warmer than the autumn.

For development of tourism, the great importance is the fact that the average temperature in the preseason (April-May) is 13.5 c, and after season (September-October) 13.4 c. Such temperatures may have great significance for the extension of the tourist season.

Also, the great importance for the tourism is a number of days with the corresponding temperatures:

- Average number of days with temperatures above 20 C is 48;

- Average number of days with temperatures above 18 C is 80 and

- This period is best suited for residential tourism;

- Average number of days with temperatures above 12 C is 159

- Average number of days with temperatures below zero is 54th

From analysis of monthly and annual temperatures in the municipality of Sokobanja we can conclude that this area is characterized by favorable temperature conditions. Temperature conditions in combination with other climate elements give Sokobanja characterstics of climatic health resort.

Relative humidity

Relative humidity in the municipality of Sokobanja is 75%, which means that it is moderately dry to moderately moist. This relative humidity in combination with water vapor tension has favorable impact on the human body and gives Sokobanja features of a very pleasant spa and climatic health resort

Relative humidity in% of the territory of the municipality

From the table above we can see that the maximum average relative humidity of 84% is characteristic of December and January.

During the year, highest relative humidity is recorded during the winter - 83%, then in autumn -75.6%, then summer - 71.3% and spring - 70.6% .

The annual flow of water vapor pressure (in mbar)

Insolation and cloudiness

Insolation is expressed in the number of sunny hours during the day. Besides the total annual number of sunny hours, it is a significant the number of sunny hours during certain months.

Duration of sunny hours in the municipality Sokobanja

The average annual sunny days in the municipality are 1861 hour. Maximum is in July (267) and minimum in December (48), which is relatively favorable in terms of tourism. Spring has more sunshine hours (483) then fall (444), which coincides with the annual air temperature flow. Winter period is with least sunny hours, only 181, while summer has the most 753. During the vegetation period the number of sunny days is large (1481), which has a positive effect on vegetation.

Average annual sunny days are 1861 hours, which is very large number, considering that the municipality Sokobanja is in extremely continental position. Cloudiness in the municipality of Sokobanja is 5.5 tenths of sky covered with clouds. Most unclouded are the summer months July and August with 3.8 tenths of sky covered with clouds.

Average cloudiness of Sokobanja in tenths of sky covered with clouds

Source: Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia

A relatively large number of unclouded (231) and significantly low number of clouded (132) days during the year reflects favorably to the tourism in Sokobanja .

WINDS

Sokobanja valley is surrounded by mountains from all sides. The disposition of the mountains inflences intensive air flow to the valley from southwest, south, east and southeast, while the northern, northwestern, northeastern and western winds rarely blow.

Strongest wind in this area and in entire eastern Serbia is Koshava. According to the climate atlas, southwest wind rarely blows in the Sokobanja, and some more north, which is conditioned by relief and the northwest-southeast direction of Sokobanja position.

Wether without wind amounted 39.3%. In the autumn, winter and spring there is an eastern wind (Kosava, E 14%), and in the summer there is a breeze - the northwest wind (NW 2.9%) .

The wind speed in beauforts

RAIN

Average rainfall in municipality Sokobanja

Source: Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia

Based on data from the table above we can see that annual average rainfall in the municipality of Sokobanja is 677 mm. Most rainfall is in June - 80mm, and the least in October - 45mm, which can greatly affect to the extension of the tourist season. There is the same amount of rainfall (45mm) during the winter months, January and February.

Based on analysis of the basic climatic elements, we can conclude that Sokobanja climate is characterized by a large number of merits. These are mainly related to the extremely low presence of high and low temperatures, low daily temperature amplitude, constant flow of air from the surrounding mountains, the optimal humidity of air and a large number of sunny days. The combination of these elements of the climate favorably affects the human body and especially its recovering and strengthening.

The number of rainy days >=0,1mm and days with heavy rain >10,0mm

Source: Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia

As can be seen from the table above, the annual average is only 21.8 days with heavy rain, mostly in June (3 days), which coincides with the maximum of rainfall. The least number of days with heavy rain is in February (0.9).