GEOGRAPHICA ANNONICA pzc No7; p 4-8 • Pancevo: 44º53’ North Latitude and Wind Frequency in 20º40’East Longitude, altitude 80m Wind, together with air temperature and pressure, presents an important el- Vojvodina’s Part of Banat ement of climate. Due to air movements, maritime and continental air masses ex- change, i.e. air masses from different lat- itudes and longitudes, which differ in tem- perature and humidity. Thus, carrying climatic features of the area they origi- nate, the winds strongly influence certain Lazic, L, Pavic, D.* areas and take the role of climate modifi- er. Abstract The Vojvodina’s part of Banat Position spreads through the eastern part of Vojvo- Yugoslav part of Banat stretches along the dina. For the analysis of wind frequencies eastern part of Vojvodina. In the north- 4FOUB we took the data from eight meteorological south direction its position is between ,JLJOEB stations. We have analysed the data ac- the Mures and the Danube rivers, and in cording to seasons and for the entire year. the west-east direction between the Tisza The winds from south-eastern (211 ‰) river and the state border of Romania. The and north-western (148 ‰) direction have examined area occupies the area in the cen- the highest average frequencies. The wind tral part of mild climatic zone, significant- from south-eastern direction – Kosava, ly distant (about 2,000 km) from the main ;SFOKBOJO +BTB5PNJD has the highest frequency during the win- source of humidity, the Atlantic Ocean. At ter, spring and autumn, while in summer the same time, Banat is isolated from di- the most frequent wind is northwesterly. rect penetration of the cold, continental 7STBD At the same time, most calm periods ap- air, by the Carpathian Mountains and it pear in summer. The highest frequency of penetrates only under special weather con- winds is found in Northern Banat, then ditions. Closer to Banat is a smaller aquat- 4VTBSB #FMB$SLWB in the Central Banat, and the Southern ic territory, the Mediterranean. However, 1BODFWP Banat has the smallest wind frequency the existence of a strong mountain barrier (248 ‰ calm period annually). as the Dinaric Alps extending vertically to the direction of southern winds modifies Key words wind, frequency, Banat, Vojvo- the influence of the aquatic territory. Fig 1 Positions of meteorological stations dina in Vojvodina’s part of Banat Method In the research of wind frequency in Banat, According to relatively small area of data from eight meteorological stations Banat and rather balanced air pressure, were used, where data from seven stations there are no significant air currents of local are in the period 1951-1990, whereas the importance between parts of the research- station Jasa Tomic gives data for the peri- covered area. However, on the territory of od 1954-1990. Firstly, frequency and still- Banat, and broader area of the Pannonian ness of winds will be analyzed at all sta- Basin, there are very frequent air move- tions, then in separate climatic regions ments caused by barometric difference be- and finally for the whole territory of Banat tween large aquatorias of The Atlantic and by seasons and for one year period. the Mediterranean on one hand and on List of meteorological stations and the other Euro-Asian land on the other. their positional characteristics, starting Due to the present distribution of air ac- from the northernmost: tivity centers on the territory of Pannon- • Senta: 45º56’ North Latitude and ic plain, the dominating winds come from 20º05’ East Longitude, altitude 80m the western, or the eastern quadrant. • Kikinda: 45º51’ North Latitude and 20º27’East Longitude, altitude 81m Wind frequency • Jasa Tomic: 45º27’ North Latitude and 20º51’East Longitude, altitude 81m Winter • Zrenjanin: 45º24’ North Latitude and The table 1 gives data on winter wind fre- 20º25’East Longitude, altitude 80m quency and calmness for the observed pe- • Vrsac: 45º09’ North Latitude and riod in eight (8) meteorological stations, 21º19’East Longitude, altitude 84m by separate climatic regions and for Banat • Susara: 44º56’ North Latitude and as a unit. * Lazar Lazic, Dragoslav Pavic, University 21º08’East Longitude, altitude 180m In Winter, the most of the territory in of Novi Sad, Faculty of Natural Sciences, • Bela Crkva: 44º54’ North Latitude and Banat is dominated by the southeast wind, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Managament, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21º25’East Longitude, altitude 90m what is the consequence of the distribution 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro of barometric depressions in the west part 4 pzc GEOGRAPHICA ANNONICA Pavic, D. Lazic, L. of the Mediterranean on one hand and on Table 1 Average winter