Kosovo is a relatively small country. Because of the climatic position and complicated structure of the

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

it has a variety of climate systems.

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

lies in the south part of the middle geographical

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...

of the northern hemisphere and it is affected by the Mediterranean Mild Climate and European Continental Climate. Important factors that affect Kosovo's climate are: its position towards

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...

and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, hydrographic masses (

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

and

Mediterranean sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

), atmospheric masses ( tropic,

arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...

and continental) and others. Minor factors are: relief, hydrography, plain and vegetation.

Areas

The climatic area of the Ibar valley is influenced by continental

air mass In meteorology, an air mass is a volume of air defined by its temperature and humidity. Air masses cover many hundreds or thousands of square miles, and adapt to the characteristics of the surface below them. They are classified according to l ...

es. For this reason, in this part of the region, the

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...

s are colder with medium temperatures above , but sometimes down to . The summers are very hot with average temperatures of , sometimes up to . This area is characterized by a dry climate and a total annual precipitation of 600 mm per year, approximately. The climatic area of dukagjini, which includes the watershed of the

White Drin The White Drin or White Drim ( sq, Drini i Bardhë,/ ''Beli Drim'') is a river in Kosovo and northern Albania, a ca. -long headstream of the Drin. Course Kosovo The Kosovo section of the White Drin flows entirely in the semi-karst part of ...

river, is influenced very much by the hot air masses, which cross the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...

. Medium temperatures during winter range from to sometimes . The average annual precipitation of this climatic area is about per year. The winter is characterized by heavy

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

falls. The climatic area of the

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

s and forest parts is characterised by a typical forest clime, that is associated with heavy

rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water ...

falls ( per year), and summers that are very short and cold, and winters that are cold and with a lot of

. Finally, it can be stated that the Kosovo territory is characterised by a sunny climate with variable temperature and humidity conditions. General air flows, physical, geographical and

topographical Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sc ...

characteristics enforce territorial and temporal changes of climatic elements.

Air Temperature

Air Temperature is the main climatic element which tells the degree of air heat near-earth layers. In Kosovo there are thermal differences in horizontal and vertical direction. The eastern side is colder than the western part. The average temperature of Kosovo for a year is . The warmest month is July with , the coldest is January with . The highest average temperature for a year is in Prizren (), the lowest temperature in Podujevo (). Except Prizren and

Istok Istog or Istok ( sq-definite, Istog, Istogu, sr, Исток, ''Istok'') or Burim is a town and municipality located in the District of Peja of western Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the city of Istog has 5,115 inhabitants, while the munici ...

, all other meteorological stations, in January have average temperatures under . Except average temperature values, thermal characteristics of Kosovo will be better understood in the analyze of extreme values. Maximal values in all meteorological stations are higher than , while the absolute lowest value was registered on June 6, 1963 in

Gjilan Gjilan, or Gnjilane ( sr-cyr, Гњилане) is the eighth largest city in Kosovo and seat of Gjilan Municipality and Gjilan District. Name Ottoman chronicler Evliya Çelebi mentions ''Morava'' as a settlement of the Sanjak of Vučitrn. � ...

with a value of . Based on the summary, the amplitude of the average of the average values in Kosovo is . Movements of air temperature from year to year are pretty much noticeable. In lower parts of Kosovo, tropic days usually last for 30 days.

Precipitation

Precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

is an important indicator of the climate in Kosovo and it represents a meteorological element with significant changes with time and territory. Key features of the

fall of each territory are: the submission forms, their distribution during the year, annual amount, pluviometric regime, the number of days with precipitation and their intensity. You can see all precipitation forms in Kosovo. Important significance has the rainfall in

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...

s and

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

s, and heavy

fall in the high mountain areas such as

Accursed Mountains The Accursed Mountains ( sq, Bjeshkët e Nemuna; sh-Cyrl-Latn, Проклетије, Prokletije, ; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps ( sq, Alpet Shqiptare), are a mountain group in the western part of the ...

and

Šar Mountains The Šar Mountains (Serbian and mk, Шар Планина, Šar Planina, colloquially also ) or Sharr Mountains ( sq, Malet e Sharrit), form a mountain range in the Balkans that extends from Kosovo and the northwest of North Macedonia to north ...

