"Don’t sail out further than you can row back"
~Danish traditional~
Basic info
Adriatic and all the Croatia is situated in northeast hemisphere and therefore it has its own specific climate. South and central part of Adriatic are classified as hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) and the northern Adriatic as humid subtropical climate (Cfa).
The hottest months are July and August with light to moderate NW wind that provides perfect weather for all tip of summer activities (swimming, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, etc…). Sea temperature reaches almost 30°C and air temperature is between 28°C – 35°C.
Features
There are some specific wind’s we would like to point out:
JUGO:
- wind direction from south corridor (SW, S, SE)
- warm and moist wind usually followed with rain
- strength of wind in some occasion can reach up to 60 kn
- usually starts as a light breeze and takes day or two to reach top strength
BURA:
- wind direction from northeast corridor (NE)
- cold wind blowing from land/mountains to the sea bringing chili air. Usually followed with nice sunny weather
- strength of wind can reach hurricane speeds up to +70kn
- rapidly increasing with strong gusts
TRAMONTANA:
- wind direction from north corridor (N)
- fresh wind from north usually picking up with sunset or after local storm has passed
- light to moderate (12-20kn) or strong with gusts up to 60kn
MAESTRAL:
- wind direction from north corridor (NW)
- warm wind picking up in afternoon followed by sunny summer weather
- light to moderate (10-20kn), in some occasions can reach 30kn
Keep in mind
Regarding the climate and geo specs of Adriatic (especially Croatian coast and islands) there are few things for all of you out there who are planning to sail the Croatian waters for the first time:
- Croatian coast is highly indented, check nautical maps frequently to avoid shallow waters and reefs
- check weather forecast frequently and ask local people/skippers to give you advise if you are having any doubts
- BURA is NE wind, raises up very fast and has strong gusts
- JUGO is SSW wind that picks up slowly but can make very high sea unpleasant to navigate
- unexpected thunder storms can occur during summer so be sure to be safe before it hits.