frequencies of winds and calms (‰) in Banat in the period the other the anticyclone above the south 1951-1990. parts of Ukraine and Besarabia. Thus, Ko- Winter N NE E SE S SW W NW C sava is the wind of the highest frequency Senta 118 78 58 177 107 80 110 195 77 (table 1) at seven stations. Frequency of southeastern wind at these stations rang- Kikinda 117 81 51 196 171 88 103 125 68 es between 185‰ (in Bela Crkva) to 318‰ Jaša Tomić 119 91 42 281 101 83 66 151 66 (in Susara). In Senta, the most frequent is Zrenjanin 89 74 62 230 152 63 141 130 59 northwestern wind with 195‰. It is sig- Vršac 88 63 37 222 207 74 75 77 157 nificant that apart from southeastern and Šušara 40 25 37 318 25 29 51 166 309 northwestern winds, there is also domi- nating southern wind (especially in Kikin- Bela Crkva 52 26 67 185 52 41 70 159 348 da, Zrenjanin, and Pancevo). Pančevo 87 62 30 210 198 76 88 79 170 The lowest frequencies in a large por- North Banat 108 78 57 201 143 77 118 150 68 tion of Banat belong to the eastern wind. Central Banat 104 82 52 255 127 73 103 141 63 Its minimal frequency occurs at six sta- South Banat 67 44 43 234 121 55 71 120 246 tions (37‰ in Vrsac and 62‰ in Zren- Banat 89 62 48 227 127 67 88 135 157 janin). In Susara, the lowest frequency is recorded for northeastern and southern Source: Meteorological yearbooks 1951-1990. wind (25‰), and in Bela Crkva for north- ness becomes lower (table 2). Thus, on the the most dominant, then follows northwest- eastern wind (26‰). observed stations still the most dominant ern, and then with lowest frequency eastern The highest calmness during winter oc- are southeastern and northwestern winds, wind, and then winds from northeastern curs at four southern Banat stations, where whereas the lowest frequency in most of and southwestern directions. Bela Crkva (348‰) and Susara (309‰) the cases is recorded for the winds of east- The highest frequency is recorded are singled out. Opposite to southern, ern, southern and northeastern direction. for southeastern wind in Central Banat northern and central parts of Banat rep- At seven meteorological stations, the (249‰), then in South Banat (234‰), and resent rather windy areas with relatively most frequent is southeastern wind. As in the lowest in North (189‰). Northwest- small calmness (from 59‰ in Zrenjanin winter, it is only in Senta where the high- ern wind, observed regionally, shows no- to 77‰ in Senta). est frequency is recorded for northwest- ticeable standardized frequency. Namely, All three climatic regions (table 1) are ern wind. Among those seven stations, the it is the most frequent in southern (172‰), dominated during winter by the wind – highest frequency, 302‰, is recorded for slightly lower in northern (162‰), and the Kosava. The highest frequency of this wind southeastern wind in Susara, and the low- lowest in central (159‰) part of the ob- occurs in Central Banat (255‰), slightly est, 184‰, in Kikinda. In Senta northwest- served area. It is also important to empha- lower in Southern (234‰), and the low- ern wind (188‰) is more dominant than size that the north wind is frequent too, est in Northern (201‰). Apart from the southeastern (165‰) for 23‰. The low- especially in the north and central parts of southeastern wind, in all three climatic re- est frequency in Susara (18‰) is recorded Banat. gions the frequencies of northwestern and for southern wind, and in Bela Crkva east- Eastern wind, which is of far lowest southern wind are significant. ern and northeastern with identical values frequency, reaches its minimum in South The lowest frequency in northern, cen- of 29‰. All other stations record the low- Banat (41‰), slightly higher in Central tral, and southern observed parts of Banat est frequency of eastern wind. The least (48‰) and the highest in North (57‰). As is recorded for eastern wind (in South windy in spring are Bela Crkva and Susara, it has been quoted here, relatively low fre- Banat 43‰, in Central 52‰, and in North and the windiest are Kikinda, Zrenjanin quencies characterize northeastern and 57‰). Low frequencies are recorded for and Senta. This is supported by the value southwestern winds. northeastern and southwestern wind. The of calm, which is 309‰ for Bela Crkva, The most windy parts are the north lowest occurrence of wind during winter 242‰ for Susara, whereas in Kikinda its parts of Banat where the value of calm is is in South Banat, which is supported by value comes to only 52‰, in Zrenjanin only 55‰, central parts follow immedi- the high value of calm 246‰. Fare more 55‰, and in Senta 57‰. ately with calm 65‰, whereas the least windy are North (calm is 68‰) and Cen- Observing average frequencies by climat- windy parts are those in the south of the tral Banat (calm is 63‰).