American Marconi Wireless News - Bosnia hits hottest year on record in 2024: meteorologists

"This year will definitely be the hottest since this data was officially collected," meteorologist Dzenan Zulum told AFP, saying the country has broken its annual heat record for the past three years in a row.

"Compared to the previous year, this year will be warmer, with an increase in the average temperature between 0.5 and 1 degrees celsius, depending on the area," added Zulum.

The average temperature in the southern city of Mostar would be about 17.5-17.6 Celsius, some 0.7-0.8 degrees above 2023, while in Sarajevo the average would be 12.9-13.0 Celsius, about one degree above the 2023 figure, Zulum said.

Bosnia did not get its usual snowfall this year and rains have been below average causing a drought which dried up one of its largest lakes.

The drought has also made nearby areas more susceptible to landslides, as the soil dries out and loosens.

The UN climate and weather agency has said that 2024 will probably be the hottest recorded on the planet, with UN leaders and experts blaming global warming for a string of calamitous floods, fires, heatwaves and hurricanes across the world this year.

P.Mathewson--AMWN