Effect of altitude on the water balance of land area of Sarajevo.

This paper examined the impact of altitude on the water balance of the land area of Sarajevo (weather station Bjelave and weather station Bjelasnica) for the period 1991-2010 for the average, driest and rainiest hydrological year. The average annual potential evapotranspiration (ETP) in the weather station Bjelave was 529 mm, while in the weather station Bjelasnica potential evapotranspiraton (ETP) value was much lower, amounting to 54 mm. In the area of weather station Bjelave, the mean annual precipitation (P) for an average hydrological year amounted to 1.144 mm, potential evapotranspiration (ETP) 595 mm, and actual evapotranspiration (ETR) to 522 mm. Water shortages in the area covered by the weather station appeared in the summer months (July and August), total of water of 158 mm, whereas the excess water in the soil, due to its water saturation occurred in the winter months (December, January, February) and in March and April, its total of 389 mm. In the area of weather station Bjelasnica, the annual precipitation means (P) for an average hydrological year amounted to 955 mm, potential evapotranspiration (ETP) 70 mm, and actual evapotranspiration (ETR) 68 mm. Shortages of water were not present in a single month, and excess water might occur during all the months except October, in the amount of 719 mm.