Hail as a Natural Disaster in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

The increased frequency and intensity of hail occurrence is one of the negative consequences of climate change in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The monitoring system of the hail occurrence, as well as the suppression from the hailstorms damages, is best organized in the northern part of the country, which represents largest and most important region of crops and fruit production. Activities on hail suppression have been implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1970. The main aim of the paper is to perfom a complex analysis of the hail occurrence in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2000–2017 periods, based on data from meteorological stations Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Mrakovica, Gradiška, Srbac, Derventa, Doboj and Prijedor, and 203 anti-hail stations. The temporal and spatial distribution of the hail occurrence over the study area, and their interdependence with climate change will be determined. It is particularly important to emphasize that during the last two decades prominent climate change have been observed over the study area, which caused higher atmosphere lability and increased frequency of occurrence, as well as intensity of the phenomenon. The paper also discusses the extreme hailstorm event on June 25, 2014, when the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina was affected by supercell cumulonimbus. Further, the potential impacts on the agricultural sector and adaptation options were investigated.