Bjelasnica Mountain is the second home for Zijad Omerovic. He is there in winter and summer. Rain, snow, sun – it does not matter. Zijad is there. Every time you hear the weather forecast, among others, you should remember this man. He is a meteorologist and he works in the meteorological station at Bjelasnica for 18 years. According to Zijad, this is the first altitude stations in the Balkans and the second in Europe, which started with work back in 1894, and it is certain that Bjelasnica was not accidentally chosen for the construction of this kind of facility.
“This is the place where two climates were facing, continental and sea climate, and because of that certain conditions are expressed on Bjelasnica. These are rainfall, especially the snow, strong wind, which often exceeds the speed of 200 kilometers per hour. There is deposition of frost in winter that overlaid objects at the top of Bjelasnica and at the Meteorological Station it can be measured in tons,” said Omerovic.
When winter weather is nice Zijad is using the ski lifts, but when there is a strong wind, large amounts of snow are falling together with thick fog, then he goes by foot. However, the climb to the top can be even life-threatening.
“I have had a lot of these situations, the wind was blowing 150 kilometers per hour, or even more, temperature between – 15 °C to – 20°C. I climbed once when the temperature was – 19°C and wind was around 150 kilometers per hour,” recalled Zijad.
According to Zijad, the work itself is interesting and it consists of observations and measurements using instruments that are carried out every hour, and every three hours at night. The data are sent to the center in Sarajevo by the internet. There are all conditions for a pleasant stay of a meteorologist on duty. The building is fully equipped. There is a kitchen, bedrooms, water, telephone, internet…They procure and deliver food that can stand in the fall, and the food that can be spoiled they bring with them.
(Source: Ediba Rizvanbegovic/Faktor.ba)
