The climate of Serbia is between a continental climate in the north, with cold dry winters, and warm, humid summers with well distributed rainfall patterns, and a more Mediterranean climate in the south with hot, dry summers and autumns and average relatively cool and more rainy winters with heavy mountain snowfall. Differences in elevation, proximity to the Adriatic Sea and Aegean Sea and large river basins, as well as exposure to the winds account for climate differences.
Most of Northern Serbia possesses a typical continental climate, with air masses from northern and western Europe which shape its climatic profile. South and South-east of Serbia is subject to strong Mediterranean influences (hotter summers and milder winters). However, the Dinaric Alps and other mountain ranges contribute to the cooling down a large part of the warm air masses. Winters are quite harsh in Raà ¡ka (region) because of the mountains which encircle the plateau. One of the climatic features of Serbia is Koà ¡ava, a cold and very squally southeastern wind which starts in the Carpathian Mountains and follows the Danube northwest through the Iron Gate where it gains a jet effect and continues to Belgrade and can spread as far south as Nià ¡. Mediterranean micro-regions exist throughout southern Serbia, in Zlatibor and the PÃÂinja District around valley and river PÃÂinja.
The average annual air temperature for the period 1981âÂÂ2017 for the area with an altitude of up to is . The areas with an altitude of have an average annual temperature of around , and over of altitude around .
Serbia is one of few European countries with a very high risk exposure to natural hazards (earthquakes, storms, floods and droughts). It is estimated that potential floods, particularly in areas of Central Serbia, threaten over 500 larger settlements and an area of 16,000 square kilometres. The most disastrous were the floods in May 2014, when 57 people died and a damage of over 1.5 billion euros was inflicted. Apart from floods, droughts are present too, with the 2012 drought causing over 1 billion euros in damages.
The lowest recorded temperature in Serbia was (January 26, 2006, KarajukiÃÂa Bunari in Peà ¡ter) (unofficially -42ðC in Sjenica), and the highest was (July 24, 2007, Smederevska Palanka).