. The presence of hail is an unfortunate phenomenon for the agriculture in Kosovo. This form of precipitation mostly occurs during July and August. Even though Kosovo lies in a relatively small territory, there are noticeable differences between territories and their amount of precipitation. Kosovo is affected by middle-maritime and middle-continental precipitation regime. On the west, the middle-maritime form is more present. This type of precipitation regime is known for big rainfalls during the year (over ), the maximum amount during November and the minimum during summer. The eastern part is affected by the middle-continental type of precipitation, which is known with lack of rainfall during a year (over ), the maximum amount during May and the minimum during winter. The biggest amount of rainfall is in the west part of

with over , while the lowest amount of rainfall can be found in the east part – Kosovska Kamenica with less than . Snowfall is a common occurrence during the cold months of the year. In the low parts of Kosovo there are averagely 26 days with snowfall, while the high parts have over 100 days. The number of days with snow and the thickness depend on the relief. Snowfall has an importance on keeping the wetness of the surface, creating water reserves, tourism etc.

Winds

Wind Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few ho ...

s are a random meteorological phenomenon in Kosovo. The dominant wind direction usually has the bigger force and speed. The average wind speed in Kosovo is 1.3 m/s in Peja to 2.4 m/s

Ferizaj Ferizaj, . or Uroševac, . Also formerly known as Ferizovići ( tr, Firzovik). is the sixth largest city in Kosovo by population and seat of Ferizaj Municipality and Ferizaj District. Ferizaj has been populated since the prehistoric era by t ...

. Extreme wind speeds in Kosovo are around 31 m/s which occur during March and April; usually end up with causing damage on houses.

Insolation

Insolation is a measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area and recorded during a given time. Insolation is a climatic element that has an importance in different economical activities such as:

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

etc. The period of insolation depends on astronomical, meteorological and relief factors. Insolation is smaller in narrow valleys,

river valleys A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

and mountain ranges as a result of the increase of overcast and elevation. Kosovo has on average 2,066 hours with sun per year or approximately 5.7 hours per day. The highest insolation value is in

Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians an ...

with 2.140 hours for 1 year, while Peja with the smallest insolation value of 1.958 hours, with 2.067 hours and Prizren with 2.099 hours. The maximum insolation in Kosovo occurs during July, while the lowest insolation occurs in December.

Climatic territorial differences

The climatic changes based on territories depend on various factors, such as:

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characte ...

humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...

of the territory etc. Climate classifications are usually based on: wind exposure, mountain height and direction, climatic effects on vegetation and

watercourse A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams a ...

s. From all the climatic classifications made in Kosovo, the most accurate one is the one provided by W. Köppen. According to this classification, Kosovo is part of C and D types of climate. Kosovo's hot average climate during summer months is under and the cold average is above . According to the thermal characteristics, amount of rainfall and their regime in low parts of Kosovo, we get two subtypes of climate: *''Metohija'' subtype and *''Kosovo'' subtype The climatic subtype of the western part has soft winters and a big amount of rainfall. These characteristics are inherited by the Mediterranean mild climate. The climatic subtype of ''Kosovo'' has cold winters and lack of rainfall, characteristics inherited from the continental type of climate. Even though Kosovo has these climatic characteristics most of the time, there might be a major change in climate on certain years only. In 1992, Kosovo had a very hot and dry summer, which fits the B climatic type of Köppen. D-climatic type which is known for average temperatures of during cold months and during hot months can be found in high parts of Kosovo, such as

, the

and

Kopaonik Kopaonik ( sr-cyr, Копаоник, ; sq, Kopaoniku) is a mountain range located in Serbia and Kosovo. The highest point is the Pančić's Peak with . The central part of the Kopaonik plateau was declared a national park in 1981 which today cove ...

. This type of climate is known by the name ''subalpine'' and ''alpine''.

Human Effect

Climate is important in human life, as well as vital activist such as: agriculture, rest, recreation, tourism, transport, medicine, sanitary-hygienic conditions.Riza Çavolli 1993, p. 27

Weatherboxes

References

Bibliography

*Çavolli, Riza (1993). ''Gjeografia e Kosovës''. ETMMK. *Geographical Association of Kosova (2008). ''Geographical Exploration''. SHOQATA E GJEOGRAFËVE TË KOSOVËS. *Group of authors (2004). ''40 Vjetori i Departamentit të Gjeografisë''. DEPARTAMENTI I GJEOGRAFISË.

External links

*http://www.worldclimateguide.co.uk/climateguides/kosovo/pristina.php *https://web.archive.org/web/20140527212027/http://www.kosovo-mining.org/kosovoweb/en/kosovo/climate.html
The World Factbook
*http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/kosovo/ *http://www.spainexchange.com/guide/KV-climate.htm *http://www.iexplore.com/travel-guides/europe/kosovo/weather *http://www.spainexchange.com/guide/KV-climate.htm *https://books.google.com/books?id=uSaH1bKAb8QC&ei=Lg8qUYOYEY-izATqq4C4BQ {{Europe topic, Climate of Environment of Kosovo